Standards and labels are important tools in ecological construction and renovation. They help you systematize your project and make it eligible for potential funding. However, those who wish to carry out a sustainable building or renovation project in Switzerland are confronted with a palette of diverse labels from various associations and organizations. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the variety on offer. The good news is that thanks to the wide range of offers, it’s possible to find the right label for almost every project.
This article will give you an overview and familiarize you with the most important certifications currently available for your investment property. You’ll also find out which label is suitable for which type of renovation and should be aimed for.
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How is sustainability defined for buildings? There are various approaches to assessing how sustainable a building is. That is why there are many different sustainability labels. However, they each have a slightly different focus. Some labels rate sustainability criteria exclusively based on a few core criteria relating to climate-friendliness. Others also take social and geopolitical criteria into account. In principle, certifications help provide orientation for your energy-efficient building or renovation project. A catalog of criteria can help you monitor and implement your project in a focused way. In addition, sustainable certifications are often rewarded in the form of subsidies or tax rebates. You can also adjust the rent – and without this impacting your tenants, thanks to the lower running costs. In this article we focus on five labels that are relevant in Switzerland and frequently applied: LEED, DGNB, Minergie, GEAK and SNBS.
The GEAK is the official energy certificate for buildings at cantonal level in Switzerland and is therefore standard throughout the country. It certifies the energy efficiency of the building envelope and the overall energy efficiency, providing a basis for potential decisions on renovation or for a funding application.
Unlike the aforementioned labels, not only does GEAK certify exemplary buildings, it also functions as a traffic-light-style, energy-efficiency ranking system. Buildings are ranked in seven energy classes from A to G on the basis of the building envelope and overall energy efficiency.
The four-page report, which is drawn up by a certified expert and contains the most important information about the building, can supplement a Minergie label, for example. The fees charged by experts will vary depending on the complexity of the building to be analyzed. However, the GEAK association itself recommends getting multiple offers from various experts. In addition, most cantons and some municipalities offer grants for this process.
Further to the classic GEAK, GEAK Plus also offers concrete recommendations on how a house’s energy efficiency can be increased. It is also possible to obtain GEAK certification for a planned project. The energy efficiency is provisionally rated on the basis of the planned values.
Minergie is the highest energy standard in Switzerland for low-energy buildings, i.e., for buildings which generally do not require a conventional heating system due to their high level of thermal insulation and special design, and are therefore very energy efficient. The Minergie standard is a label which is used throughout Switzerland and applied at an economic, federal and canton level. It is suitable for any type of building – including single-family houses and apartment buildings.
In some cantons, the Minergie certificate allows a higher percentage of the plot to be built on (Ausnützungsziffer): in the canton of Valais, for example, this ratio is increased to 15 percent with the certificate. In the case of a planned apartment building this would mean one additional apartment can be built, thereby increasing the value of the property.
In its certification, Minergie differentiates between the various stages of a building project, meaning that different Minergie labels are awarded:
Across Switzerland, various cantonal or regional certification authorities award the Minergie label. You can find all the information at minergie.ch.
The Swiss Sustainable Building Standard – SNBS for short – is a certification that evaluates how sustainable a building is. The label is generally used for large residential buildings, public buildings, offices and educational buildings – both new-builds and existing buildings. SNBS evaluates buildings according to a set of 45 indicators which cover the three areas of sustainability:
SNBS certification costs CHF 16,500 for buildings with an area of less than 5,000 square meters. The costs can be reduced by several thousand francs if a house already has been certified to one of the above-mentioned Minergie standards. In addition, SNBS-certified building projects may be eligible for funding at cantonal or federal level.
The DGNB label is based on criteria developed by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The standard is already used in 30 countries worldwide for large building projects such as apartment buildings or buildings used for commercial purposes. The DGNB certificate is based on an integrated approach, in which the entire lifecycle of the building is considered:
For new-builds and renovations, the following six criteria are used to assess whether a DGNB certificate can be awarded:
The DGNB label is be awarded in the quality levels platinum, gold, silver and bronze, although bronze is not awarded to new-builds. In Switzerland, over 6,500 buildings are DGNB-certified or in the process of becoming certified. Certification is carried out by the Swiss Sustainable Building Council.
The acronym LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is originally a US building label. LEED plays an increasingly important role both internationally and in Switzerland, especially for new-build and renovation projects by international companies.
To receive LEED certification, buildings must fulfill certain requirements in a number of areas, These include:
Depending on how the building performs during evaluation by an independent institution according to the aforementioned criteria, it will receive a certain number of points. A maximum of 110 points can be awarded. The total number of points determines the level of certification awarded to the building. There are four levels of certification:
In Switzerland, the association Green Building Switzerland operates as the official national contact partner for LEED certification.
When looking for the right certification for your project, it is first worth clarifying what purpose the label should serve. Different certifications cover different aspects of sustainability and are suitable for different types of buildings. International labels are suitable for buildings with an international profile.