Energy upgrade’s double dividend
Lough says it required a high level of co-operation and transparency from everyone involved in the project.
“I think one of the greatest things out of this is that we dealt with the challenges along the way openly and worked through them.
“There were a lot of variations to the contract, which is generally what happens when you’re working within an existing building.” As-built plans never truly reflected what was constructed, says Lough, and the tight timetable nearly took a tumble when undetected earthquake damage was found on the final floor.
“Full credit to Hawkins to finishing the project on time.”
Lough says the new, improved air conditioning system, which included heat recovery and fresh air mixing, provided the best energy efficiency returns.
Visual display units linked to the BMS — providing real-time energy use data in public areas — have been key in promoting power savings to staff and visitors, she says.
The reward for IAG has been a 40 per cent saving on its energy bills.
This month the office also became the first in New Zealand to achieve a five-star NABERSNZ whole building rating.
“I don’t think we ever thought we’d be the first in New Zealand for a building rating,” says Lough.
“We were actually targeting to be the first in Christchurch.
“That focus was there right from day dot around reducing the energy footprint and something that would impact on the wider environment in a promotional building for people to see.”
The project joins three highly rated Auckland buildings — 205 Queen St, Zurich House and the WaterCare Services building in Newmarket — which achieved fourstar ratings in the past month.
Alex Cutler, head of the NZ Green Building Council, which administers the rating on behalf of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), says it’s too soon to get accurate New Zealand data on the effect NABERSNZ is having on office property values, but numbers from the Australian version of the scheme, NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) show tenants there are willing to pay up to 8 per cent more to work in buildings with a high rating.
“It is attractive to tenants; it is attractive to investors,” she says.
Late last year Goodman sold IAG’s Christchurch office for $33.2 million to Maori Hill Property Ltd. Lough says she believes the money and effort spent on the building made it more saleable.
“It’s a large building in a suburban office location but you’ve got a very well performing building.
“The greatest thing is, it’s got the capability of doing even better.”
The rating, which sits alongside the Green Star rating tool for measuring sustainability during building design and construction, has been gathering momentum since it was introduced three years ago.
About 1000 online energy performance self-assessments have been completed, with 41 certified ratings or re-ratings issued.
Cutler says the ratings don’t have to be made public, but can provide a starting point to make improvements to a building or workplace.
“What we’re seeing is portfolio owners rating all their buildings, getting the baseline and then deciding which buildings they are going to fine-tune or commission, and then which buildings they’re going to upgrade,” says Cutler.
“Clearly, the ultimate outcome that we want is that a large proportion of building owners upgrade their buildings so they are using less energy.” EECA has a goal of 20 per cent of new commercial tenants seeking a NABERSNZ rating by 2018.
“I think a NABERSNZ rating is such a great tool in the sense that you actually have to work to achieve it, then maintain it, and if you want to do better you have goals to optimise it,” says Goodman’s Lough. “You’ve got that long-term commitment to good energy management.”
The ultimate outcome that we want is that a large proportion of building owners upgrade their buildings so they are using less energy. Alex Cutler, NZ Green Building Council (right)