Let’s talk about our NABERS!
NABERS is a rating system that measures the environmental performance of commercial buildings, tenancies and homes throughout Australia.
HFM Asset Management is proud to be one of Australia’s largest NABERS assessment companies. For over 15 years we have been involved in this program and have helped our customers to improve the environmental performance of their buildings.
We have created a guide below to assist our customers in gaining a better understanding of the NABERS rating program. For more information please contact one of our friendly assessors.
What are the NABERS Tools?
There are NABERS tools to rate the energy & water performance of offices, shopping centres, hotels, apartment buildings, and data centres. There are also tools to assess the indoor environment quality or waste output for offices.
The NABERS for Offices tool is the most widely used as it is a mandatory component of the Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) program that applies to some buildings.
Figure 1 (below) – There are Five NABERS Tools (Source: OEH 2017)
What Type of NABERS Office Rating Do You Require?
- Base building rating: Covers the common areas and central building services and it’s applicable to building owners/property managers. It’s also required to comply with the Commercial Building Disclosure Program.
- Whole building: Covers a combination of the tenanted space, central building services and common areas; and it’s applicable to building owners or property managers. It can be used for the Commercial Building Disclosure Program if a base building rating is not possible.
- Tenancy Rating: Covers the tenanted space and it’s applicable to the tenant occupying a leased or privately-owned office space within a commercial office building. A tenancy rating is a component of the Cityswitch Program.
- NABERS Co-Assess: This benefits both buildings and tenants, as it allows submitting one application for a combination of NABERS ratings within one building. Click here to find out the various alternatives to perform a NABERS Co-Assess rating.
Types of NABERS for Offices:
The below figure summarises the NABERS rating types for offices; our NABERS team specialises in water and energy ratings.
Preparing Data for a NABERS Rating
Our valued customers play a vital role in the preparation and collection of data for a NABERS rating.
Our assessors rely on this data to successfully complete the rating.
We recommend our customers provide all data at the beginning of the rating process to ensure an accurate and efficient process.
To guide you in the preparation of information required for a NABERS rating we’ve created the below checklists for each of the NABERS Rating types currently performed by our accredited assessors.
Managing your NABERS Rating
The more energy efficient the building, the higher the star rating achieved in the NABERS rating. It is important to monitor energy and water consumption throughout the year to maximise the performance of the building and track the NABERS rating.
HFM is able to assist and advise on the best practices involved in utility performance management to achieve the best possible outcome in a 6 Star Energy Rating scale, which may assist in leasing and sales opportunities.
This information is based on the NABERS guidelines, which can be found at www.nabers.gov.au
Click here to find out more about HFM’s NABERS ratings service.
NABERS Rating Data Checklist:
Item | Information Required | Energy Rating (Whole Building) | Energy Rating (Base Building) | Energy Rating (Tenancy) | Water Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Utility Accounts | Energy or water consumed by the building in the last 12 months | Yes | Yes | Yes (Non-Embedded Networks) | Yes |
Sub-meter Data | Monthly meter readings for sub-meters capturing electricity, gas, water | Only for retail or other buildings | Yes (Embedded Networks) | Yes (Embedded Networks) | Only for retail of other buildings |
Rated Area | Evidence of the Net Lettable Area (NLA) for the premises being rated, such as: • Survey plans (PCA 1997 Standard) • Lease documents • Summary of recent refurbishments |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Number of Computers | It is required to give access to the NABERS accredited assessor to all applicable tenancies, so that they can perform a computer count. | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Hours of Occupancy | Data will be required from either leases or a tenant occupancy survey to determine the hours of occupancy for each functional space | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Additional Information | Metering & Energy/ Water Allocation: • Single Line Diagram • Documentation relating to internal sub-meter validation • Supplementary Air Conditioning list and end use (tenant meeting rooms / computer suites) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |