NZ adopts NABERS scheme for energy-efficient commercial buildings

New Zealand Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges has launched NABERSNZ, an energy rating scheme which aims to transform the way office buildings use energy.

“Commercial buildings use 21% of New Zealand’s electricity, costing business $800 million every year. On average, building energy performance could be improved by 20-25%,” said Bridges.

The scheme is modelled on Australia’s NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) tool operated by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). It has been licensed for New Zealand use to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) by OEH and will be administered by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC).

The tool independently rates commercial building energy use on a scale of one to six: one being poor, three being the market average and six aspirational.

“It’s expected that, in time, the system will become the industry-recognised benchmark for energy performance in office buildings, similar to the energy star mark used for electronic products and appliances,” said Bridges.

The scheme recognises the energy-efficient performance of existing office buildings - thus driving up their market value - and encourages other parties to move up the rating scale and improve the value of their properties.

”The crucial thing about NABERSNZ is not simply that it ranks buildings and benchmarks their energy use; it’s using this as a tool to improve,” said EECA Chief Executive Mike Underhill. “Kiwi businesses on average could improve their commercial building energy use by 20-25%, worth $200 million to the economy. NABERSNZ will help us realise those savings.”

NZGBC Chief Executive Alex Cutler noted that a number of factors affect a building’s ability to deliver good energy performance, including energy modelling, properly timed energy solutions, quality commissioning, up-front goal setting and benchmarking, and coordination between design and operation. The NZGBC’s Green Star rating system already addresses early-intervention opportunities for improving environmental impact, but the biggest issue is the way occupants use the buildings daily.

“NABERSNZ will provide an instant measure of a building’s energy performance that can be compared to other office buildings. Tenants, particularly, will find NABERSNZ useful when procuring new premises and owners will find value in being able to demonstrate building energy efficiency,” said Cutler.

“We are excited about the ability of this tool to create new opportunities for existing buildings to gain market recognition on the basis of good energy performance and, ultimately, begin to implement meaningful changes that will raise the bar for green buildings as a whole.”