10 Questions you must ask about NABERS
Developed from its Australian counterpart to be relevant to the UK market; NABERS UK is a performance-based rating scheme that now operates throughout the country. By providing a NABERS rating for offices, building owners and managers can benchmark their buildings’ operational performance and gain market recognition for this performance. So, let’s ask some questions…
What is NABERS?
NABERS stands for the National Australian Built Environment Rating System.
As its name suggests, the scheme started in Australia in 1999 and is widely considered to be a world leading environmental performance rating tool for commercial buildings.
Is NABERS now being used in the UK?
Yes, NABERS UK went live in November 2020. The NABERS UK rating scheme measures the operational performance of the building; this is major change for the UK, which is more used to using Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) as a target and measure of building energy performance.
Is NABERS better than EPC?
The issue with EPCs is that they are based on predicted or designed performance, rather than what has actually been used or measured – hence the ‘performance gap’ that has been continually raised over the years as buildings rarely perform as they were designed.
How does NABERS work?
NABERS UK currently offers two products:
Energy for Offices - This measures the efficiency of an office building and rates its performance. The energy rating works by comparing the energy consumption of a building against a set of benchmarks which have been developed using actual data. The rating currently covers the base building performance, this includes central services like heating and cooling, and lifts and lobby lighting, but doesn’t include tenant usage such as PCs and other appliances.
Design for Performance - This is a process whereby a developer or owner commits to design, build and commission a new office development or major refurbishment to achieve a specific NABERS energy rating.
It involves creating a building energy model, having this independently reviewed and then submitting it to NABERS UK for certification. Once completed they will have an assessment carried out under the Energy for Offices scheme which then shows whether they actually achieved the rating they aimed for.
Most assessments that have been submitted so far in the UK are for Design for Performance, which means they are for new developments yet to be or currently under construction.
What do the NABERS Star Ratings mean?
NABERS UK is a performance-based rating scheme that operates across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Like the efficiency star/letter ratings that you get on your fridge or washing machine, NABERS provides a rating from one to six stars for offices. The aim is to help building owners understand the performance of their buildings against others in their portfolio or competitors – and therefore provide a benchmark for progress.
A good NABERS rating will lead to an increased asset valuation, happier tenants, accountable contractors and industry recognition. In the UK, there are only two existing buildings that have been submitted under Energy for Offices at the moment; they have scored 3 stars and 4.5 stars respectively.
How do I know if my building is eligible?
Click image for a larger PDF Version of Infographic
How can I get a NABERS rating?
To get an accredited NABERS rating, you need to use a Licensed NABERS Assessor. They will carry out physical assessments of buildings to collect and then verify the data for a rating according to the NABERS rules and validation protocols.
Once the information is collected and the rating is calculated, the Assessor submits it to the NABERS Technical Team who carry out an audit of the information before certifying the building with the final rating.
The NABERS ratings will then be certified by the NABERS National Administrator.
How long do the ratings last for?
These ratings are valid for 12 months; the annual model ensures that ratings represent a building’s current operational performance.
Can you improve your NABERS rating?
NABERS Ratings will increase by improving the energy efficiency of the building, which requires optimisation improvements.
These fall under two options: capital expenditure or operational improvement. Both have a variety of options and differing value, however, you should always look to prioritise the smarter use of existing equipment over capital outlays on new installations.
How can Mainer Associates help you with NABERS?
Our Senior Sustainability Consultant, Chris Stevens-Barnes, is Mainer Associates’ NABERS UK Licensed Assessor. Whilst he will carry out the assessment and provide the rating and certificate, he will also look to provide a holistic, end-to-end service to improve NABERS ratings in a cost-effective manner.
This could be through options like a review of the current building data such as the sub-metering strategy or looking at undertaking CIBSE TM54 reporting to understand the gaps in the overall building performance. At Mainer, we pride ourselves on offering a whole service to our clients – rather than just an assessment or report in isolation.
As awareness of NABERS UK grows and clients begin to see what benefits there are, Mainer Associates are now looking to be involved in more projects both for Design for Performance and Energy for Offices.
So, if you want to talk to Chris about a NABERS Estimate, NABERS Rating, or advice on how you can improve your NABERS rating - contact him today at Chris.Stevens-Barnes@mainer.co.uk
For more information about NABERS, please see our service page
To see how Mainer Associates can help you with NABERS on your project,
please feel free to get in touch
For more Sustainability news and insight please subscribe to our Monthly Mainer Mailshot
To talk to Mainer Associates about any of the issues raised in the article,
please feel free to get in touch here
Please click below for more information on Mainer’s Services:
LCA
EIA
BREEAM
Building Physics
Fitwel
Scope 3 Emissions
Planning Statements
ESG