Extract

The NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) program is well known for its work in the commercial sector. Apartment buildings represent a significant opportunity for energy and water efficiency and in many ways resemble the commercial sector in terms of the presence of “base building” services that are provided to occupants and metered separately from the balance of energy use within the individual apartments. However, the range of services provided varies widely, creating unique challenges in the creation of benchmarks for this sector. In this paper, the characteristics of the apartment sector are reviewed based on a data set of over 250 buildings in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. Factors demonstrated to have significant impact include the number of apartments, the degree to which air-conditioning is provided centrally, the presence and servicing of the car park, the presence and servicing of a swimming pool, and the presence of lifts and gyms. The application of NABERS style benchmarks for energy and water to this sector is presented. The sample distribution of ratings is shown to be a good match to expectation. The paper concludes with a review of the next stages in rating application and development.

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