The attractions of energy efficiency

The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has announced it is offering 60 free NABERSNZ feasibility assessments for existing office properties in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

NABERSNZ is an independent measurement and rating tool that benchmarks the energy performance of commercial office buildings in New Zealand.

NZGBC chief executive Andrew Eagles said the assessments would look at what is required to undertake a NABERSNZ Certified Rating.

They were the first step towards future proofing a building, he said.

Feasibility assessments will be carried out by interns, supervised by the NZGBC.

A NZGBC team will then work with property owners who undertake the assessment to achieve a Certified Rating.

Eagles said they have helped many property owners achieve good energy efficiency results with their buildings – which have resulted in instant savings.

“NABERSNZ helps landlords identify improvements they can make to save energy and that makes their building more attractive to tenants.

“A building with a high NABERSNZ Certified Rating is more likely to attract high value tenants who will pay a premium for an energy efficient building: research in Australia shows up to 8% more.

“The steps you take to get a good Certified Rating will see you reduce costs, save energy and improve comfort.”

The energy efficiency of buildings is a hot topic for residential landlords, due to a growing focus on the provision of healthy homes.

However, it looks set to be increasingly important for commercial landlords too.

More information about NABERSNZ is available here and the application form for a free assessment is available here.