Energy-efficient office buildings in action

Sustainability Victoria has released the report ‘Energy Efficient Office Buildings: Transforming the Mid-Tier Sector’, underscoring the potential economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency upgrades.

The report details the results of the Energy Efficient Office Buildings research program, which saw 20 mid-tier office buildings of various sizes, ages and localities take part in a three-year efficiency upgrade. Described by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) as “must read” material, the report provides food for thought for owners and tenants of older buildings.

“The mid-tier sector accounts for around 80% of all office buildings and takes up around half the nation’s floor space,” said GBCA CEO Romilly Madew. “Tackling this part of the market is challenging, as ownership structures are varied and fragmented, and decision-makers are unsure of the benefits of more efficient building space.

“However, Sustainability Victoria’s report demonstrates that these benefits are compelling — and many of the actions are ‘quick wins’ that any building owner could undertake today,” Madew said. These actions include preventing air-conditioning and heating systems from running simultaneously, installing inexpensive temperature sensors to better control air conditioning and turning off lights in unoccupied rooms.

The report found that large-scale improvement of Victoria’s older commercial buildings could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 540,000 tonnes a year — the equivalent of taking 135,000 cars off the road. Building owners and tenants participating in the program reported fewer sick days and complaints about office temperature, as well as increased employee satisfaction and productivity.

“Some buildings participating in Sustainability Victoria’s program achieved savings of nearly $100,000 a year — and they did it with a payback period of less than three years,” said Madew.

“Victorians could save more than $150 million in energy costs each year and create 12,000 jobs. With more than 400,000 workers occupying mid-tier buildings in Victoria alone, there is huge potential to improve people’s 9-to-5.”

Madew said the GBCA will continue to work with Sustainability Victoria and the property industry to leverage the findings from the report. It can be viewed on the Sustainability Victoria website.