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NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme) is a rating given to commercial buildings in Australia based on their performance of several key environmental issues. NABERS Hotel Assessors examine:
It is natural to be concerned about the costs of implementing changes required for the NABERS rating system, and naturally how it will affect businesses in other ways as they adhere to legislation and try to improve their overall rating. Business leaders expect to have a clear understanding of what they might have to spend on the cost of utilities and other waste – it could affect their decision to buy a property.
These issues might be especially concerning for hotels which get through a lot of power, water and wastage every day through washing linen, food waste, lighting, heating, the pool, sauna, gym… the list is endless and there are enormous benefits to you for acquiring and maintaining a good NABERS rating for your hotel:
A lot of the improvements can be made relatively easily. For example, a study by Sydney Water discovered that up to 20% of water usage could be saved without disruption to the convenience of the guests and without changes to the structure of the building. Most of the time, it will be simple improvements such as better insulation, getting a cover for your pool and efficient windows and doors. In some cases you might need to invest in new equipment
Ausnviro is a fully accredited NABERS Assessor active in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales – but we service businesses right across the country. We have been operating since 2009 and in four short years have grown into a large and thriving company, having provided ratings for a number of regional iconic buildings such as both Melbourne’s and Sydney’s Premier Office Towers. We have also rated Rialto Towers in Melbourne so we already have experience in assessing some of the country’s largest buildings.
Because of the nature of the business, a hotel is a high-volume user of basic utilities. We will work with you to identify key areas where you could make savings across the key areas of water and electricity and any other utilities you might use. We will look at the consumption data for all of the areas of your hotel, identify problem areas, look at them in detail and suggest improvements.
As a fully accredited assessor, once the consultation is complete you are legally permitted to use the NABERS hallmark in your promotional material – letting everybody know that your green credentials are based on something solid and quantifiable.
One of the toughest challenges faced by the modern world today is fighting against global warming and all its effects. Balancing the impact of environmental factors and financial performance to businesses has become a conflict that needs to be addressed over the coming years. IPD is an international organization in real estate that provides benchmarking andanalysis to its clients in more than 30 countries. IPD came up with 120 indices that will evaluate the performance of real estate properties all over the world. One of the most important indices that played a great role in Australian real estate is the Annual Australia Green Property Index.
The Australia Green Property Index is an annual investment indicator for environmental performance. This index is an important part of Australian real estate because of the fact that it reflects 54 billion Australian dollars worth of office buildings. The IPD Annual Australian Green Property Index measures the real estate investment performance based on the Green Star, NABERS Energy and Water rating.
Lower building cost, increased office productivity and a higher potential market value, these are all some of the benefits that you can enjoy from an environmentally friendly property.
In a separate study in California, it was found that a $2 million property can generate 10 times more income than those non-compliant to green plan. In terms of resale value, the green buildings both for commercial and residential purposes can be sold at higher prices in the market knowing the lower utility costs in these properties.
Considering the impact of real estate (both commercial and residential) properties in global warming, it is crucial to have indices like the IPD Australian Green Property Index to lessen the consequences to our environment, without compromising our very own comfort and income on the part of the real estate developers and owners. In the long run, this simply means that the government has to deal with less environmental consequences.
According to some studies, green offices generate higher returns annually than those that do not follow such practices. Those commercial offices that have been rated by Green Star and NABERS in 2012 have higher total annual returns compared to the different offices unrated.
The Australian Green Property Index has allowed better maximization of space creating higher capital return in the process. Green offices, according to reports in 2012, have managed to rake 10.2-10.7 percent returns for those with five to six star rating from Green Star. For those assets with 3.5 star NABERS Energy rating, an average of 8.4% return was seen in that year.
Considering the tough real estate market, prices of such properties, and the pressure to generate income, IPD Australian Green Property Index tackles all of them to meet in a grey area. It maximizes every square feet of commercial space to the point that properties increase their returns in a significant manner. In fact, (it is) higher than most commercial properties that have not been rated for its efficiency.
To discuss NABERS call Ausnviro today on 1300 622 377 or visit our contact page.
What is NABERS?
NABERS is an Australian national rating system that calculates the environmental performance of buildings, rental properties, and homes. Itconsiders such things as: energy efficiency, water usage, waste management, and indoor environment quality as well as the building’s effect on the environment. Performance is based on utility bill data which is converting into a clear, user-friendlyone to six star rating, with six beingtop performance.For over ten years, NABERS has assisted owners, managers and leases improve their sustainability performance. There are several excellent reasons why building owners should get NABERS ratings. It makes dollars and cents! Your building can cut costs by improving its energy efficiency. It’s simple mathematics. The higher your NABERS rating, the less energy is escaping from your building and, thus, the lower your utility bills. Buildings with higher NABERS ratings can secure loans easier and at lower interest rates. Buildings with higher NABERS ratings sell faster and higher.
If you implement a policy of sustainability based on less consumption and more efficiency your business is more streamlined.
When you take steps to improve your NABERS rating, you are demonstrating corporate responsibility. Corporations with higher NABERS ratings have a better reputation. Those who are actively working toward improving their NABERS ratings are deemed to be more responsible citizens.
If your rental property has a higher NABERS rating it has been proven: tenants are happier. Tenants stay longer. You have fewer revenue-losing vacancies. Tenants are willing to pay higher rents to live in a building that is more economical in terms of energy costs.
If you own a rental property, a hotel, or an office building those who use it have an expectation that you as landlord or hotelier will “go green”. Your public has that expectation.
A NABERS rating allows you to asses where you are and create a plan for where you want to be. You can achieve significant savings when you have an accurate environmental performance rating. Once you have identified how and where you’re using energy and water and where you there is waste, you can pinpoint ways to save money and reduce your company’s carbon footprint.
Employees who work for corporations that are actively pursuing building efficiency programs have a higher regard for their employer. They deem their work environment healthier. They are less likely to cost the company sick days. They are more likely to remain working for an employer who demonstrates environmental responsibility and to participate in energy cost-cutting and environmentally-friendly measures. Government policy
NABERS ratings of building environmental performance are oftenpart of government policies and commercial property agreements. Companies like Ausnviro specialize in assisting owners perform and improved their NABERS rating.
Call Ausnviro today on 1300 622 377 or visit our contact page.
You might think that this system will not benefit your business and might only wrap you up in more red tape for environmental purposes, but you would be wrong – it is an important part of real estate in Australia today. What benefit is there to you or your business that your buildings have a high, or for that matter a low, NABERS rating?
A high rating will show that you are committed to reducing the cost of your utility bills – it will mean that you are minimising water usage, that you use energy efficient power outlets and lighting, that your heating system and air conditioning systems are efficient; it also means that you have taken every step to reduce the amount of waste that you produce. With all of these things in place, you can reduce your annual utility bills by 20 to 40 percent. Having just come out of a recession, cost savings are still very important to businesses as they seek to maximise profit and cut out unnecessary expenditure where possible.
If you own commercial tenancy property, potential clients will certainly be looking at such efficiency saving as part of the package when considering renting your office space. With a 72% reported uptake in the standard, it is highly likely that business owners will ask specifically about what cost savings measures you have installed in your commercial property.
With efficient heating, lighting, water and air quality you will be creating a better working environment. Undoubtedly, this will make your property more desirable meaning they will be in greater demand, meaning that you can charge higher rents, meaning more profits for you and for the shareholders and a better reputation for your company. Taking all of this into account, the actual base value of the property and your company will increase!
Finally there is the legal requirement: getting a NABERS rating will help you achieve the Commercial Building Disclosure requirement
We are moving further and further towards a green world, to create a clean and safe environment for our children and their children. Governments and businesses the world over recognise the scale of the problem facing humanity of global climate change, fuel efficiency, water use and air quality – not to mention the increasing financial cost of utilities.
NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) is a government enacted standard designed to measure a number of attributes of commercial buildings. It is a rating system that looks at the following criteria: energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste, and quality of the indoor environment (such as sufficient ventilation)
An independent accredited Assessor examines a number of evidence types in determining what a building’s rating should be. The rating system itself goes from one star to six stars. If a building is given a one star rating, it means there is considerable room for improvement on most if not all of the criteria. A six star rating is the highest accolade, meaning that the owners have done everything possible to demonstrate their concern for the environment, reduce utility costs and use power and water supplies more efficiently.
The NABERS system applies to all commercial buildings and tenancies in Australia; there are separate NABERS systems for hotels, shopping centres and data centres.
To discuss NABERS call Ausnviro today on 1300 622 377 or visit our contact page.
Ausnviro is proud to announce that we are the first Australian company to be accredited in New Zealand for the NABERSNZ scheme.
As NABERS specialists in Australia for nearly 5 years our extensive experience in NABERS is second to none.
We believe there is huge potential for energy efficiency in the New Zealand property market which has now adopted the NABERSNZ benchmark.
Ausnviro has formed a new division of the company appropriately named NZenviro.
NZenviro are NABERSNZ specialists.
The state of Victoria has just thrown commercial office owners a juicy bone.
Whats the deal?
SV kicks in 50% of the cost of up to $150,000 (300k total spend) to carry out the following activities:
Why bother?
SV is essentially giving building owners free cash to help them save more cash, make their buildings more energy efficient while helping build the intrinsic value of their asset. – its a no brainier.
Who should have a crack?
Remember how all the GBF money was pretty much swallowed up by all the major property funds?
Well… everyone else… now is your chance to get started making your building more energy efficient with the right advice at half the cost.
What can Ausnviro do for you?
We can facilitate everything. If your interested call 1300-NABERS or email us via our contact form
When does this kick off?
Applications for funding open on 9 September 2013.
Source: http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/www/html/3662-energy-efficient-office-buildings.asp
The Energy Management Guide for Tenants has been designed to assist tenants in office buildings to manage their energy use efficiently while having the light, warmth, cooling and power needed to support their business’s operations. It explains how energy savings can be made by tenants in office buildings.
You can be environmentally conscientious and save money, while maintaining optimum working conditions.
Click the image to download the PDF (Courtesy of NABERS)
For all your Section J Reporting, Ausnviro recommends SectionJReport.com.au
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