In recent years, the need for more sustainable buildings has become imperative. Moving constantly within the framework of sustainability and a sustainable environment, TÜV NORD Greece cooperates with the German DGNB in the certification of sustainable buildings.
DGNB was developed in 2009. The DGNB certification system offers a design and optimization tool for the assessment of sustainable buildings. It was developed to help organisations enhance the tangible sustainability of construction projects. The DGNB system is based on the concept of holistic sustainability, placing equal emphasis on environment, people and commercial sustainability.
In terms of content, the DGNB scheme is based on three key pillars that distinguish it from other certification schemes available on the market:
Within the certification process, the entire life cycle of a project is taken into account in a consistent manner and instead of individual measures, the overall performance of a project is assessed.
The DGNB Certificate is awarded in platinum, gold or silver, so it can also be used as an award and marketing tool. According to Article 115 of Law 4759/2020 (amending Article 25 of Law 4067/2012), the DGNB silver is considered as outstanding environmental performance and can bring a 10% increase in the building factor.
The DGNB System is based on the three core sustainability areas of ecology, economy and socio-cultural issues, which are equally weighted in the assessment. The DGNB system assesses site as well as technical and procedural quality with a holistic approach. The performance of these qualities can be assessed by means of certification criteria.
Each building goes through different phases (design, construction, operation, inventory/conversion/renovation and end-of-life decommissioning), which are linked to different requirements and conditions. These can be accompanied by the DGNB certification scheme in terms of a holistic sustainable construction method.