What is NABERS Energy?

Buildings play a major role in shaping our environment. Globally, they account for around 40% of total energy use — and with that comes a large share of greenhouse gas emissions. For building owners, managers, and developers, improving energy performance is not just a compliance exercise. It’s about reducing costs, attracting tenants and investors, and safeguarding the long-term value of assets.
This is where NABERS Energy comes in.

Understanding NABERS Energy

NABERS (the National Australian Built Environment Rating System) is a nationally recognised tool that measures a building’s operational performance. Unlike design-based models, NABERS Energy ratings are based on actual utility data collected over a 12-month period, providing a clear and comparable benchmark of efficiency.
Every rating is adjusted for location and climate. For example, a shopping centre in Brisbane is benchmarked against other centres in similar conditions, not against one in Melbourne with very different cooling needs. This ensures that assessments are fair, consistent, and meaningful.
A NABERS Energy star rating offers an independent, trusted snapshot of how efficiently a building operates.

Why NABERS Energy Matters

  • Lower operating costs – cutting energy consumption reduces bills.
  • Market advantage – strong ratings make properties more attractive to tenants, investors, and partners.
  • Asset resilience – verified sustainability credentials improve long-term value and help futureproof portfolios.
  • Environmental impact – every improvement contributes to reducing carbon emissions.
At SUHO, our accredited NABERS Assessors support clients through the full process: gathering and validating data, securing an accurate rating, and identifying pathways to higher performance.

Where NABERS Energy Applies

NABERS Energy ratings are available for a wide range of building types, including:
  • Offices and office tenancies
  • Shopping centres
  • Apartment buildings
  • Public hospitals
  • Hotels
  • Data centres
  • Aged care and retirement living
  • Warehouses and cold stores
  • Retail stores
  • Schools
…and more.

NABERS Energy for Office Buildings

Office buildings are among the most common — and energy-intensive — spaces in Australia. Systems for lighting, heating and cooling, lifts, IT, and tenancy operations all contribute significantly to energy demand.
NABERS Energy offers tailored assessment pathways depending on the scope you want to measure:
  • Base Building Rating – evaluates central services managed by the landlord, such as HVAC, lifts, and common area lighting.
  • Whole Building Rating – covers both landlord services and all tenant areas, providing the most complete picture of performance.
  • Tenancy Rating – measures energy use within leased spaces, such as plug loads, lighting, and operating hours — typically accounting for up to 50% of a building’s total energy use.
  • NABERS Co-Assess – streamlines the process by assessing both base building and tenancy ratings at the same time.
For those aiming higher, Carbon Neutral Certification is also available for office buildings achieving 4 stars or more, balancing residual emissions with certified offsets to demonstrate leadership on the path to net zero.

The Takeaway

NABERS Energy is more than just a rating. It provides a roadmap for reducing energy use, cutting costs, improving efficiency, and showcasing environmental leadership.
At SUHO, we specialise in guiding office clients through this process — from data collection to rating coordination — so you can confidently measure, improve, and market your building’s performance.

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