Selection of the most Appropriate and Energy-Efficient Scheme for Russia between BREEAM and LEED

With the increasing awareness of sustainable development in the Russian construction industry, implementation of an energy rating procedure to assess buildings is becoming more important. The most representative building environment assessment schemes that are in use today are Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This paper aims to focus on the investigation of energy performance assessment for new buildings including the Russian experience within the BREEAM and LEED schemes. A review of the two schemes with regards to their assessment methods, scopes, performance criteria and energy rating scales are presented. Through this study, an attempt is made to make clear how building energy performance is assessed and therefore awarded with energy credits under the international schemes and to form a good basis for future development of a generic energy assessment framework of Russian Federation.