BESTi Certification - Smart Building Evaluation Scheme Version 1

Infusing scenarios into smart living, guiding smart design through certification.
Co-designing, constructing, and operating buildings that are perceptible and interactive, aiming towards future-oriented smart buildings.

A smart building is a digital entity combining software and hardware to make buildings “smarter”. Based on the building IoT, it integrates various intelligent methods to automate operational processes, promptly responding to environmental conditions, weather, and user needs. It proactively senses, understands, predicts, and executes actions to optimise building operations and improve management efficiency.

The “Smart Buildings Assessment System”, jointly launched by TÜV Rheinland Germany and the Building Research Establishment (BRE) of the UK, evaluates smart buildings across four major modules: data and information security, building space and structure, green and low-carbon, and health and comfort. This system aims to ensure the safety and effectiveness of building information infrastructure while focusing on the performance of building spatial structures, green performance, and indoor health and comfort from a smart perspective. It guides buildings to achieve comprehensive goals of safety, comfort, greenness, and intelligence. The current version in use is Version 11）.The BESTi Smart Building Certification is the first smart building certification system registered with the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNCA).

TÜV Rheinland Greater China
Contact：Leon Zhang
Tel：021-60811991
Mobile：18703861902
Email：leon.zhang@tuv.com
Online application

The BESTi Smart Building Certification applies to various types of buildings, including commercial buildings, residential projects, public buildings, and industrial buildings, covering the entire lifecycle from architectural design through construction to operation. The evaluation system includes four assessment modules with 125 evaluation criteria, aiming to evaluate the actual benefits of building intelligence in enhancing safety, friendliness, comfort, economy, experience, resilience, and energy conservation and emission reduction using “performance + intelligence” twin indicators.

Notes: 1) The BESTi Smart Building Evaluation Standard V1 came into official use on 1 January 2024.

Application Process

  • Self-Application
  • Document Review
  • On-Site Audit
  • Evaluation and Approval
  • Issuance of Certificate
  • Surveillance Audit

Our Core Advantages

  • Dual professional assurance from international authoritative certification bodies and international building standards organisations with over a century’s experience. The first CNCA-registered smart building certification service.
  • The first CNCA-registered smart building certification service.
  • Evaluation through “performance + intelligence” twin indicators, emphasising the coexistence and integration of performance value and intelligence value. It focuses on being people-oriented, future-facing, and operation-focused.
  • Based on evaluations of data and information security, functionality of building space and structure, green and low-carbon resource management, and human-centric health and comfort, it infuses smart living into application scenarios.

Visual identification plaque for certified projects

TÜV Rheinland Certification Mark

Certification Benefits Analysis

Beneficiaries of Smart Buildings
Smart buildings are systems engineering projects involving the entire process of architectural design, construction, and operation. The participants include, but are not limited to, investment entities, design firms, consulting companies, construction companies, IT companies, and property management companies. In the process of realising and presenting the vision of smart buildings, direct economic benefits and various added values can be achieved, leading to mutual benefits for all parties involved.（Click icon to learn more）


  • Government Agencies

  • Financial Investment Institutions

  • Design Firms

  • Construction Companies

  • Consulting Firms

  • Investors

  • Building Users

  • Property Management Companies

  • Testing Agencies

  • Smart Building System Software Companies

  • Smart Building Equipment Manufacturers
  • Government Agencies:
    Obtain data and technical tools for urban governance, further promoting the transformation from digitalised municipal management operations to data-driven business enhancements, thereby advancing the digital transformation of cities.
  • Financial Investment Institutions:
    New investment opportunities that help alleviate funding shortages for smart buildings, promote high-quality development in the industry, and achieve both economic and social benefits.
  • Design Firms:
    Obtain data and technical tools for urban governance, further promoting the transformation from digitalised municipal management operations to data-driven business enhancements, thereby advancing the digital transformation of cities.
  • Construction Companies:
    Achieve low consumption and low emissions during the construction process, resulting in high efficiency and high-quality outcomes of the completed projects.
  • Consulting Firms:
    Gain new and significant business opportunities in smart building consulting, following green building and healthy building consultation.
  • Investors:
    Real estate companies can explore new structural options, improve operational performance, and optimise investment portfolios to achieve the highest possible return on investment.
  • Building Users:
    Enjoy comfortable and high-quality work/living environments, improving quality of life and work efficiency, gaining high-tech experience, and broadening horizons.
  • Property Management Companies:
    Achieve integrated system management, monitor anomalies, predict failures, and make maintenance easier. Save on energy costs, reduce complaint rates, and increase tenant satisfaction.
  • Testing Agencies:
    Conduct commissioning after the completion of smart buildings, as well as testing during operation and assessments before retrofitting existing buildings, all of which require the involvement of testing agencies.
  • Smart Building System Software Companies:
    Benefit from new development opportunities in the software and information technology services sector.
  • Smart Building Equipment Manufacturers:
    Gain product application opportunities and expand market space.

SMARTASK Smart Building Quick Solution Software

This is the first software tool in China designed to assist with smart building design. The software is designed based on the principles of “agility, convenience, and practicality”. Given just a few building parameters as input, it can generate technical solutions and calculate incremental costs for smart buildings. During the design process, it provides advisory and companion-style intelligent guidance, including design strategy prompts and technical risk alerts. Users can provide feedback and make modifications based on the displayed solutions, and the system can automatically adjust its algorithms to generate solutions that better meet user requirements.

Product Features

Macro Overview and Micro Design

Process Control and Project Management

Technical Analysis and Cost Estimation

Product Integration and Solution Download

*Become a BESTier Partner to Enjoy All Software Features

BESTi Smart Building Self-Assessment Tool

Aligned with the latest evaluation criteria of the BESTi Smart Building Assessment Standard, this tool helps users quickly understand their project’s performance in terms of four evaluation modules: “Data and Information Security”, “Building Space and Structure”, “Green and Low-Carbon”, and “Health and Comfort”. The tool enables users to conduct a self-pre-assessment and obtain technical references before formal certification. Users can answer questions based on their project’s actual current condition, switch between evaluation modules as needed, and generate and download a BESTi Smart Building Self-Assessment Report for their project, which serves as an important document for certification application.

Product Features

Answer Questions

Generate Reports

Switch Modules

*Become a BESTier Partner to Enjoy All Software Features

SMARTASK智慧建筑方案及自评估软件(内容待定)

国内第一款用于辅助智慧建筑设计的软件工具，本软件基于“灵巧、便捷、实用”原则进行设计，仅需输入少量几个建筑参数，即可生成智慧建筑的技术方案和增量成本。在设计过程中，提供顾问式、陪伴式的智能引导，包括设计策略提示、技术风险提示。用户可以根据展示的方案进行反馈和修改，系统能够自动调整算法以生成更符合用户要求的方案。

BESTi智慧建筑自评估工具

对标BESTi智慧建筑评价标准指标体系，帮助用户快捷地了解项目在“数据和信息安全”、“建筑空间与结构”、“绿色与低碳”、“健康与舒适”方面的表现，实现在正式认证前进行一次预评估或技术参考。

Related Services

NetZ Certification - Buildings

Applicable to new, expanded, and renovated civil and industrial buildings for the calculation, verification, and certification of carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle and at various stages. Relevant keywords include: net zero carbon buildings, low-carbon operations.

Learn More

NetZ Certification - Community

Applicable to new, expanded, and renovated civil and industrial buildings, as well as ongoing, existing communities, urban areas, and campuses. It covers the calculation, verification, and certification of carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle.

Learn More

NetZ Certification - Infrastructure

Applicable to new, expanded, and renovated roads, bridges, tunnel projects, urban utility tunnels, substations, and other infrastructure. It covers the calculation, auditing, and certification of carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle and at various stages.

Learn More

BESTi - Smart and Efficient Cooling Centres

Applicable to the smart certification evaluation system for new and existing cooling centres, including those in civil buildings, industrial buildings, and central chilled water stations.

Learn More

BESTier - Partner Programme

TÜV Rheinland, in collaboration with the BRE, has jointly launched the BESTier Smart Building Partner Programme. The aim is to engage with industry elites, ensuring that the BESTi certification system remains up-to-date and driving industry advancement.

Learn More

NetZ Certification - Q&A

NetZ Certification – Net Zero Carbon Buildings and Net Zero Carbon Campus Evaluation and Certification Services Q&A

Learn More

Study

Download & Form



Privacy protection policy of TÜV Rheinland