NABERS: Transforming sustainability standards in UK commercial buildings

NABERS, originally developed in Australia, has been adapted for the UK market to address the specific environmental challenges and regulatory frameworks facing British businesses. NABERS provides a clear, reliable, and comparable rating system that measures the operational efficiency of office buildings, focusing primarily on energy performance.

Unlike many other certification systems that assess office interior design intentions, NABERS evaluates actual, measured performance. This performance-based approach ensures that buildings don't just look good on paper but deliver tangible environmental benefits in practice. The rating system uses a 6-star scale, where 1 star indicates poor performance and 6 stars represents market-leading excellence.

What makes NABERS particularly valuable is its focus on real outcomes rather than theoretical compliance. When a building receives a NABERS rating, stakeholders can be confident that it genuinely reflects the operational reality of the property. This transparency builds trust and provides a solid foundation for improvement efforts.

Reducing environmental impact

Beyond the immediate financial benefits, NABERS helps businesses reduce their environmental impact through significant carbon emissions reductions and lower resource consumption. These improvements directly support corporate sustainability targets and enhance ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance, which is increasingly scrutinised by investors, customers, and employees alike.

The NABERS system currently offers two key rating types for office buildings in the UK market: NABERS energy for offices and NABERS design for performance.

NABERS energy for offices

NABERS energy for offices assesses the energy efficiency of an office building based on its operational performance. The assessment considers energy consumption data, building size and occupancy patterns, climate factors, operating hours, and the building services and equipment in use. Energy ratings can be conducted for base building (covering landlord-controlled services), whole building (encompassing all energy consumption), or tenancy (focusing on occupier-controlled areas).

Understanding how NABERS relates to other common building certifications in the UK market can help you develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy.

NABERS vs BREEAM

NABERS and BREEAM serve different yet complementary purposes in the sustainable building landscape:

• BREEAM takes a holistic approach to sustainability across multiple categories
• NABERS focuses specifically on operational energy performance
• BREEAM primarily assesses design and construction phases
• NABERS evaluates ongoing operational performance

Many leading developments now pursue both certifications to demonstrate comprehensive sustainability credentials.

When comparing NABERS to SKA rating, several key differences emerge:

• SKA Rating focuses specifically on fit-out projects and refurbishments
• NABERS evaluates ongoing operational performance of the entire building
• SKA assesses sustainable materials, waste management, and project execution
• NABERS concentrates primarily on energy usage and efficiency
• SKA provides a one-time assessment at project completion
• NABERS requires ongoing measurement and continual improvement

Both systems offer valuable insights into different aspects of building sustainability. While SKA Rating helps ensure sustainable fit-out practices, NABERS provides the framework for long-term operational excellence. Forward-thinking organisations can use both standards to comprehensively address sustainability throughout a building's lifecycle.

For new developments

For new developments, the NABERS journey begins at the earliest project stages. Early commitment involves incorporating NABERS targets into project briefs, engaging with the Design for Performance framework, and setting clear operational performance expectations for the design team and eventual operators.

The design process for NABERS-targeted buildings emphasises integrated solutions. This means modelling operational energy performance during design, selecting systems and strategies that support performance targets, and ensuring commissioning plans address operational performance. Importantly, once the design is complete, you can obtain a "Design for Performance" certificate even before construction begins. This certificate is what allows you to market the building as targeting a specific NABERS rating level (such as level 4, 5, or 6).

The Design for Performance certificate has a validity of 40 months, strategically providing sufficient time to:

• Complete the construction phase
• Finish the building and allow for occupancy
• Gather 12 months of operational energy data

After completion, verification and improvement become the focus:

• Initial NABERS rating after 12 months of operation confirms performance
• Fine-tuning based on operational data optimises systems for maximum efficiency
• Regular reassessment maintains accountability
• Continuous improvement is driven throughout the building's lifecycle

The future of NABERS in the UK is likely to include:

• Expanded scope beyond office energy ratings to include water efficiency, waste management, and indoor environment quality
• Adaptation for additional property types such as retail, logistics, and residential buildings
• Greater integration with other sustainability frameworks and reporting requirements
• Enhanced digital tools to streamline the assessment and certification process

Technology integration is enhancing the NABERS implementation process. Advanced building management systems, energy analytics platforms, and artificial intelligence solutions are making it easier to collect, analyse, and act on performance data. These technological advances reduce the administrative burden of NABERS implementation while improving the accuracy and value of the insights generated.