NABERS rates highly

A survey of the building sustainability rating scheme has highlighted its acceptance along with areas of possible improvement.

The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) released a comprehensive and wide-ranging survey and technical review of its sustainability rating scheme.

The Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air conditioning and Heating engineers (AIRAH) facilitated the survey and review on behalf of the NABERS stakeholder advisory committee.

It collated all comments made, including specific issues industry practitioners have raised with the NABERS tools, and offered solutions back to the organisation.

More than 100 survey respondents contributed to the report, which highlights strategic, technical and administrative priority issues for consideration during the NABERS strategic review.

AIRAH CEO Phil Wilkinson, says a theme of the results is firm support for the system but also the requirement for a more streamlined, robust approach.

“The survey has really highlighted how well accepted and embraced the NABERS rating tools are, and that industry really wants clarity to be actively engaged in improving the suite of tools,” Wilkinson says.

Comments from the survey were overwhelmingly positive and constructive. One respondent described NABERS as an “excellent system”, but said it needs to be streamlined.

“All in all NABERS is a very useful rating tool,” another respondent said. “NABERS provides a credible result that is clear and comparable. A few minor changes would help improve energy efficiencies within buildings.”

Wilkinson says there should be awareness that there was an element of “work in progress” with the NABERS rating tool, and that cooperation among the various stakeholders was critical for it to be improved further.

“A lot of technical issues have been raised and we as industry need to be realistic about how quickly the items can be dealt with,” Wilkinson says.

Issues identified as priority areas of attention include methods to determine hours of occupancy; building, space and activity classification; the use and calibration of meters and sub-meters; the treatment of data rooms in the tools; and the methods specified for microbiological sampling and testing of indoor air.

The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, which manages NABERS nationally, said it was pleased with the feedback.

“We are working through the findings in detail to ensure that NABERS remains a robust and reliable system and continues to be held in high regard by industry,” says Matthew Clark, director water and energy programs, Office of Environment and Heritage.