Industry studies like the Warren Centre’s Low-Energy High-Rise report note that most buildings can achieve a 4 Star NABERS Energy base building rating solely through improved management practices. Benchmarks, establishing metrics to measure performance, communication and action plans are essential basics to reducing energy consumption and improving building energy efficiency.
The Better Buildings Partnership, as leaders in the management and measurement of commercial buildings, share case studies of successful management and upgrade of assets, noting the necessary step of energy efficiency in reducing greenhouse gas emissions before supplementary low-carbon or renewable energy solutions. The BBP is also engaging with the City of Sydney in the development of the City’s energy efficiency master plan.
As energy efficiency gains plateau, the consideration of low-carbon and renewable energy solutions come closer. The BBP informed the development of the City of Sydney’s decentralised energy master plan, which includes a thermal reticulation network across the City. The Partnership is also part of a key group collaborating with the City to investigate and implement the master plan, developing commercially viable energy infrastructure to create low-carbon zones across the city, with the aim to make this green infrastructure available to the entire property market.
As part of the BBP’s commitment to continue to investigate the feasibility of thermal reticulation networks, the Partnership will be releasing a checklist for asset and building managers to determine whether their buildings can connect to a network like that proposed by the City of Sydney’s decentralised energy master plan.
