The New Zealand Government is committed to making government office buildings energy efficient.
Government office buildings are based within the commercial sector therefore we can deliver benefits associated with emissions reduction.
The improved carbon performance of government office buildings can also contribute to several strategic priorities:
The Government Property Group has collaborated with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) to develop these standards and guidelines.
The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS), is an initiative launched by the Australian government in 1999 to measure and compare the environmental energy and carbon performance of commercial buildings and tenancies. Since 2010, Australian building owners must disclose a NABERS Energy rating for their premises at the point of sale and lease.
Due to the programme’s success in driving improved environmental efficiencies and the expansion into new markets, EECA introduced NABERSNZ as a voluntary tool to rate the carbon performance of New Zealand offices in 2013.
There are three types of energy ratings:
Tenancy energy use accounts for around 42% of total energy use in the building. However, improvements to a building’s NABERSNZ rating can be achieved with collaboration between the tenant and landlord to minimise wastage, like after-hours air conditioning use.
Agencies and landlords must follow the NABERSNZ process to assess their buildings and/or offices.
There are several key areas where we can improve the energy efficiency of buildings:
The benefits of obtaining a NABERSNZ rating for an office building include:
Low-energy high-rise report – The Warren Centre - Better Buildings Partnership Australia
From 1 January 2021, these standards are compulsory for all mandated agencies who occupy single-tenant, co-tenanted, or co-located government office accommodation. Non-mandated agencies are encouraged to follow these standards.
Read more about mandated agencies for government property.
Mandated agencies - government property
Agencies entering a new lease, or renewing an existing lease should target a rating above 5 stars, and achieve a minimum of 4 stars.
Agencies planning a new build project need to achieve a minimum of 5 stars.
Co-assess is a process that enables tenancy ratings to be conducted as part of a whole building or base building rating. For example, a collection of tenancy assessments undertaken for multiple agencies in a co-tenancy building. The method is designed to help building managers, building owners, and tenants to better understand their energy use and work together to improve the performance of their building and tenancies, while reducing assessment costs.
Assessments are valid for 12 months. If the target rating has been met, a re-rating is required every three years. If the target rating has not been met, an agency must implement a work programme within 12 months to achieve the target rating and re-rate the building annually until the minimum star rating is achieved.
Disclosure of ratings is a big part of the NABERSNZ assessment. The rating must be disclosed and agencies can ask for it. If a building is not rated, it must go through the assessment process. Following an assessment, agencies must upload ratings onto the Government Property Portal (GPP). This rating will be publicly available on the NABERSNZ website.
New Zealand government office accommodation is wide ranging in its size and leased through a variety of agreements resulting in single tenancy, co-tenancy and co-location tenancies. Refer to the following table to determine which type of assessment you need to carry out:
| Assessment type | Single tenancy | Co-tenancy | Co-location | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenancy | NLA ≥ 5,000m² (Y / N)
If yes, do a tenancy assessment. |
Combined agencies NLA ≥ 5,000m² (Y / N)
If yes, do a tenancy assessment. |
Combined agencies NLA ≥ 5,000m² (Y / N)
If yes, do a tenancy assessment. |
Tenant |
| Base building | NLA ≥ 2,000m², and occupation between 25-100% of the building’s total NLA (Y / N)
If yes, do a base building assessment. |
NLA ≥ 2,000m, and combined agencies NLA between 25-100% of the building’s total NLA (Y / N)
If yes, agency with largest NLA does a base building assessment. |
NLA ≥ 2,000m, and combined agencies NLA between 25 -100% of the building’s total NLA (Y / N)
If yes, the lead agency does a base building assessment. |
Landlord |
| Whole building | If your agency falls within the base building criteria, but the utility metering cannot be measured separately, carry out a whole building assessment. | If your agency falls within the base building criteria, but the utility metering cannot be measured separately, carry out a whole building assessment. | If your agency falls within the base building criteria, but the utility metering cannot be measured separately, carry out a whole building assessment. | Tenant and landlord |
Agencies that do not fall into the above criteria are still encouraged to gain a relevant NABERSNZ rating to realise the benefits of energy efficient buildings.
Agency 1 is over 5,000m² (tenancy) and 2,000m² (base building) and also occupies over 25% of the building’s NLA.
Requirement: Tenant rating assessment and base building assessment unless utility meters cannot be measured separately, then do a whole building rating.
A representation of one agency (Agency 1) occupying 100% of the Net Leased Area (NLA).
Agency 1 is under 5,000m² (tenancy) and over 2,000m² (base building) and also occupies over 25% of the building’s NLA.
Requirement: Base building assessment unless utility meters cannot be measured separately, then do a whole building assessment.
A representation of one agency (Agency 1) occupying 45% of the Net Leased Area (NLA) and a non-agency occupying 55% of the Net Leased Area (NLA).
Agency 1 is under 5,000m² (tenancy) and under 2,000m² (base building) and also occupies less than 25% of the building’s NLA.
Requirement: No requirement to do an assessment. However, Agency 1 may want to do one by choice.
A representation of one agency (Agency 1) occupying 19% of the Net Leased Area (NLA) and a non-agency occupying 81% of the Net Leased Area (NLA).
The combined agency NLA total is over 5,000m² (tenancy) and 2,000m² (base building) and also occupies over 25% of the building’s NLA.
Requirement: Agency 1 completes a tenancy rating. Base building assessment to be completed by landlord unless utility meters cannot be measures separately, then a whole building assessment.
A representation of three different agencies (Agency 1, Agency 2 and Agency 3) occupying 100% of the Net Leased Area (NLA).
The combined agency NLA total is under 5,000m² (tenancy) and over 2,000m² (base building) and also occupies over 25% of the building’s NLA.
Requirement: Base building assessment unless utility meters cannot be measured separately, then do a whole building assessment.
A representation of two different agencies (Agency 1 and Agency 2) occupying 100% of the Net Leased Area (NLA).
The combined agency NLA total is under 5,000m² (tenancy) over 2,000m² (base building) but occupies less than 25% of the building’s NLA.
Requirement: No requirement to do an assessment. However, the agencies may want to do one by choice.
A representation of two different agencies (Agency 1 and Agency 2) occupying 21% of the Net Leased Area (NLA) and a non-agency occupying 79% of the Net Leased Asset (NLA).
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NABERSNZ has not only honed the energy performance of Zurich House in Auckland’s waterfront precinct but shown its stakeholders exactly how its green technology ticks.