# Scoring
# Overall BESS Score
The overall BESS score is shown as a percentage, representing a percentage improvement over a benchmark project. The benchmark project is created from the project information that you input into BESS, and is based on minimum National Construction Code and Minimum Energy Performance Standards.
The BESS overall score is determined by the category scores, factoring in the weighting of each category.
- ‘Best practice’ is defined within BESS as an overall score of 50% or higher.
- ‘Excellence’ is defined within BESS as an overall score of 70% or higher.
# Mandatory Category Scores
In addition to the overall scoring, four BESS categories have mandatory pass scores:
- Water - 50%
- Energy - 50%
- Stormwater - 100%
- Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) - 50%
The mandatory category scores were developed with consideration to existing industry based standards. They are intended to demonstrate best practice and complement the current ESD Local Policies and the SDAPP Fact Sheets. The rationale behind this is to maintain flexibility within the tool while also driving users toward an improved outcome in these traditionally ‘core’ sustainability categories. Also, the other categories (Transport, Waste, Urban Ecology & Management) within the tool have a limited number of credits available, and are more likely to contain credits that are not universally applicable.
For mixed-use developments, BESS applies an area weighting to determine the relative contribution of each building class to the credit or category score.
# Category Weightings
In the current version of BESS, the category weightings are as follows:
| Management | 4.5% |
|---|---|
| Water | 9.0% |
| Energy | 27.5% |
| Stormwater | 13.5% |
| IEQ | 16.5% |
| Transport | 9.0% |
| Waste | 5.5% |
| Urban Ecology | 5.5% |
| Innovation | 9.0% |
These weightings are based on a review of other built environment assessment tools, consideration of potential environmental impact (including longevity), opportunities for improving performance and the overall ESD performance standard.