BREEAM-NL In-Use ratings explained: Outstanding, Excellent, Very Good & Pass

A BREEAM-NL In-Use certificate is not pass/fail. It comes with a qualification from Pass to Outstanding, a star count, and an exact percentage score. Each level signals something specific to investors, lenders, and tenants - and the right target depends entirely on your asset strategy.

Here is what each rating means under BREEAM-NL In-Use Utiliteitsbouw v6.1.1, what it costs to achieve, and how the Dutch market reads it.

The six BREEAM-NL In-Use qualifications

Source: BREEAM-NL In-Use Utiliteitsbouw v6.1.1, Table 2, DGBC, 2025. The Dutch thresholds for Good (≥40%) and Pass (≥15%) are lower than under BREEAM International. BREEAM-NL does not include the "Acceptable" band.

How the score is calculated

BREEAM-NL In-Use Utiliteitsbouw v6.1.1 contains 83 credits across nine environmental categories plus Innovation: Management, Health, Energy, Transport, Water, Material flows, Resistance, Land use & Ecology, and Pollution. Earned credits are converted into a category percentage, weighted, then summed to produce the total score.

Assets are scored across two independent Parts: Asset Performance (the building itself) and Management Performance (how it is operated). Each Part has its own qualification, weighting table, and certificate. A claim of "BREEAM-NL In-Use Excellent" almost always refers to one Part - usually the Asset side. Always check.

Energy dominates both Parts. If you have one euro of capex to deploy, it almost always goes there first.

Mandatory credits: the rating-level gates

You cannot game your way to Excellent or Outstanding by farming easy-win credits. BREEAM-NL sets minimum point thresholds on specific credits for each qualification. Miss one at your target rating and your score is downgraded, regardless of total points.

Outstanding adds further gates - notably RSC 02 (Facilities for reuse and recycling) at minimum 2 points on the Asset side. Knowing the gates in advance is the difference between hitting Excellent and missing it by one credit.

Innovation & Exemplary Performance: how you cross 85%

Two mechanisms let an asset score above what standard credits allow:

• Innovation credits (DGBC Instruction 101) - for approaches that go beyond what BREEAM-NL assesses. Each = +1%, capped at +10%.
• Exemplary Performance (EP) points - awarded when a building meets the higher-tier criteria within specific credits (HEA 01, ENE 10, RSC 03, ENE 19, RSC 05). Each = +1%, capped at +10% per Part.

For assets sitting at 80% chasing Outstanding, EP credits on ENE 10 (balancing electricity supply and demand) and ENE 19 (actual energy consumption) are typically where the marginal points come from.

What each rating signals to the Dutch market

Outstanding (≥ 85%)

A statement-of-intent rating. Outstanding assets typically combine integrated renewables, near-zero operational carbon, post-occupancy evaluation, biodiversity net gain, and stacked EP credits. The cost-per-credit curve gets steep above ~80%, so this rating is reserved for headquarters, flagship developments, or assets where brand value justifies the spend. The DGBC manual itself describes it as "rarely achieved."

Excellent (≥ 70%)

The institutional sweet spot in the Dutch market. Our read is that most green-bond-financed assets and Dutch institutional portfolios (PGGM, APG, Bouwinvest, a.s.r. Real Estate) target Excellent on acquisitions. Achievable for well-managed existing assets without exotic measures: strong energy label, modern BMS with sub-metering, LED throughout, water-efficient fittings, climate risk assessment, and a documented sustainable procurement policy.

Very Good (≥ 55%)

The realistic target for the bulk of Dutch institutional portfolios under BREEAM-NL In-Use. Most well-managed offices, logistics assets, and retail centres can reach Very Good through evidence consolidation and modest operational improvements - no major capex required. This is where the highest ROI sits for portfolio-scale certification programmes.

Good (≥ 40%)

Adequate but no longer a market differentiator. Increasingly viewed as the new minimum, and Dutch lenders rarely accept Good as evidence for ESG-linked loan covenants. Useful as a stepping-stone during a multi-year improvement plan, particularly for assets transitioning out of energy label C or D.

Pass (≥ 15%)

Entry-level qualification. Under BREEAM-NL the threshold is 15% - significantly more accessible than the 30% international threshold - reflecting DGBC's intent to bring older Dutch stock into certification rather than leaving it Unclassified. Increasingly viewed by ESG-aware investors as a transition-risk flag rather than an achievement.

Which rating should you target?

No universally correct answer, but a useful rule of thumb by asset strategy:

• Core / core-plus institutional portfolio → Very Good as portfolio-wide floor, Excellent on trophy assets
• Value-add with retrofit business plan → Excellent as the post-retrofit target, baseline at acquisition
• New development / build-to-core → Excellent at minimum; Outstanding where financing or pre-let justifies it (note: new builds use BREEAM-NL Nieuwbouw, not In-Use)
• Older stock awaiting reposition → Pass to establish baseline, then re-certify after retrofit

The single biggest mistake is over-targeting. Going from Very Good to Excellent on an existing asset typically costs significantly more per credit than reaching Very Good in the first place. Match the rating to the asset business plan, not to the prestige.

A note on BREEAM-NL In-Use vs Nieuwbouw

The thresholds above apply to BREEAM-NL In-Use Utiliteitsbouw v6.1.1, the scheme for existing non-residential buildings:

• BREEAM-NL In-Use uses two Parts: Asset and Management. Each receives its own qualification. Many "BREEAM-NL In-Use Very Good" claims refer to Asset only - always check which Part the certificate covers.
• BREEAM-NL Nieuwbouw (new construction) is a separate scheme with its own assessment guideline and thresholds. If you are certifying a new build rather than an existing asset, refer to the Nieuwbouw guideline directly.

The bottom line

BREEAM-NL ratings are a market language. Outstanding signals brand ambition, Excellent signals institutional quality, Very Good signals competence, and anything below increasingly signals transition risk. Pick the rating that matches what the asset is being held for - and budget the credits, EP points, and mandatory gates to get there efficiently.

New to BREEAM entirely? Start with our explainer: What is BREEAM? A plain-English guide for real estate.

Source: BREEAM-NL In-Use Utiliteitsbouw Assessment Guideline v6.1.1, Dutch Green Building Council, November 2025.