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NABERS & CBD CONFERENCE 2016
Summary Report
This report was compiled by the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage as National Administrator of the NABERS program and on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation & Science’s Commercial Building Disclosure team.
“The conference was very useful. It is great that the teams are so accessible to the property industry.”
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NABERS & CBD ASSESSOR CONFERENCE 2016
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 3
Assessor attendee snapshot statistics ................................................................................................. 4
1. EVENT PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................... 5
NABERS and CBD collaboration ........................................................................................................... 5
2. EVENT PARTICIPATION ......................................................................................................................... 5
EVENT OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 6
3. MORNING SESSION .............................................................................................................................. 6
Opening address ................................................................................................................................... 6
NABERS: Directions and Progress ........................................................................................................ 6
CBD: Outlook, directions & review update ......................................................................................... 6
CBD: Progress report ............................................................................................................................ 7
The importance of the FM role in NABERS ......................................................................................... 8
The Future of the TLA ........................................................................................................................... 8
Picking up the pace: Our innovation strategy ..................................................................................... 8
Announcement ..................................................................................................................................... 9
4. ASSESSOR FOCUSED SESSIONS .......................................................................................................... 10
Training options for dynamic Assessors ............................................................................................ 10
NABERS IE – Myths and facts ............................................................................................................. 10
IT services – Progress & plans ............................................................................................................ 11
Quality Assurance, CPD and auditing ................................................................................................ 11
Tools under development: The waste platform and Energy for hospitals tool .............................. 12
Industry trends: your insights ............................................................................................................ 12
5. CUSTOMER FOCUSED SESSIONS ........................................................................................................ 13
Bringing your NABERS data to life ..................................................................................................... 13
Mid-tier buildings: The next frontier ................................................................................................. 13
Maximising your GRESB Survey results with NABERS....................................................................... 14
Financing your upgrades .................................................................................................................... 14
NABERS & CBD: Advertising & marketing ......................................................................................... 15
Industry trends: your insights ............................................................................................................ 15
NABERS International – panel discussion .......................................................................................... 16
Focusing on Solutions – workshop sessions...................................................................................... 16
6. CONSULTATION OUTCOMES.............................................................................................................. 18
Suggestions for technical issues ........................................................................................................ 18
Suggestions for training ..................................................................................................................... 18
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Suggestions regarding communciation issues .................................................................................. 19
Suggestions on how Assessors can connect with Facility Managers ............................................... 19
Appendix 4 3 | P a g e
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Event CBD and NABERS Assessor Conference 2016
Date 27th April 2016
Venue The Grace Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Registered 194 attendees (72 Assessors)
Attended 157 attendees (68 Assessors)
Sessions 35 sessions made up of: 18 lecture style presentations, 3 interactive panels, 13 small group workshops and 2 award presentations. A Technical Forum staffed by NABERS/CBD teams was also held during the day and a networking session with drinks and canapés was held after the event.
Funding The conference was jointly funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and the NABERS program.
The second NABERS & CBD Conference, held at the Grace Hotel on 27th of April 2016, presented a diverse range of speakers from both industry and government, and provided an opportunity for Assessors and administrators to exchange ideas in a two-way conversation.
Whereas the first conference was a two-day event and specifically targeted at Assessors, this event was a one day event and open to all NABERS stakeholders. Consequently, attendance was more than double that of the first conference.
Of the 157 attendees, 68 NABERS Assessors and 63 of these were also CBD Assessors.
The NABERS and CBD teams received feedback on a range of program topics during the conference and on the event itself in an evaluation survey. Feedback about the conference was very positive and there was a high level of support for future events.
Networking and hearing about updates and the direction of the programs were jointly regarded as the most useful aspects of the event, followed by interaction with the CBD and NABERS program administrators. There was a high level of satisfaction with the overall event organisation, the location of the venue and timing.
Program topics for discussion at the event were nominated by attendees and the program teams ahead of the conference. Feedback was given in dedicated interactive discussion sessions, informally throughout the conference and through a post conference survey (50 attendees participated in this survey). This feedback is explored in detail in section 6 of this report.
The majority of participants found presentations that related to program performance, operations and technical rulings to be of the greatest value. The most popular presentations were:
NABERS: Directions and progress
CBD: Outlook directions & review update
Picking up the pace: Our innovation strategy
Focusing on solutions – workshop session.
Suggestions for improving the event included:
including case studies
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splitting the event into two separate days; one for customers and one for Assessors
going further into technical details and conducting site visits
choosing a venue that had a better room layout and a bigger networking area
holding the workshop sessions earlier in the day.
68% of survey respondents said that they would like the event to occur on an annual basis.
Post conference survey snapshot - participant satisfaction
Question: Please rate your satisfaction with the following aspects of the conference:
Balance of government and industry representatives
Technical Forum ,
Networking Opportunities
Interaction with the NABERS / CBD Teams,
MC of the Event
Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good
Excellent
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1. EVENT PURPOSE
NABERS and CBD collaboration
The National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme (NABERS) program is a national environmental performance rating scheme for commercial buildings that is administered by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). NABERS ratings are conducted by NABERS Assessors that are accredited by OEH.
The Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) Program is managed by the Australian Government Department of Industry and requires energy efficiency information - including Tenancy Lighting Assessments undertaken by CBD Assessors and current NABERS Energy ratings - to be disclosed at the point of sale or lease for commercial office space over 2000m2. Being accredited by OEH as a NABERS Assessor is a prerequisite to becoming a CBD Assessor.
The NABERS and CBD programs have had an increased focus on productive collaboration and co-hosted this event to strengthen their partnership and engage more effectively with Assessors on program delivery issues.
The conference was designed to seek input from NABERS and CBD stakeholders on program operations and to communicate important program announcements to industry through face-to-face two-way dialogue.
2. EVENT PARTICIPATION The 157 conference attendees included:
24 people from the CBD and NABERS programs
83 NABERS Assessors, Trainers, Supervisors and Auditors including: o 68 NABERS Assessors (of which 63 were CBD Assessors) o 15 NABERS Trainers, Auditors and Supervisors.
34 NABERS customers
16 other stakeholders
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EVENT OVERVIEW The conference delivered a diverse program of speaker presentations and interactive sessions facilitated by the CBD and NABERS program teams and industry partners. Mr Phil Wilkinson, Executive Manager – government relations and technical services of AIRAH, was the event MC, and had a high approval rating with 96% of surveyed participants rating the MC to be either good, very good or excellent.
This section summarises the sessions and the value the attendees placed on each presentation in their feedback:
3. MORNING SESSION
Opening address Property Council CEO Ken Morrison outlined the impact of the property industry on the environment, and the sector’s potential contribution to emissions reduction.
NABERS: Directions and Progress NABERS Program Manager Carlos Flores Program provided an overview of recent program achievements and future plans for NABERS.
18% 39% 34% 9%
Opening Address - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
32% 46% 22% 0%
NABERS: Directions and Progress - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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CBD: Outlook, directions & review update CBD Manager Stanford Harrison provided an update on the CBD review and the possible implications this would have for program stakeholders.
CBD: Progress report CBD Senior Energy Efficiency Officer Stephanie Claydon provided an overview of recent CBD program achievements.
16% 55% 25% 4%
CBD: Progress report- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
23% 57% 20% 0%
CBD: Outlook, directions & review update - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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The importance of the FM role in NABERS FMA CEO Nicholas Burt explained the wide range of tasks that facility managers play in the management of buildings, and how best to engage FMs on NABERS ratings.
The Future of the TLA CBD Senior Energy Efficiency Officer Ross McLennan and Energy Action’s Director of Projects and Advisory Services Paul Bannister outlined potential upcoming developments of the Tenancy Lighting Assessment tool and for lighting efficiency more broadly.
7% 37% 41% 15%
The importance of the FM role in NABERS - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
27% 48% 23% 2%
The Future of the TLA - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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Picking up the pace: Our innovation strategy NABERS Program Manager Carlos Flores discussed the Agile Project Management methodology that the NABERS team has adopted and how it has been applied to projects.
Announcement NABERS Program Manager Carlos Flores presented the Grace hotel’s General Manager, Phillip Pratley, with their newly certified 4-star Energy rating. He also presented James Vesper of Goodman with a trophy for certifying the 15,000th NABERS rating.
34% 34% 27% 5%
Picking up the pace: Our innovation strategy - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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4. ASSESSOR FOCUSED SESSIONS
Training options for dynamic Assessors Energy Efficiency Council CEO Luke Menzel and NSW OEH Senior Project Officer Bradley Anderson explained some of the training options that are available to Assessors through their respective organisations.
NABERS IE – Myths and facts CETEC Regional Manager Adam Garnys compared the perceptions of costs against the actual costs for NABERS Indoor Environment ratings, and Frasers Property Group Sustainability Manager Marine Calmettes discussed their recent experience getting a NABERS Indoor Environment rating.
25% 43% 21% 11%
Training options for dynamic Assessors - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
18% 43% 32% 7%
NABERS IE - Myths and facts - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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IT services – Progress & plans NABERS IT Services Team Leader Geraint Collins and CBD Acting Assistant Director Fabiola Viana de Frietas explained the current and future work plans of their respective IT teams.
Quality Assurance, CPD and auditing NABERS Technical Team Leader Dennis Lee and CBD Assistant Manager Chris Mobbs explored aspects of the programs’ quality assurance processes and plans to tie in a future continuous professional development to auditing outcomes.
14% 43% 39% 4%
IT services - Progress and plans - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
31% 42% 24% 3%
Quality Assurance, CPD and auditing - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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Tools under development: The waste platform and Energy for hospitals tool NABERS Development & Innovation Team Leader Corine Mulet and Strategic Development Officer Claire Tucker described the two new tools under development, covering the expected outcomes and timelines.
Industry trends: your insights A speaker from each of the sessions returned for a panel discussion session with the audience.
28% 22% 47% 3%
Tools under development - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
19% 42% 31% 8%
Assessor stream 'Industry Insights' - Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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5. CUSTOMER FOCUSED SESSIONS
Bringing your NABERS data to life NABERS Data Analyst Nichola Nicholson showcased some customised data reports that she has been working on. Arup Senior Sustainability Consultant Richard Stokes took the audience through some of his NABERS data visualisations, and JAGONAL Chief Product Officer Andrew Brown gave an overview of their collaboration with NABERS.
Mid-tier buildings: The next frontier Sustainability Victoria Project Lead Chris Iape detailed the latest work that they have been doing with the mid-tier buildings. He highlighted the difficulties engaging with this sector and outlined strategies for overcoming those barriers.
23% 42% 32% 3%
Bringing your NABERS data to lift- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
21% 45% 24% 10%
Mid-tier buildings- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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Maximising your GRESB Survey results with NABERS NABERS Strategic Development Officer Claire Tucker talked the audience through the NABERS partnership with GRESB and recent changes that allow GRESB Survey participants to score more points using three NABERS ratings as part of a NABERS Multi-rating certificate.
Financing your upgrades NSW OEH Relationship Officer Joanna Greenlees and Senior Project Officer Tim Wong presented on different funding that is available to building owners, including funds available under the ‘No More Average Buildings’ campaign.
21% 41% 24% 14%
Maximising your GRESB Survey results with NABERS- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
12% 54% 19% 15%
Financing your upgrdaes- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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NABERS & CBD: Advertising & marketing NABERS Communications Team Leader Frank Roberson launched the NABERS Customer Marketing Toolkit and CBD Assistant Manager Chris Mobbs explained the legislative rules for displaying ratings under the BEED Act (2010).
Industry trends: your insights A speaker from each of the sessions returned for a panel discussion session with the audience.
25% 34% 29% 12%
NABERS & CBD Advertising and Marketing- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
17% 38% 33% 12%
Customer Stream 'Industry Insights'- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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NABERS International – panel discussion NABERS Communications Team Leader Frank Roberson facilitated a panel discussion with NABERS Program Manager Carlos Flores, Common Capital Director Matt Clark and Energy Action’s Director of Projects and Advisory Services Paul Bannister to discuss the opportunities and difficulties associated with exporting NABERS internationally.
Focusing on Solutions – workshop sessions In this last session of the day, attendees chose different roundtable discussions to actively discuss current issues and program developments. The outcomes of these sessions are presented in Section 6 of this report
26% 26% 34% 14%
NABERS International -panel discussion- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable Highly valuable Valuable Not very valuable
22% 54% 20% 4%
Workshop sessions- Survey feedback
Extremely valuable High valuable Valuable Not very valuable
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Conference networking drinks and canapés
The conference finished with drinks and canapés, allowing program stakeholders to network in a more formal way.
Over 60% of all participants attended the conference dinner, which provided a good platform to network with peers and discuss the presentations held during the day.
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6. CONSULTATION OUTCOMES
In the ‘Focusing on Solutions’ workshop sessions, participants split into groups to discuss current issues, future developments and program improvements. Partner programs also had the opportunity to discuss relevant products and offerings.
The workshop topics were suggested by participants during the registration survey and refined via an internal poll. The full list of tables can be found in Appendix 2.
The session was divided into two twenty minute sessions, so that participants had the chance to be involved in more than one discussion.
Suggestions for technical issues NABERS should add a ‘checklist’ for building description in NABERS Rate
CBD should request all documentation when Assessors submit the BEEC application
NABERS / CBD should provide a template for collecting and presenting documentation
NABERS need to provide timely responses to audits.
NABERS Rate bug; when area equals zero, days of occupancy should also be zero, but you are
forced to enter 5 days.
NABERS should create a new tool for industrial sites – specifically warehouse distribution &
storage and refrigeration (manufacturing is another area, but likely to diverse to rate).
Suggestions for training
It was suggested that NABERS & CBD run training courses on the following:
common mistakes that are made on Level 1 & Level 2 Audits
trial (fictitious) audits (i.e. in which the Assessor needs to identify the problems with a rating)
how to get and/or draw single line diagrams
what GRESB is, how it works and the benefits it provides to participants
completing computer counts
sample rating applications
how to upgrade buildings
new technologies (Though there was also an alternate point of view that NABERS shouldn’t
be promoting specific technologies and that Assessors should be cautious about
recommending specific technologies.)
best practice for inputting data. e.g. naming conventions for area that meet required
standard for L1/L2 audit;
troubleshooting – e.g. estimating gas meters
site visits / tours
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NABERS Rate.
General suggestions / comments on CPD training:
CPD needs to be more technical for Assessors
NABERS & CBD Assessors should have continued access to the training modules. For example
you may complete a module but want to come back and check on something 6 months down
the track
NABERS & CBD should provide training for Facility Managers (i.e. rating customers) on what
information they need to pass on to the Assessor
There is a skill to presenting webinars – they need to have engaging presenters
NABERS & CBD should provide webinar sessions that are streamed & recorded (so you can
view them later if you can’t participate in live time).
Suggestions regarding communciation issues
The latest rule changes under the ESS should be communicated more clearly
The link between NABERS ratings and Green Star Performance should be communicated
more clearly (i.e. how many points do you get for NABERS energy, water and IE ratings under
Green Star and is it worth it?).
NABERS IE ratings should explore opportunities to align themselves with the WELL building
standard.
Green leases are being taken much more seriously now than they were a few years ago, they
are having an impact on the market. More should be done to promote them to mid-tier
tenants.
Who is ensuring government are achieving their NABERS targets as set out in various policies?
Progress should be communicated as part of the annual reports.
Are SAMBA calibration issues at odds with our rules? The National Administrator should
explore this.
Suggestions on how Assessors can connect with Facility Managers
Assessors should:
recognise that FMs have time constraints
provide education to FMs about process
work towards developing rapport
provide value add services
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explain the cost/fee
make recommendations for rating improvements
highlight that collecting documentation is time consuming initially, but should provide value
and save time long-term
share documentation + information with FMs
recommend the NABERS online introductory course (low cost $77)
highlight the connection between NABERS & Revenue.
FMs:
should convey messages to subcontractors
need clarity of the process and documentation required
need clarity over drivers + impacts on NABERS ratings
should encourage collaboration between all parties
should verify invoices regularly
make meters publically accessible or arrange for access
should provide updated information/diagrams/other documents required.
Suggestions for future legislation and policy
Green Building Fund, best thing for getting buildings from 2 to 4 stars
Extend NABERS to industrial units – Alan Ashby proposed several years ago
VEET scheme and certificates – extend to other jurisdictions
Extend CBD and NABERS to retail spaces in public hospitals
Government leasing standards – increase from 4.5 to 5 stars
Improve energy efficiency of HVAC plant when renewing refrigerants
Introduce minimum standards for LED lights
Introduce minimum standards for solar panels
Foster uptake of NABERS in UK
Phaseout of HFCs in Australia – use NABERS to hasten and encourage
Use assessors to promote CBD 1000m2 to small building owners
Monitoring of ads for small office building spaces – include Fairfax and REA
Extend CBD to shopping centres