【HKGBC Indoor Environmental Assessment Certification BEAM Plus BI Introduction】

July 14, 2025

BEAM Plus BI (Interiors), launched by the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), is a green building certification tool specifically designed for interior space design and renovation. Launched in 2016, the initial version aims to address the shortcomings of the traditional BEAM Plus, which focuses solely on the building envelope and fails to cover tenant renovations and the indoor microenvironment. This initiative aims to promote environmentally friendly, healthy, and energy-efficient interior spaces. By the end of 2023, it had been upgraded to version 2.0. The new BEAM Plus BI v2.0 expanded its assessment scope to include various indoor environments, including offices, shops, hotels, and public facilities, emphasizing health, energy conservation, environmentally friendly materials, and quality management. Both new renovations and renovations are eligible for BEAM Plus BI v2.0 certification. The assessment is conducted by a team of BEAM Pro-certified professionals to ensure that every project, from design to construction, adheres to sustainable development principles, such as the use of environmentally friendly building materials, energy-saving equipment, improved indoor air quality, and waste management.

BEAM Plus BI Indoor Environmental Certification Levels

The BEAM Plus BI Indoor Environmental Assessment (BEAM Plus) certification is divided into four levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The higher the level, the more environmentally friendly and healthy the project is. It has now become an important standard for the Hong Kong interior design industry to promote green transformation, enhance brand image, and attract tenants. It also reflects the extent to which a project meets sustainable development standards.

The main assessment areas of the BEAM Plus BI Indoor Environmental Assessment Certification include:

1. Integrated Design and Construction Management (IDCM): Emphasizes early collaboration among design, construction, and management teams to ensure sustainable concepts are integrated throughout the entire process.
2. Management (MAN): Requires comprehensive management measures, such as environmental protection policies, user education and maintenance plans.
3. Materials and Waste (MW): Encourage the use of environmentally friendly building materials, reduce renovation waste, and promote recycling and reuse.
4. Energy Use (EU): Improve energy efficiency, including efficient lighting, air conditioning systems, and smart controls.
5. Water Use (WU): Install water-saving devices, improve water efficiency, and even consider rainwater recycling.
6. Health and Well-being (HWB): Ensure that indoor air quality, light, temperature, noise and other factors are beneficial to the health of users.
7. Innovation and Addition (IA): The introduction of new technologies or innovative practices is encouraged, and additional points can be awarded for exceeding basic requirements.

Each category has a series of sub-items, and the higher the cumulative score, the higher the rank. Platinum represents top performance, Gold and Silver are high and medium, respectively, while Bronze is essentially meeting the standards. Higher-level targets typically require excellence in energy conservation, water use, material selection, indoor air quality, health and comfort, and innovative elements.

BEAM Plus BI Consulting Services

Hong Kong Energy Audit (HKEA) offers professional BEAM Plus BI consulting services to ensure your brand achieves its target indoor environmental certification. HKEA's team, comprised of BEAM Pro green building experts, can tailor energy-saving, environmental, and resource management solutions for offices, retail spaces, and other indoor spaces, tailored to your budget and needs. This ensures that project design, construction, documentation, and submission processes all meet BEAM Plus BI requirements. Through professional guidance, businesses can not only improve energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality, but also demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, strengthen their ESG image, attract international tenants, and enhance their market competitiveness. Whether it's a new renovation or a renovation project, HKEA will provide comprehensive support, including technical support, team training, data collection, and audits, to help you efficiently achieve Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification. In addition to BEAM Plus, HKEA also offers WELL and LEED certification consulting services, backed by WELL AP and LEED AP professionals, providing confidence. We welcome your inquiries at any time.

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HKEA Team Qualifications:

1. More than 13 years of experience in the field of sustainable development, focusing on energy performance optimization.
2. Possess the qualification of Registered Energy Assessor (REA) and have rich background in building services engineering.
3. Expertise in implementing and optimizing energy efficiency measures in building systems.
4. Chartered Engineer with extensive technical and practical knowledge.
5. Member of the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) committee , contributing to industry standards and practices.
6. Guest lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) to cultivate future industry leaders.
7. Actively participate in public speaking and present at industry seminars.
8. Published many papers and articles on sustainable development.
9. Proven track record of leading successful sustainability projects and achieving significant energy savings.
10. Passionate about driving innovation and continuous improvement in the field of sustainable development.