Categories: Sustainable Commercial Buildings Sectors: Occupiers
CitySwitch Green Office signatories of the year for Victoria were announced this morning, with the Public Transport Ombudsman named small signatory and Ernst & Young the large signatory of the year - also taking out a national award for new signatories.
National new signatory of the Year and Victorian Signatory of the Year (over 2000 sqm) Ernst & Young upgraded its office down lights to energy efficient globes and installed an energy saving lighting control system. The energy efficient fit-out has seen it achieve a 4.5 star NABERS energy tenancy rating.
The national judging committee, including representatives from the Green Building Council of Australia and Property Council of Australia, praised the commitments of Ernst & Young in Victoria.
Under the program the Public Transport Ombudsman Victoria installed a sensor lighting control system, LED down lights and upgraded to LED computer monitors. It achieved a 5.5 star NABERS energy tenancy rating as a result.
One hundred program signatories are involved in CitySwitch Victoria, representing over 295,000 sqm of office space.
City of Melbourne Eco City Councillor Cathy Oke says the partnership between the three councils and the State Government allows CitySwitch to have greater reach and impact on the environment.
“The combined work of the cities of Port Phillip, Yarra and Melbourne and Sustainability Victoria to educate and assist office tenants to be smarter about their energy use is producing some fantastic results,” Cr Oke says.
Earlier this month, Norton Rose Australia was named CitySwitch New South Wales Signatory of the Year for offices over 2000 sqm.
The firm reduced carbon pollution by 214 tonnes, saved $42,000 in energy costs per year and sustained its 4 star NABERS energy efficiency rating at its Grosvenor Place tenancy. The five-level, 8900 sqm office space accommodates around 400 staff.
Norton Rose Australia installed sensor and zoned lighting, improvements to desktop computer power controls and increased virtualisation of computer server hardware. Hardware virtualisation allows multiple operating systems to simultaneously share processor resources, saving energy and improving processing speed.
Knight Frank won the CitySwitch award under 2000 sqm for its 135 on King office. They improved the NABERS rating from three to five stars for the 148 sqm tenancy, reduced carbon pollution by 9.5 tonnes per year and saved $2000 per year in energy bills.
At 135 on King, energy reductions were made with time controls and lighting upgrades, reducing personal computer sleep modes from 20 minutes to five minutes and fitted sinks’ hot and cold water units with timers to halve operating time.
The CitySwitch program began in Sydney in 2005 and was launched nationally in June 2008. It operates in every mainland State and the ACT.
For more information on CitySwitch see www.cityswitch.net.au
