Building Energy Efficiency Certificates - BEECs

From November 1, 2011 the full requirements of the national law on office building energy efficiency disclosure and its regulations took effect, all designed to highlight the value of improved energy efficiency in office buildings.

The scheme is called the Commercial Building Disclosure Scheme, or “the CBD Scheme”.

If you’re an office building owner or manager, there's some things you need to know.

When selling, leasing or sub-leasing more than 2,000sqm of office space, it will no longer be enough to have just a NABERS Energy rating on display in all marketing material.

You will also need a Tenancy Lighting Assessment. The TLA reports on the "nominal lighting power density" in watts per square metre; and the provision of lighting control.  If you’re selling the building, it’s the lighting that will be inherited by the new owner; if you’re leasing, it’s the lighting your new tenant will inherit. It excludes task lighting, architectural or feature lighting installed by tenants.  

The TLA is required for the whole building if the building is for sale, or for that part of the building that is up for lease.

The BEEC’s third element is the Energy Efficiency Guidance. This is a generic document for all office buildings on steps that can be taken to save energy through efficiency upgrades.

The three elements comprise the Building Energy Efficiency Certificate.

For more information on the BEEC, please read our Client Note.

 

Ben McCluskey	Vikram Kenjle	Charles Ling