Energy and sustainable commercial buildings

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Summary

Energy consumption is the dominant source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, contributing 68% of the nation's total emissions (Commonwealth of Australia, 2004). Commercial buildings are responsible for 8.8% of the national greenhouse emissions, with electricity use representing the dominant source of these emissions (89% of all commercial building emissions) (Australian Greenhouse Office, 1999).

Building energy-efficient commercial buildings and improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings is arguably the most important action the commercial building sector can take in its contribution to reducing our impact on the planet. Commercial building energy use is dominated by air-conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems, which together account for, on average, 84% of the total energy use (Australian Greenhouse Office, 1999). Tackling such inefficiencies in existing buildings, and ensuring that highly efficient systems are installed, commissioned and operated in new buildings, is vitally important.

Both HVAC and lighting systems are essential services of most commercial buildings. The types of systems that can be used will vary depending on the requirements of the building, but in virtually all situations, energy-efficient options are available. Highly efficient HVAC equipment and systems are now available, as are lighting systems combined with high efficiency operating strategies. Such systems can deliver significant savings over traditional systems, with energy savings of 68% being reported when systems are commissioned, maintained and operated effectively (AIRAH, 2005b). This energy efficiency section considers a variety of such systems and the possible savings that can be achieved.

Existing buildings make up the majority of the building stock and there are good opportunities to improve their energy performance through targeted operation improvements, upgrades and retrofitting. Even improving the maintenance and operation of existing systems can deliver greatly improved performance and energy savings. The role of system maintenance and building management in ensuring long-term energy efficiency is another area that is explored in this section.

References

AIRAH (2005b), 'Cutting energy creates quality', EcoLibrium, September, pp. 28-29.

Australian Greenhouse Office (1999), Australian commercial building sector greenhouse gas emissions 1990-2010, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Commonwealth of Australia (2004), Securing Australia's energy future, Canberra: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

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