Five members of Daikin UK’s specification sales team have gained BREEAM Accredited Professional (AP) status.

The achievements mean that Daikin Europe now employs the largest number of APs in any organisation, with 23 individuals across 12 countries. 

Daikin UK specification sales manager, Simon Chapman (pictured) and his team, including Paul Kitchener, Chris Smythe, Nick Gould and Kevin Gregory, have all gained the qualification as part of the company’s commitment to furthering the knowledge and skills of its employees, partners and customers alike.

The qualification is awarded to experienced industry professionals who have demonstrated specialist skills in sustainability and environmental design combined with a high level of competence in the BREEAM assessment process.

Qualified BREEAM APs provide building design teams with expert advice on built environment sustainability, environmental design and environmental assessment. The role includes supporting the efforts of building services engineers to schedule activities successfully, set priorities and navigate the technical requirements of achieving the highest BREEAM rating possible when the design is formally assessed.

A BREEAM assessor can award up to two additional BREEAM credits for the comprehensive use of an accredited professional throughout the design or refurbishment of a building from the initial target setting and feasibility stages through to the construction phase. For example, points are awarded if the AP sets related building performance targets prior to the conclusion of the design brief, or if an AP attends key meetings and monitors the progress of both the design and construction teams.

Additionally, BREEAM accredited professionals can continue to assist building managers if they are appointed to manage the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) led Soft Landings process, which is designed to solve the energy performance gaps between design and operational outcomes of new buildings. By appointing a BREEAM AP to manage this process, building managers can earn even more BREEAM points making the road to higher levels more accessible. 

Simon Chapman said: “We are incredibly proud to have such a strong team of qualified BREEAM experts. At Daikin UK, we are committed to furthering the skills of our teams and hope that our newly accredited professionals can be included in the design process of new buildings at the earliest possible opportunity.”

He continued: “We fully understand the importance of achieving high BREEAM levels and helping the buildings of the future to both reduce energy usage and CO₂ emissions. With this in mind, we were all eager to gain BREEAM AP status as we believe it is a vital step in helping our clients and the wider industry to continue to design and build even greener buildings.”