The BRE have recently announced that the long anticipated BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out Commercial V7 (RFO V7) will be released on Wednesday15th July 2026.
The release aims to align with BREEAM New Construction V7, released towards the end of 2025, to further drive the sustainability performance of developments beyond building regulations.
RFO V7 seeks to:
- Improve the sustainability and operational performance of existing buildings
- Reduce operational and embodied carbon through measurable outcomes
- Enhance resilience and future readiness
- Protect and enhances long-term asset value
- Demonstrate sustainability performance through trusted third-party certification
The new RFO V7 technical manual will be released on 15th July providing further insight into any new technical standards and changes compared to the existing RFO 2014. Scheme registrations will open following this enabling project teams to begin registering projects under BREEAM RFO V7.
In the meantime, projects can continue to be registered under the existing BREEAM RFO 2014 methodology. The introduction of RFO V7 will not impact any projects already registered under the current scheme, and there is no immediate requirement to transition, allowing project teams to continue as normal.
Should you have any initial queries regarding RFO V7 please do not hesitate to get in touch. Element Sustainability are experienced, qualified BREEAM assessors and can certify your scheme.