DGNB – the German Sustainable Building Certificate

The German Sustainable Building Certificate was launched in January 2009. It was developed by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), which was established in 2007, in conjunction with the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS).

Sustainable planning means integrated planning
Germany’s new certification scheme is more than just a final seal of quality; it is first and foremost a comprehensive planning tool. It therefore takes the entire lifecycle into account and – unlike most other international certificates – considers economic and sociocultural factors alongside ecological aspects. In addition to these three pillars of sustainability, the certificate also allows for special regional features and materials. The German Sustainable Building Certificate is intended to close gaps in existing schemes and bring everyone involved to the table right from the design phase in order to facilitate high-quality, integrated planning.

How does certification work?
Developers agree with the certifying body in advance which level of certification they wish to achieve and which sustainability measures they intend to adopt. If all the criteria are met, the developer receives pre-certification, which is also useful when marketing the building. There is continual monitoring during the construction phase, with changes and improvements being made as necessary. If during final inspection the DGNB finds that all performance goals have been achieved, a certificate is issued.

Assessment criteria

  • Ecological quality
  • Economical quality
  • Sociocultural and functional quality
  • Technical quality
  • Quality of the process
  • Quality of the location

In the office and administrative segment these six criteria are broken down into 49 indicators. Although the same weighting is given to the first five categories, location has special status. The performance of a building is rated separately in each category, which means that weaknesses in one segment cannot be compensated for by strengths in another area. In order to obtain certification, it is essential to achieve a good rating in each category.

Coverage
At present only office and administrative buildings can be rated.
There are plans to roll the scheme out to cover other commercial, industrial and educational buildings, as well as the residential sector.

Ratings

  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Bronze
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