NABERS Energy Efficiency Benchmark for UK Offices Launches

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30 November 2020

A new scheme for measuring the energy efficiency of UK offices has launched, to create transparency in the market.

NABERS UK will be used across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, providing a rating from one to six stars.

The aim is to help building owners to accurately target, measure and communicate the energy performance of their buildings. This investment grade rating can be used to demonstrate whether offices are on a net-zero carbon trajectory and provide investors and occupiers with the confidence that the buildings they own and occupy are aligned with their climate change ambitions. 

“The launch of NABERS UK marks a significant milestone for this project, but more importantly a huge leap forward for the industry in measuring and verifying the actual energy performance of UK offices."

–Sarah Ratcliffe

CEO, Better Buildings Partnership 

Better Buildings Partnership

Property developers will also be able to use the Design for Performance process to target a NABERS Energy rating at the design stage of a new office development or refurbishment and verify performance when the building is occupied, overcoming the well-evidenced performance gap between design and operation. 

The NABERS UK scheme has been developed via the Design for Performance initiative led by the Better Buildings Partnership, working in close collaboration with the market transformational Australian NABERS programme. The work has been funded by British Land; Derwent London; Federated Hermes / MEPC; Great Portland Estates; Grosvenor Britain & Ireland; Landsec; Legal & General Investment Management; Lendlease; Nuveen Real Estate; Royal London Asset Management and Stanhope, and backed by industry bodies including the British Council for Offices; British Property Federation; BRE; BSRIA; CIBSE; CREFC Europe; RIBA; RICS; UKGBC and the Usable Buildings Trust. The scheme was developed for the UK market with expert input from Verco & DeltaQ. 

“A Huge Leap Forward for the Industry”

The launch of the scheme comes at a critical time for the industry, with the government’s consultation on energy performance disclosure for commercial buildings expected before the end of the year. 

The Better Buildings Partnership is very supportive of, and is eagerly awaiting, this consultation and has shared evidence from the Design for Performance Initiative with BEIS as part of its role on the Advisory Panel.  

Sarah Ratcliffe, CEO at Better Buildings Partnership said: “The launch of NABERS UK marks a significant milestone for this project, but more importantly a huge leap forward for the industry in measuring and verifying the actual energy performance of UK offices. This has been a truly collaborative effort from across the industry over many years. I am absolutely delighted that we now have a scheme in the UK that will transform the market for better, more energy-efficient offices.” 

Carlos Flores, Director at NABERS said: “Climate change is a global issue that requires global collaboration. Working with the BBP and their members to develop NABERS UK has been truly inspiring, and the prospect of working closely with BRE going forward is just thrilling. We look forward to learning and sharing through this ground-breaking international partnership, to help Australian and UK buildings make faster progress towards a more sustainable planet.” 

Picture: a photograph of a lightbulb

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 30 November 2020

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