Categories: Indoor Environment, Processes and Tools Sectors: Owners, Occupiers
The National Australian Built Environment Rating System's (NABERS) latest benchmark tool is set to provide building managers with the means to identify potential issues within their buildings, as well as compare how they are performing against their peers.
Developed by the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, the NABERS Base Building Indoor Environment rating tool will allow you assess the air quality, acoustic and thermal comfort of your building.
The rating tool can be used to rate tenancies, the base building or the whole building. A table below illustrates its coverage.
HOW CAN I ASSESS THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT OF MY BASE BUILDING?
You have two options for assessing the indoor environment of your building: completing a self assessment or obtaining an accredited NABERS rating for the base building.
To obtain a NABERS accredited rating you need to engage an Accredited Assessor. A list of existing NABERS Accredited Assessors is available from the NABERS Office Website: www.nabers.com.au/office.aspx
By completing a self assessment of your office building you can gain an idea of the quality of the indoor environment and how well the various impacts within the indoor environment are being managed.
To undertake a self assessment you need to take measurements of different air quality parameters relating to thermal comfort, acoustic comfort and air quality.
DATA REQUIRED FOR INDOOR ENVIRONMENT BASE BUILDING SELF ASSESSMENT
To undertake a self assessment you will need to take measurements of the air quality, acoustic comfort and thermal comfort of your building. The majority of the measurements can be taken within the one day, as the measurements can be conducted during the morning and afternoon.
These measurements will require specific equipment which can be hired or an environmental consultant employed to undertake the measurements.
Data required:
- Temperature data & lease conditions specifying the temperature range that will be provided
- Air speed (m/s)
- Relative humidity (RH) – only required for mechanical or mixed mode buildings
- Carbon dioxide levels
- Carbon monoxide levels
- Particulate matter (PM10) – avoid sampling during unusual events e.g. high outdoor particulate levels from bushfires or nearby construction
- Airborne microbials – chemical sampling is required using a NATA accredited laboratory
- Ambient sound levels
The NABERS Indoor Environment information sheet and self assessment spreadsheet can be downloaded below.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
Indoor environment quality and occupant productivity are seen as two interchangeable commodities with both influenced by a number of key factors:
- Thermal comfort including temperature, humidity and air speed;
- Acoustic comfort including the ability of the building to minimise external noise as well as the noise levels within the tenanted space;
- Indoor air quality including ventilation effectiveness, and levels of pollutants;
- Maintenance and cleaning of air systems;
- Lighting to maximise daylight, whilst minimising glare and heat; and
- Office layout including the spatial arrangements of walls, partitions, furniture and equipment in relation to fixed elements like windows and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
