A BREEAM In-Use certificate obtained at the end of 2026 will expire at the end of 2029, a few weeks before the BACS decree deadline of 1 January 2030 (French decree 2020-887 on building automation and control systems) for 70 to 290 kW commercial buildings[1][1]RegulationLégifrance, “Decree No. 2025-1343 of 26 December 2025”, postponing the BACS deadline for 70 to 290 kW buildings to 1 January 2030See in sources ↓. On one side, a voluntary rating valid for three years[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. On the other, a dated legal obligation. The two calendars meet on the same asset and on the same technical management. Here is what this environmental certification measures, how to obtain it and how to keep energy drift from eroding the rating between two assessments.
What is BREEAM In-Use?
The Building Research Establishment's standard for existing buildings
BREEAM In-Use is the operational version of the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It is the assessment standard for existing buildings published by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), launched in 2009 and issued by BRE Global[3][3]Manufacturer documentationBRE, “BREEAM In-Use”, scheme overview (first version 2009, certificates issued by BRE Global)See in sources ↓. It rates a building on two levels: the fabric with its equipment, then the way it is managed.
The BREEAM label only makes sense if it serves a sustainable real estate strategy driven by the asset manager: a plaque screwed to the wall of the reception area proves nothing. Commercial buildings in operation are eligible: offices, retail, hotels and other assets. The exact list of building types is given in the V6 technical manual[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. Sometimes written BREEAM InUse, the standard applies worldwide.
Asset Performance and Management Performance: the two parts of V6
This is how BREEAM In-Use certification works: two parts, each scored out of 100[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. Asset Performance assesses the fabric and its equipment. Management Performance judges day-to-day technical management. It scores documented practices, therefore evidence, never intentions.
Did you know? V6 (version 6.0.0) of the international standard was published in May 2020. Since May 2021, it is the only version that can be used to start a new assessment[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓.
BREEAM New Construction, RFO, In-Use: three standards for three stages of the life cycle
BREEAM New Construction rates the design and construction of a new project. BREEAM Infrastructure, for the record, covers civil engineering works.
BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out (BREEAM RFO) covers renovation and fit-out works. The operational version closes the life cycle. Yet a building certified Excellent at delivery has proven nothing about its consumption three years later. Construction is rated once; operation is judged every day.
BREEAM In-Use, HQE Exploitation, WELL: three in-use certifications, three approaches
The BRE standard produces a multi-criteria environmental rating of the asset and its management. In France, HQE Exploitation (the French HQE certification for buildings in operation), issued by Certivéa (Cerway internationally), remains the national reference framework for certifying a building in operation.
WELL v2 certification, run by IWBI, focuses on occupant health and well-being. The right choice cannot be read from how well known the label is. It depends on what the investor, the tenant or the owner really expects from the asset.
Is BREEAM In-Use mandatory? What the law requires, what the market expects
A voluntary environmental certification, with no legal obligation in France
No French legislation requires this in-use certification. It is a voluntary environmental certification, which the owner decides whether or not to pursue. Some investors and tenants nevertheless treat the BREEAM label as a condition for considering an asset. Confusion sets in quickly: a market requirement ends up passing for a legal obligation. BREEAM certification is then budgeted as a compliance upgrade, which it is not.
Décret tertiaire, BACS decree, IPMVP: what each framework measures
| Criterion | Décret tertiaire | BACS decree | IPMVP protocol | BREEAM In-Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Legal obligation | Legal obligation Decree No. 2020-887 [4] |
Voluntary method Often contractual |
Voluntary |
| What is measured | Actual energy consumption | The functions of the building automation and control system | An energy saving attributable to an action | The asset (Part 1) and its management (Part 2) |
| Unit of result | Consumption trajectory against a baseline | Functional requirements, no NF EN ISO 52120-1 class imposed [4] | Measured saving, corrected for heating degree days (HDD) | Score out of 100 per part [2] |
| Frequency | Trajectory tracked over time | Compliance deadline, then ongoing maintenance | According to the measurement and verification plan | Certificate valid for 3 years [2] |
| Buildings concerned | Commercial buildings subject to the decree | Over 290 kW since 1 January 2025, 70 to 290 kW on 1 January 2030 [1] | Any building where a saving must be proven | Buildings in operation eligible for the scheme |
Four frameworks meet on the same asset. None of them measures the same thing: the table below lines them up, from the environmental impact rated by BRE to the compliance of technical management.
The table comes down to one sentence: a rating is not compliance. A building rated Very Good can perfectly well miss its BACS deadline. Nor does a score out of 100 prove a saving: only an assessment under the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP), corrected for heating degree days, establishes one.
On the BACS side, the confusion concerns the BMS classes of NF EN ISO 52120-1. The decree does not impose any class: it sets its own functional requirements[4][4]RegulationLégifrance, “Decree No. 2020-887”, BACS decree (functional requirements, no NF EN ISO 52120-1 class imposed)See in sources ↓. The class remains a useful benchmark, never the legal requirement.
The effect of the rating on the rental and market value of a real estate asset
A BREEAM rating does not create value by itself. It removes an obstacle: some investors will not look at an uncertified real estate asset. Selling or letting a building becomes easier. GSE illustrates this with the Scannell case, taken from its public communication[5][5]Press and announcementsGSE, public communication, Scannell caseSee in sources ↓: a corporate story, not a quantified premium. Be wary of percentages: the value of a property comes from how the portfolio is operated, not from the certificate.
ESG reporting, GRESB, investors: where the rating is expected
For a fund or an asset manager, the rating feeds ESG reporting and the GRESB questionnaire. Each in-use certification documents the environmental impact of the portfolio there. In a sustainable real estate strategy, the BREEAM certification of a real estate asset becomes a line that can be compared from one fund to another. The risk is well known: running the building for the scoring grid rather than for its real impact. What remains is to know what the rating measures, criterion by criterion.
Criteria, weightings and BREEAM rating: what carries weight in the assessment
The nine categories assessed and their weighting in V6
V6 assesses nine categories, with a weighting specific to each part (Part 1 / Part 2)[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓:
- Energy 25% / 27%, the leading category in both parts
- Health and wellbeing: 20% / 17%
- Resources: 13% / 11%
- Resilience: 13% / 11%
- Water, in other words water management: 9% / 11%
The other categories, including transport, each weigh less than 10%[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. Energy clearly dominates: managing consumption counts for more than any other category.
From Unclassified to Outstanding: the rating scale out of 100
The BREEAM rating is read on a tiered scale: Pass from 25, Good at 40, Very Good at 55, Excellent at 70 and Outstanding from 85[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. The operational version adds an Acceptable level, below which the building remains Unclassified. Each level corresponds to a number of stars, up to six stars for Outstanding. Very Good remains the usual target for investors. Obtaining BREEAM certification with an excellent rating requires continuous evidence over the whole assessed period.
Energy, water, occupant comfort: the criteria that depend on the BMS
Metering by end use, HVAC control, occupant comfort, demand-controlled ventilation driven by the AHU's CO2 sensor: all these credits are proven with operational data. They fall under Energy and water management, i.e. more than a third of the rating[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓.
In practice, the rating is decided in the BMS trend logs. An excellent energy score is defended with complete curves, space by space. Data quality then weighs as much as equipment quality.
How do you obtain BREEAM In-Use certification and keep it between two assessments?
Scoping the project: scope, licence and choice of BREEAM assessor
The project starts with the scope: one asset, Part 1, Part 2 or both. Next comes the licence, which opens the assessment, then the choice of a licensed BREEAM assessor. This professional runs the BREEAM certification process from start to finish. Their expertise does not replace your data.
From evidence gathering to certificate issue by BRE Global
To obtain BREEAM certification, the assessor fills in a questionnaire with you. Each answer relies on supporting evidence: meter readings, maintenance contracts, procedures, supervisory system exports. The assessor then visits the site to check that the building matches the file. The report then goes to BRE Global, the body that issues the Building Research Establishment (BRE) certificates[3][3]Manufacturer documentationBRE, “BREEAM In-Use”, scheme overview (first version 2009, certificates issued by BRE Global)See in sources ↓. Certification follows this verification, never the other way round.
Three years of validity: what reassessment changes
The certificate expires after three years[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. Reassessment does not carry over the previous rating: it starts again from the evidence for the elapsed period, with a new audit of the documents. Maintaining certification does not, however, mean rebuilding everything at each cycle. An in-use BREEAM file kept up to date month after month reduces reassessment to an update. Provided, of course, that performance holds between two cycles.
What Foobot does before, during and after the assessment
BMS advisory: making meters and trend logs reliable before the audit
We are neither an assessor nor a certification body. With BMS advisory, we test the measurement chain before the assessor discovers it: disconnected meters, data gaps, duplicate points, drift hidden in the technical management trend logs. We do not fill in the questionnaire for you and we do not guarantee any rating. We make your evidence verifiable.
Operations advisory: removing manual overrides and bringing sequences back into line
Management Performance judges day-to-day management, and therefore actual operating practices. We remove manual overrides that have become permanent, we bring sequences back into line and we sort alarms until only the useful ones remain. Occupant comfort then holds without works. What raises Part 2 is often settled at this level.
Prepare the rating, then sustain the performance
BREEAM In-Use remains a voluntary certification, valid for three years[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓, that is won or lost in operational data. Before signing with the assessor, have your trend logs opened up: a meter audit costs less than a lost credit. Between two assessments, track the actual consumption of each building rather than the rating displayed in the lobby. The same BMS will also have to comply with the BACS decree by 1 January 2030 for 70 to 290 kW buildings[1][1]RegulationLégifrance, “Decree No. 2025-1343 of 26 December 2025”, postponing the BACS deadline for 70 to 290 kW buildings to 1 January 2030See in sources ↓. Maintaining certification then becomes a consequence of day-to-day control. A rating can be prepared in a few months. Sustaining the performance that justifies it happens every day: let's start with yours.
control comfort and energy continuously
Further reading:
From sensor to evidence: five links, no one responsible end to end
Hover over or tap a link to see its typical failure and what to test before the assessment.
Before calling the assessor: what your operator must be able to show
An “I don't know” counts as a no: the assessor only scores what they can verify.FAQ - BREEAM In-Use
How much does BREEAM certification cost?
No single price applies to every asset. The cost adds up the licence, the assessor's fees and internal preparation. This third item depends mainly on the actual state of the BMS meters and trend logs.
What does version 6 of BREEAM In-Use say?
V6.0.0, published in May 2020, has been the only version that can be used for a new assessment since May 2021[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. This part of the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method scores Asset Performance and Management Performance separately, each out of 100.
Is BREEAM certification mandatory?
No. No BREEAM standard is required by law: not New Construction, not RFO, not the operational part. It is a voluntary environmental certification, which some investors or tenants nevertheless require as a condition for considering an asset.
What is the highest BREEAM level?
Outstanding, above 85 out of 100[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓, is the highest level, the one with the most stars. Excellent, from 70, is still an excellent rating. Very Good, from 55, is the usual target for investors.
What impact does BREEAM have on the value of a real estate asset?
The rating makes it easier to sell or let to investors who include it in their ESG reporting. No general value premium has been reliably quantified for a real estate asset. A rating remains a snapshot in time, not a performance.
How do you obtain the certification?
To obtain certification, define the scope, take out the licence and choose a licensed BREEAM assessor. They gather the supporting evidence, visit the site and then send the file to BRE Global, which verifies it and issues the certificate[3][3]Manufacturer documentationBRE, “BREEAM In-Use”, scheme overview (first version 2009, certificates issued by BRE Global)See in sources ↓.
Is the BREEAM In-Use standard mandatory?
No, it remains voluntary. It replaces neither the Décret tertiaire, which tracks actual consumption, nor the BACS decree, which requires functions from the control system[4][4]RegulationLégifrance, “Decree No. 2020-887”, BACS decree (functional requirements, no NF EN ISO 52120-1 class imposed)See in sources ↓. These two obligations run in parallel with the rating.
Is BREEAM certification mandatory in France?
No, no French legislation requires it. For buildings in operation, the national reference framework is HQE Exploitation, issued by Certivéa. The two certifications coexist: the choice depends on what the investor or the tenant expects.
What is the difference between BREEAM New Construction and BREEAM In-Use?
BREEAM New Construction assesses the design and construction of a new building. BREEAM RFO, for Refurbishment and Fit Out, covers renovation and fit-out. The operational part judges the asset and its management at another stage of the life cycle.
Which criteria have the most influence on the BREEAM rating?
Energy carries the most weight: 25% in Part 1 and 27% in Part 2[2][2]Manufacturer documentationBRE Global, “BREEAM In-Use International V6.0.0”, technical manual and scheme rules (3-year validity, parts, weightings, rating scale)See in sources ↓. Then come Health and wellbeing, Resources, Resilience and water management. Transport and the other categories each remain below 10% of the BREEAM rating.
SourcesSources and references
5 sources.- [5]GSE, public communication, Scannell case↑