BS 40101:2022

What is BS 40101 - Performance of occupied and operational buildings about?  

BS 40101 is concerned with the evaluation of the performance of buildings at any point during the operational stage of their lives. BS 40101 provides a tailored and graduated approach enabling the specification to be used across all building types and uses and for a wide range of project or study objectives. BS 40101 covers the planning of BPE studies, including timing for new buildings or those subject to major refurbishment or retrofit and content based on the purpose of the evaluation and the use and complexity of the buildings. 

BS 40101 discusses the choice of comparator cases that includes performance specification, design predictions, modelled design, regulatory thresholds, previous evaluation of the same building, evaluation of similar buildings and industry benchmarks and thresholds set by quality standards. BS 40101 includes data gathering relevant to the BPE level pursued, through documentation review, test and measurement, monitoring, experiential feedback and observations along with a comparison against comparator case parameters and interpretation of the individual, interdependent and whole system results. BS 40101  specifies the derivation and reporting of derived performance parameters, requirements for data naming and retention and report contents and compliance claims. 

Who is BS 40101 - Performance of occupied and operational buildings for?  

BS EN BS 40101 on the performance of occupied and operational buildings is useful for:  

• Specifiers, designers, commissioners/procurers and deliverers of new buildings, and of the modification, upgrade or retrofit of existing buildings 
• Entities assessing the opportunity to improve existing buildings 
• Entities financing construction works (as lender, grant provider/administrator, or self-funder) 
• Owners and leaseholders of buildings and portfolios of buildings, including property fund managers, social housing providers and their investors 
• Building tenants and occupants 
• Entities wishing to disclose or manage the CO2 emissions of buildings for which they are responsible  
• Entities concerned with the health and wellbeing of occupants, either through social or contractual responsibility 
• Entities studying the performance of the building stock to support the derivation of statistics, inform policy, devise programmes, contribute to sector knowledge and report on any of these 

Why should you use BS 40101 - Performance of occupied and operational buildings? 

The term “building performance” can cover all parameters and descriptors that capture how well the building fulfils its purpose. Building performance evaluation is the term used to describe the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data that characterize the performance of a building (or separate premises within a building) and the interpretation of these data to draw conclusions regarding specific performance attributes and the overall performance of the building. 

BS 40101 enables consistency in the evaluation of the performance of buildings and the reporting and recording of evaluation findings and conclusions. BS 40101 provides users with a basis for verification of specified performance in new and upgraded buildings in respect of key performance parameters and attributes. BS 40101 provides a basis for determining whether the performance specification of a new or upgraded building is achieved in use. BS 40101 also provides a basis for the identification of improvement options or corrective actions and the development of improvement strategies, process improvements, plans and specifications.