In a bid to increase the energy efficiency of Australia’s buildings, which account for approximately 20 per cent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, two of Australia’s leading environmental rating tools for businesses – Green Star and the National Australian Built Environment Rating System – have signed an agreement to create a more compatible approach to building rating.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), which manages Green Star, and the administrators of the National Australian Built Environments Rating System (NABERS) (the administrators are the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts; and the New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW)).
The MoU outlines the parties’ commitment to share information on rating tool development, calculators, benchmarks and methodologies to strengthen both rating systems.
Chief Executive of the GBCA Romilly Madew has said emphasised the importance of a common language to be employed by both rating agencies, specifically in the context of metrics.
“This will deliver greater compatibility between the assessment of building attributes covered by Green Star and performance of key impact areas such as energy, water and waste, which are assessed by NABERS,” says Ms Madew.
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“By linking the design and performance of buildings, we will be able to clearly demonstrate the opportunities to reduce the environmental impacts that exist at different stages of a building’s life cycle.”
DECCW’s Manager for Built Environment, Matthew Clark, says that the collaboration will help to close the loop between the design and construction professions and those who ultimately operate and occupy a building.
“This commitment to work together and share knowledge will result in more sustainable outcomes for Australian buildings,” Mr Clark says.
The next step is the formation of a working group which will consider scope and direct specific projects to improve the technical consistency and general compatibility between the tools.
Green Star
The Green Building Council of Australia launched the Green Star environmental rating system for buildings in 2003. Green Star evaluates the green attributes of building design projects in nine categories, including energy and water efficiency, indoor environment quality and materials.
Green Star rating tools are currently available or in development for a variety of sectors, including commercial offices (design, construction and interior fit outs), retail centres, schools and universities, multi-unit residential dwellings and healthcare facilities.
NABERS
NABERS is a government initiative launched nationally in 2000. The organisation measures and compares environmental performance, communicating the actual impact of a building to owners, tenants and the community. NABERS measures a range of environmental impact categories, including energy, water, waste and indoor environment, and offers tools for commercial offices, hotels, hospitals and homes.
To date, office buildings containing more than 10.5 million square metres of space, or about 50 per cent of the national office market, have rated their energy efficiency using NABERS Energy. On average, these buildings have reduced their emissions by 13 per cent.
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