Green building assessment tools are tools that help to ensure sustainable buildings, communities and projects are developed in a integrated manner, and that the appropriate experts are involved in the process. The purpose of many of the assessment tools is to help drive building design and construction beyond regulatory minimums.

The EmiratesGBC encourages the use of any recognized green building rating tool as a guide to creating a more sustainable build environment. There are several systems in the global market place as well as several systems commonly used in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) market, including:

Estidama, Pearl Rating

US Green Building Council's LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

The British Research Establishment - BREEAM British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.

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Estidama - Pearls Rating System

The Estidama Pearl Rating System (PRS) has been developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and was launched in April 2010. Since then, PRS Version 2.0 was drafted and is currently undergoing review and consultation by stakeholders. The pearl rating method includes both prerequisites and voluntary credits. The prerequisites will be encoded in one of three regulatory processes:

The Urban Planning Council (UPC) Planning Approval Process

The UPC Framework Development Regulations

The ongoing update of the Abu Dhabi Building code.

Key components of the rating method document,which describes the voluntary credits in detail, include:

Credits Available: This provides the numerical scoring available for the particular item/ action. • Intent: This describes the primary intent and purpose of the credit and what is trying to be achieved and measured. It may also include a short synopsis of why this important for achieving Estidama.

Credit Requirement: This describes what has to be proven, to ensure a project receives credit for meeting the stated intent.

Credit Submission: This describes what needs to be prepared and submitted to the Estidama Assessor, in order to receive credit. This can be in the form of a document, specification, diagram or calculations.

Calculations and Methodology: This provides important information on what benchmarks and reference standards are required in preparing calculations as part of submittal, or the methods and assumptions that must be considered in preparing a drawing or diagram.

www.estidama.org

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LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a building rating system established to measure the performance of a building against pre established parameters, and third party verification. LEED assesses buildings against the following main criteria:

Sustainable sites

Water Efficiency

Energy and Atmosphere

Materials and Resources

Indoor Environmental Quality

To find out more about LEED visit www.usgbc.org

LEED Professional Credentials

LEED Professional Credentials include the following:

LEED Green Associate - this credential demonstrates general knowledge of green buildings in non-technical fields of practice. The              Green Associate credential is the first step in obtaining the following LEED AP specialty credentials.

LEED AP BD+C – this credential acknowledges practical knowledge of LEED for Green Building Design and Construction, LEED for New        Construction, LEED for Schools, and LEED for Core and Shell.

LEED AP ID+C – this credential acknowledges practical knowledge of LEED Green Interior Design and Construction, and LEED for        Commercial Interiors.

LEED AP Homes – this credential acknowledges practical knowledge of LEED Homes

LEED AP O+M – this credential acknowledges practical knowledge of LEED for Green Building Operations and Maintenance, LEED for        Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance

LEED AP ND – this credential acknowledges practical knowledge of LEED for Neighborhood Development

Visit www.usgbc.org for more detailed information on LEED Professional Credentials.

Eligibility requirements: Candidates must have experience in the form of

EITHER documented involvement on a project registered or certified for LEED

OR employment (or previous employment) in a sustainable field of work

OR engagement in (or completion of) an education program that addresses green building principles.

Candidates must also agree to the Disciplinary & Exam Appeals Policy, credential maintenance, and submit to an application audit.

LEED Green Associates must maintain their credential by earning 15 continuing education (CE) hours every two-year reporting period.

Where can I take my LEED Exam?

LEED Exams are administered by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Individuals interested in applying for a LEED exam must register for the exam with GBCI at www.gbci.org. Once you obtain your GBCI code, you can then register to take the exam with Prometric FZ-LLC.

Where can I find more technical information?

The following hardcopy reference guides are now available for purchase from the EmiratesGBC. Contact Us to purchase a copy.

Green Building Core Concepts - 300 AED

Green Building Interior Design and Construction - 700 AED

Green Building Operations and Maintenance - 700 AED

Green Building Design and Construction - 700 AED

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BREEAM

What is BREEAM?

BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design. BREEAM was first developed in the UK over 20 years ago and was a pioneer in providing the first-ever building assessment methodology. Addressing wide-ranging environmental and sustainability issues, BREEAM enables developers and designers to prove the environmental credentials of their buildings to planners and clients.

BREEAM Gulf was developed in collaboration with a variety of large organizations based in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar. The tool has been developed using categories adopted from the UK BREEAM Schemes and provides an independent means of assessing key environmental impacts associated with construction in the Gulf region.

The BREEAM Gulf Scheme assesses a building's environmental impact in the following key areas:

Management

Health and Wellbeing

Energy

Transport

Water

Land Use and Ecology

Materials

Waste

Pollution

Within each of the above key areas, credits are assessed to evaluate the performance of the development. Environmental weightings have been tailored to suit the local conditions and climate and are applied to each key area. This enables the weighted scores to be added together to produce a single overall score for the building. The overall score is then translated into a 1-5 star rating, with the highest level of environmental performance rating as 5 stars.

The BREEAM Gulf assessment evaluates the performance of a whole building, taking into account its different uses (e.g. offices, retail, residential etc.), which appropriately reflects the common practice of mixed use buildings in the region.

BREEAM International Assessors BREEAM International assessors are qualified to carry out BREEAM assessments outside of the UK using the standard schemes and the Bespoke International Scheme.

Visit www.breeam.org to find out more about BREEAM.