DGNB Climate Positive award

The Climate Positive award can only be granted when certifying according to the DGNB system Buildings In Use. For this, the building must have been in operation for at least one year.

Further information on the DGNB System for Buildings in Use can be found here.

A building is considered to be carbon-neutral if the difference between the emissions emitted during operation and the emissions saved by the generation and external provision of CO₂ free energy is zero or less than zero over a period of one year.

A carbon-neutral building is a showcase for minimised building energy use, user energy and CO₂ emissions from supply systems. In addition, the generation and use of renewable energy to cover the remaining domestic demand has been maximised and excess energy has been exported. If the building achieves a balanced CO₂ balance through the purchase of remotely generated renewable energy sources, such as green electricity or biogas, minimum requirements for the building envelope must be demonstrated. The inclusion of remote energy sources in the CO₂ balance must be communicated and key figures on solar potential, generation and consumption must be disclosed.

• Evidence for a negative annual CO₂ balance according to the accounting scope "operation", with measured data of one calendar year.
• Efficient use of energy to cover own consumption: For all buildings, the minimum requirements for the building envelope from the national energy regulation in 2014 or later must be complied with. Alternatively, if no national regulations exist, the minimum requirements from DGNB System New Buildings, Version 2020/ TEC1.3 – Quality of the building envelope, Appendix 1 can be applied.
• Cover annual energy consumption by on-site energy generation to a feasible extent.
• If renewable energy generated off-site is purchased: Compliance with the minimum requirements according to DGNB publication "Framework for carbon neutral buildings and sites", as well as transparency regarding the delivered quantities.
• Documentation showing key performance indicators "self-generated fraction of consumed final energy" and "realised fraction of solar renewable potential". For further information please refer to the DGNB publication "Framework for carbon neutral buildings and sites".

The evidence to be provided is:

• CO₂ accounting according to the Framework (accounting scope "operation") and documentation of necessary data in the DGNB-CO₂ accounting tool of the criterion ENV1-B Climate protection and energy.
• Documentation of minimum requirements from ENEV 2014 for the building envelope.
• If renewable energy generated off-site is purchased: Documentation of minimum requirements according to the Framework.
• Declaration of indicators "self-generated fraction of consumed final energy" and "realised fraction of solar renewable potential".

No. The Climate Positive award cannot be granted for an entire portfolio. The certificates must be checked individually for the operation of all buildings.