Daikin has been awarded BREEAM Excellent for its European Development Centre in Ghent

For the European Development Centre (EDC) in Ghent, Daikin had to meet the BREEAM requirements associated with the development of the site. Together with Encon, a complex certification process was successfully completed, resulting in BREEAM Excellent certification for the nearly zero-energy R&D headquarters.

Translating a technically advanced building into a BREEAM Excellent score

Daikin’s European Development Centre in Ghent was designed as a nearly-zero-energy building (nZEB) incorporating various energy-efficient technologies. The building combines, among other things, geothermal energy, air-to-water solutions, heat recovery and an intelligent Building Management System that continuously optimises energy flows.

As BREEAM certification was part of the site’s construction requirements, Daikin also had to formally demonstrate the building’s performance within the international certification framework. The focus was not only on energy performance, but also on themes such as indoor environment, water management, mobility and sustainable building management.

This entailed considerable complexity. For the certification, technical information, building data and supporting documents had to be gathered from various internal and external parties throughout the design, construction and handover phases.

An intensive certification process involving many stakeholders

Encon supported Daikin throughout the process towards BREEAM Excellent certification and guided the translation of technical building performance into the requirements within the BREEAM framework.

In doing so, Encon assisted, among other things, with the interpretation of the assessment criteria, the tracking of the required documentation and the coordination between the various stakeholders involved. As information and evidence had to be gathered from multiple parties, the process required thorough coordination and continuous monitoring.

By correctly linking technical installations, design choices and building management to the BREEAM credits, Daikin was able to maximise the value of the existing sustainability measures within the certification. This made it possible to demonstrate the building’s actual performance within an internationally recognised methodology.

An internationally recognised validation of Daikin’s building vision

With the official BREEAM Excellent certification, Daikin confirms the strong sustainability and energy performance of the EDC in Ghent. The building not only supports a comfortable and high-performing working and research environment, but also serves as a real-life demonstration of Daikin’s own low-carbon HVAC technologies.

Furthermore, the certification also reinforces the credibility of Daikin’s innovative building solutions among customers, partners and visitors. By visibly applying sustainable technologies in an operational environment, the company makes its vision of energy efficiency and decarbonisation concrete and tangible. The project demonstrates how a technically complex building can be successfully validated within an international sustainability framework through an intensive certification process.