Others assessment methods only have value on a national or regional level and are poorly adapted to being applied outside the limits for which they were created - it is not possible to directly compare the results of different national assessment schemes.
It is for this reason that for the REGAIN initiative, the instrument chosen for evaluation, was SBTOOL (Sustainable Building Tool) which is usable outside the design, control and occupation phases; and was devised under the framework of the International Green Building Challenge, which saw the participation of international organisations and institutions with the greatest expertise in this field.
This instrument, along with others, offers the following advantages :
- It has been developed and monitored in the framework of an international process which has seen the participation of 25 countries.
- It allows inclusion of energy analysis, but also evaluation of the wider social and environmental aspects (e.g. materials, construction techniques, comfort for occupants etc).
- The methodology can be applied to any type of building.
- It considers the entire lifespan of the building - design, construction, occupancy and demolition.
- It can be applied irrespective of the geographical and regulatory context, no matter what the local construction practices are.
- It forces the assessor to consider the national or regional context in which the building will exist. It is more complex than some other tools, but allows future use of the building to be taken into consideration.
- The software is completely free.
