Sustainability certification

Sustainability certification

Sustainability certification is an independent and externally coordinated assessment system that quantifies the sustainability of buildings. Buildings are assessed on various parameters, and this assessment is consolidated into a certificate. The parameters of sustainability certificates are constantly adjusted and innovated, which ensures that we are always the first to know about innovations in the sector. The certificate guarantees the buyer of the building that the building has been built in accordance with the latest sustainable innovations. This means that the certification of the building is an important asset in the commercialisation of real estate.

Assessment and support

Accredited sustainability expert and assessor

Encon is an accredited sustainability expert and assessor. In other words, we are able to assess the buildings ourselves for the most common plans, in addition to project management. Encon can also assist in conducting various sub-studies for certification, alongside assistance in obtaining the certificate. These sub-studies contribute to the final score of the project, such as daylight simulation, dynamic building simulation, travel plan, etc.

BREEAM

BREEAM is one of the most widely used and largest sustainability programmes in the world. It rates buildings according to a list of 90 parameters within 9 categories: energy, health & welfare, management, water, waste, land use & ecology, pollution, transport and materials.

A standardised and well-established approach makes this a label of guaranteed sustainability of your building, now and in the future, with added marketing value.

Learn more about BREEAM here

LEED

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is the most widely used certification system in the United States. Whereas this system is often chosen overseas for government projects, it is mostly used in Europe for companies that have a close affiliation with the USA.

The following elements are assessed: development of sustainable sites, water saving, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environment quality, innovation and design and regional priority.

Learn more about LEED here

WELL

Whereas BREEAM and LEED mainly focus on the environmental impact of a building, WELL focuses on the well-being of the people in the building. A WELL certificate can be issued for various components. For example, there is a specific certificate for only the structural core and façade as well as the interior and exterior of new and existing buildings. The interior component even includes the type of cleaning agent used. WELL can be interesting for offices as well as for the hospitality, retail, healthcare and numerous other industries.

Learn more about WELL here

Other certificates

Besides BREEAM, LEED and WELL, there are several certification options worldwide in addition to the most common ones, such as GRO and Greenstar. There are also many countries with their own specific systems, such as HQE in France, DGNB in Germany, Minergie in Switzerland, and so on.

Depending on the wishes and needs, we select a system to get started with.

Green Building Manual

Some companies do not feel the need for a specific certificate but consider sustainability to be of paramount importance within their buildings. With the aim of making sustainability measurable, Encon has developed a specific method of drawing up a customised sustainability standard for buildings. This avoids any additional certification administration and allows the organisation to decide its own sustainability ambitions and how to achieve them.

This standard, the Green Building Manual, is a combination of strategic measures for the construction and management of the building and associated building techniques. Using our own sustainability ambition as the starting point, we determine sustainability parameters and associated performance levels to draw up a scoring system. As an independent expert, we can then apply this scoring system and translate it into a sustainability performance. Finally, if you want to commercialise this sustainability performance, we can easily create a personalised sustainability label with credibility.

Getting started with Encon

Our approach

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for determining the right sustainability parameters for your building. Whereas a relatively simple measure for one building can make a big difference, this might not be the case for another due to its unique circumstances. That is why our experts examine the most cost-effective way to create the greatest impact for your building. Using our independent expertise, we always succeed in taking care of the work for our clients and doing more with less.

Certification scan

This scan of a new or existing building first looks at the credits for a good score. We then use an indicative score per credit to see which certificate is attainable. We also give an overview of the total investment cost required to obtain the certificate.

Optimisation study

Following a positive scan, an optimisation study is carried out to determine cost efficiency. The final credits are selected with a low additional cost & high added value, a low level of difficulty and a high share in the final score. Encon explores the necessary efforts to achieve a high level of sustainability—and optimises the efforts.

Project registration and work scope design

Based on the results of the optimisation study, Encon registers the building with the relevant authorities. The work scope is also designed, which defines the tasks, action holders, timings and burden of proof per credit; it also serves as an essential tool for project management during certification.

Project support and assessment

An effective assessment requires the appointment of an accredited Assessor. This person takes care of both the interim and final assessment of the project: the 'Design Stage Assessment' and 'Post Construction Stage Assessment'. As Encon works with customised templates for formatting the burden of proof, the preparation of the assessment takes less time.

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