BREEAM Certification: Air quality for sustainable construction

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) is a globally recognized method for assessing and certifying the sustainability of buildings across various categories. This certification ensures that buildings not only meet high environmental standards but also provide healthy and comfortable environments for their occupants.

BREEAM offers different schemes tailored to the use and various stages of a building's life cycle. BREEAM In-Use, the standard for existing buildings, focuses on environmental performance, operations, maintenance, and tenant management. Within this certification, the Health and Wellbeing (Hea) category plays a crucial role, and this is where inBiot's air quality solutions can make a significant impact.

BREEAM In-Use: Health and Wellbeing (Hea)

The BREEAM In-Use methodology is based on nine categories reflecting key sustainability aspects, including the Health and Wellbeing (Hea) category. This category aims to ensure that buildings provide healthy, safe, comfortable, and accessible environments, both internally and externally, for their occupants.

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BREEAM In-Use covers various commercial and residential typologies: offices, retail, healthcare, leisure, distribution, logistics, industry, and residential buildings. To achieve BREEAM certification, a building must meet a certain number of credits in each category, depending on its type and size, as well as the desired certification level. An on-site audit by a BREEAM In-Use assessor is required, along with evidence demonstrating compliance with the evaluated criteria. Credits are awarded based on the building's performance in each category, and the final score determines the certification level achieved. Additionally, the issued certificate is not static; it must be renewed every three years.

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The BREEAM In-Use process evaluates environmental performance in two parts:

• Part 1: The Building – characteristics of the building itself and its facilities.
• Part 2: Management – policies, procedures, and management practices implemented in the building.

Each part considers the nine mentioned categories. Each part is evaluated independently, receiving its own score, identifying areas for potential improvement concerning best practices.

Part 1: The Building

In the Health and Wellbeing category, BREEAM In-Use assesses aspects such as the monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and the detection of carbon monoxide (CO), critical gases for indoor air quality and occupant safety.

• Carbon Dioxide (Hea 09): BREEAM awards up to 4 credits for installing sensors in areas with variable occupancy and all regularly occupied spaces. Sensors must be installed, tested, calibrated, and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions and positioned to provide representative readings of each space's conditions. They should be wall-mounted at a height corresponding to the average head height, seated or standing, for the primary activity within the space. Additionally, these devices must emit visible or audible alerts when CO₂ levels exceed recommended thresholds.
• Carbon Monoxide (Hea 10): Up to 2 credits can be obtained by installing CO detectors: one credit for ensuring all spaces with combustion appliances have detectors, and an additional credit if installed in all enclosed parking areas. These detectors must trigger immediate alerts if CO levels reach dangerous levels.

Our MICA devices, equipped with high-precision NDIR CO₂ sensors and carbon monoxide (CO) sensors, offer continuous monitoring of these gases' concentrations in the air. These monitors, easily installable in any occupied building space, include a traffic light system providing immediate visual signals when CO₂ levels exceed established limits. Furthermore, they integrate with our digital platform, My inBiot, allowing real-time visualization of both gases' levels and public display to building users, as well as configuring automatic alerts to notify building managers. These features ensure that the building meets BREEAM criteria, enabling the attainment of both the 4 credits for CO₂ monitoring and the 2 credits for carbon monoxide detection.

Part 2: Management (Hea)

Effective management of thermal comfort and indoor air quality is also evaluated in the Health and Wellbeing (Hea) category of BREEAM In-Use. These aspects are essential to ensure that the building not only provides a comfortable environment for its occupants but also maintains high air quality standards over time.

• Thermal Comfort (Hea 14): Up to 2 credits can be obtained by continuously measuring and controlling temperature in a representative number of occupied spaces during operational hours throughout the year. This requires implementing a network of real-time temperature sensors to constantly monitor thermal conditions and adjust them as necessary to ensure users remain within an adequate thermal comfort range.
• Indoor Air Quality Management (Hea 16): One credit is awarded for implementing procedures and plans to regularly monitor indoor air quality in occupied spaces. This involves measuring CO₂ concentrations and at least two other pollutants such as particulates, VOCs, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), or radon, using monitoring methodologies that may include real-time sensor networks.

Furthermore, MICA can integrate with Building Management Systems (BMS), enabling automatic regulation of the building’s ventilation and air conditioning systems based on real-time needs. This integration capability not only ensures that thermal comfort and air quality levels remain optimal at all times but also promotes sustainability by contributing to energy savings, reducing unnecessary consumption, and optimizing resource use. In this way, it facilitates compliance with certification standards and promotes the creation of a healthy, comfortable, and efficient indoor environment for all occupants.

Contact us to secure your air quality credits in BREEAM and achieve the highest standards of sustainability and well-being in your building!