SBToolCZ for administrative buildings

SBToolCZ is based on international SBTool (Sustainable Building Tool) developed by an International Initiative for Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE). It has been developed by the Faculty of Civil Engineering (Czech Technical University) in Prague. It respects fully the conditions of the Czech building industry and is in accordance with local legal system. Criteria and their value have been identified by a panel of experts and take into consideration priorites of the Czech Republic. The metodology is in Czech language.

SBToolCZ indicates the level of building quality regarding principles of sustainable construction. SBToolCZ examines and certifies the influence a building has on the environment, its social and cultural aspects, functional and technical quality, economical aspects, management and location of the building.

• Provide reliable certification regarding the compliance of the building with legislative and sustainable construction principles
• Boost market value of buildings, decrease operational costs
• Support lower energy consumption of buildings, in accordance with EP and EC 2010/31/EU Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings EPBD II
• Evaluation of buildings in relation to aspects of sustainable construction
• Optimising building design in accordance with clients´ needs
• Lowering the impact of buildings on the environment during its complete life cycle
• Support quality and healthy inner spaces of buildings
• Stimulating demand for suistainable buildings
• Stimulating production and distribution of ecological products as a reaction to basic building requirement in accordance with EP and EC Directive No. 305/2011
• Motivating producers to provide Environmental Product Declaration EPD [2], [3] with their products.

An independent SBToolCZ certification is carried out by two certification bodies – TZÚS Praha, s.p. (Technical and Test Institute for Construction Prague) and VÚPS – Certifikační společnost, s.r.o. (Research Institute for Buildings – Certification Body). Both have a longterm experience in the field of testing, certifying and assessing construction products and in management system certification.

The authorisation is done in two-levels. SBToolCZ authorised persons (not memebrs of the Platform) develop documentation materials for the certification. Then, the certifying body checks, approves and issues the certificate.

Certification bodies and the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Prague constitute the National SBToolCZ Platform.

Objectives of the Plaform:

• Support and development of suistainable building in the Czech Republic
• Operation, management, development and implementation of the certification system using the national certification system for complex SBToolCZ building quality certification

Faculty of Civil Engineering in Prague plays a role in the development and educational centre. It develops a metodology and strategies for different types of buildings, takes care of the development, updating and validation of SBToolCZ sytsem. It organises educational courses for professionals focused on sustainable construction and complex quality building assessment. Courses are intended not only for people interested in sustainable building but also for those who want to acquire a status of an authorised SBToolCZ person.

National SBToolCZ Platform serves as a tool for investors, developers, designers and Professional in the Czech Republic. It can possitively influence the quality of the Czech building industry and keep it on top level of sustainable building trends.

Basic Structure of SBToolCZ National Platform

The SBToolCZ metodology is multi-criterial. The range of criteria differs according to the type of building and assessed phase of life cycle (design, start of operation, operation). The structure of assessed criteria is divided into three groups - © environmental criteria, (S) social criteria and © economy and management. These three criteria are suplemented by a forth group of criteria (L) - location of the building. Although being assessed and the result is presented, it does not influence the final quality certificate.

Criteria Structure in SBToolCZ Metodology

Each criterion has an algorithm for setting up the indicator value. The value is then normalised (using benchmarks) to a united scale. The SBToolCZ uses a united numerical sacle from 0 to + 10. Lower numbers apply to Czech standards or meet legislative or normative requirements (if defined) and number 10 apllies to highest (best) quality of standard in sustainable building.

The final number from all criteia is then agregated. This means that the achieved normalised numbers of individual criteria are recalculated using defined values. These values for each criterion are set up by the panel of experts. The building is then given a quality certificate (based on aggregated achievement score) as follows: certified building (0- 3,9 points), bronze quality certificate (4 – 5,9 points), silver quality certificate (6 – 7,9 points) and gold certificate (8 - 10 points).

Final Quality Certificates according to Overall score

In order to achieve silver or gold certificatation, it is necessary to meet the minimum point requirements for the compulsory criteria category.

The certification proces is time-consuming and often not all the data necessary for assessment are available. Because the SBToolCZ metodology tries to optimise and improve the design process (in relation to sustainable construction), a preSBTool sofware has been invented. During early phases of the design process, PreSBToolCZ in a simplified and rapid form offers basic and preliminary information about the aproximate quality level of the building.

PreSBTool is based on SBTool metodology, but not all the criteria are evaluated. Preliminary evaluation is of criteria with higher relevance. The evaluation is simplified, compared to SBToolCZ, in order to be able to evaluate the project in phases when not all the relevant information is available. Location is not evaluated.

The evaluation is in the form of a simple questionaire. In the case of energy balance you need to fill in an amount of energy necessary for year-round operation of the building and choose a relevant energycarrier. The achieved result is comprised of the score of individual criterion and an overall score (in metodological scale 0 – 10) – see pic. No. 7. Please note, it is necessary to have the full evaluation done (based on SBToolCZ metodology) in order to obtain certification for a building.

View preSBToolCZ (vision for administrative buildings) – presentation of preliminary results

Dotazník:

1. Vyplňte základní údaje
2. Vyplňte údaje o budově
3. Vyplňte údaje o spotřebě energie