The UK Green Building Council has announced a review of the BREEAM environmental system as part of its wider review commissioned from DCLG to create new sustainable construction standards for the non-domestic sector.

It is using the US green building system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – which looks at looks at characteristics such as sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality, as a template for the research.

The consultation will look at whether energy ratings are covered well enough in BREEAM and whether the target in the government’s draft strategy of 20% of all projects with a value in excess of £1m to have an ‘excellent ‘ BREEAM rating.

The UK Green Building Council is utilizing the services of Land Securities Trillium in a guide to reduce carbon emissions from existing buildings.

Land Securities Trillium will carry out tests on buildings from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and at the impact of temperature sensors and air conditioning in buildings to see how energy consumption can be reduced.

The move comes after the UKGBC announced it was leading a project for the Department for Communities and Local Government to put in place energy standards for new non-domestic buildings.

Arup and BRE will provide free assistance to the nondomestic buildings report which includes research into the energy rating of the fabric of a new commercial building (covered by Part L of the Building Regulations) – looking at how ‘zero-carbon’ may apply to it.