The early development stage of the National Australian Built Environment Rating System – NABERS was through a greenhouse gas emission rating, known as the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR), developed through the Federal Government’s then Australian Greenhouse Office, and commercialised by the then NSW Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA). The NSW Department of Environment and […]
At the design/development stage many developers of office buildings are focused on minimum compliance in order to keep their costs down. They are also aware that some decisions might be justified on a life cycle basis but they are concerned that while they may bear the initial cost of energy saving initiatives, the future owner
NABERS Energy Rating – A Reality Check Read More »
It is easy to understand why business owners and managers might be hesitant to commission an energy assessment. It is an unknown field for most people. But it is amazing how much energy can be saved. These savings translate into cost savings and improved profits for our clients. A recent example of an assessment carried
Big Savings on Energy Costs Read More »
Application Solutions is all about looking for solutions; Solutions to difficult energy management problems. We try to adopt a common sense approach yet starting with first principles. It is a trend in the ESD field that the most effective solutions are integrated so that output from one component is input to another so that the
Talking about Tri-Generation Read More »
The NABERS rating is a rigorous process of data collection and analysis and not all buildings may comply with NABERS Rating Rules. The results are very sensitive to small changes to the inputs. It can result in: 1. a Base Building energy rating lower than expected or required 2. a Whole Building rating only or
Managing Commercial Risks Read More »
The Commercial Building Disclosure Scheme For a while it was called the Mandatory Disclosure of Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings Scheme. But that was a mouth full. So now it is the Commercial Buildings Disclosure Scheme; which can be conveniently shortened to CBD. As many readers will know, Section J (of the BCA) has been
Mandatory Disclosure is here! Commercial Building Disclosure Read More »
The use of energy in a building or a business is invisible to the mind and in the past was a small component of overall costs. Now it is a significant cost and we must be able to see how energy is used in order to be able to take steps to save energy costs.
Energy Cost Control = Strategic Advantage Read More »
These days a lot of sustainability issues are legislated and we “have to do them”. But interestingly, although there is usually a cost involved, there is also a financial benefit. A more efficient building is a cheaper building to run and usually pays back the added cost in a few years. ESD features are also
Looking at things differently…. Read More »
In our own work we are assisting a number of companies go through a process to prepare themselves for the introduction of the CBD Scheme. That work has led us to make the following general recommendations to building owners: Ensure a senior executive is appointed to oversee the NABERS/CBD process, facilitate the data collection activities,
The Commercial Building Disclosure Scheme – Take Action Read More »
In our newsletter we have often talked about energy audits being an investment rather than a cost. This is because the initial expense can have on going benefits in terms of energy savings. There is nothing like a real life example to bring this home. Our Alliance partners, DNA Electrical carried out an initial energy audit
Energy Audit Pays Off Read More »
For modern businesses, sustainability is no longer a “nice to have” – it’s a commercial imperative. Building professionals, in particular, are under increasing pressure from
Key Points in the Video Purpose of Section J Report: A Section J report is necessary when applying for a construction certificate for commercial
Retrofitting buildings is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve the energy performance of Australia’s ageing building stock. Considering around 75% of
In our last Newsletter (Feb 2025), we outlined the proposed changes to the NCC. This was based on the draft which was released in 2024.
