Commercial buildings typically undergo many changes over the course of their lives. Tenants will come and go, and every new occupant will have their own ideas on the setup and working environment. The building owner or operator will need an HVAC system that can offer long term flexibility on top of long-term energy savings. However, the way we approach building design in the UK makes it difficult to achieve optimum energy efficiency during a building's lifetime. This is due to our Building Regulations focus primarily on the design and technology that improves predicted building performance, instead of achieving directly measurable improvements in the buildings performance - measuring the actual energy usage, not a predicted/estimated usage. However, when it comes to energy efficiency in buildings, our Australian counter parts have been a step ahead of us for some time. The 'NABERS' (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) introduced and implemented since the turn of the 21st century, is a performance-based rating system for buildings. A NABERS rating for a building is based on a methodical assessment of the actual environmental impact of operating it and has allowed buildings and workplaces in Australia to achieve impressive environmental savings.
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