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Archive for November, 2013

Benefits of IPD Australian Green Property Index

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Green Real Estate Index: Benefits of IPD Australian Green Property Index

One of the toughest challenges faced by the modern world today is fighting against global warming and all its effects. Balancing the impact of environmental factors and financial performance to businesses has become a conflict that needs to be addressed over the coming years. IPD is an international organization in real estate that provides benchmarking andanalysis to its clients in more than 30 countries. IPD came up with 120 indices that will evaluate the performance of real estate properties all over the world. One of the most important indices that played a great role in Australian real estate is the Annual Australia Green Property Index.

What Can Australian Green Property Index Do?

The Australia Green Property Index is an annual investment indicator for environmental performance. This index is an important part of Australian real estate because of the fact that it reflects 54 billion Australian dollars worth of office buildings. The IPD Annual Australian Green Property Index measures the real estate investment performance based on the Green Star, NABERS Energy and Water rating.

Why Should Every Developer Aim For The IPD Australian Green Property Index As Their Benchmark?

Lower building cost, increased office productivity and a higher potential market value, these are all some of the benefits that you can enjoy from an environmentally friendly property.
In a separate study in California, it was found that a $2 million property can generate 10 times more income than those non-compliant to green plan. In terms of resale value, the green buildings both for commercial and residential purposes can be sold at higher prices in the market knowing the lower utility costs in these properties.

Benefits of IPD Australian Green Property Index

Considering the impact of real estate (both commercial and residential) properties in global warming, it is crucial to have indices like the IPD Australian Green Property Index to lessen the consequences to our environment, without compromising our very own comfort and income on the part of the real estate developers and owners. In the long run, this simply means that the government has to deal with less environmental consequences.

According to some studies, green offices generate higher returns annually than those that do not follow such practices. Those commercial offices that have been rated by Green Star and NABERS in 2012 have higher total annual returns compared to the different offices unrated.

What Makes Them Perform Better Than The Rest?

The Australian Green Property Index has allowed better maximization of space creating higher capital return in the process. Green offices, according to reports in 2012, have managed to rake 10.2-10.7 percent returns for those with five to six star rating from Green Star. For those assets with 3.5 star NABERS Energy rating, an average of 8.4% return was seen in that year.

Considering the tough real estate market, prices of such properties, and the pressure to generate income, IPD Australian Green Property Index tackles all of them to meet in a grey area. It maximizes every square feet of commercial space to the point that properties increase their returns in a significant manner. In fact, (it is) higher than most commercial properties that have not been rated for its efficiency.

To discuss NABERS call Ausnviro today on 1300 622 377 or visit our contact page.

Why Australian Building Owners Should Get NABERS Ratings

WhyNABERS

What is NABERS?

NABERS is an Australian national rating system that calculates the environmental performance of buildings, rental properties, and homes. Itconsiders such things as: energy efficiency, water usage, waste management, and indoor environment quality as well as the building’s effect on the environment. Performance is based on utility bill data which is converting into a clear, user-friendlyone to six star rating, with six beingtop performance.For over ten years, NABERS has assisted owners, managers and leases improve their sustainability performance. There are several excellent reasons why building owners should get NABERS ratings. It makes dollars and cents! Your building can cut costs by improving its energy efficiency. It’s simple mathematics. The higher your NABERS rating, the less energy is escaping from your building and, thus, the lower your utility bills. Buildings with higher NABERS ratings can secure loans easier and at lower interest rates. Buildings with higher NABERS ratings sell faster and higher.

Improve efficiency

If you implement a policy of sustainability based on less consumption and more efficiency your business is more streamlined.

Prove corporate responsibility

When you take steps to improve your NABERS rating, you are demonstrating corporate responsibility. Corporations with higher NABERS ratings have a better reputation. Those who are actively working toward improving their NABERS ratings are deemed to be more responsible citizens.

Gain happier tenants

If your rental property has a higher NABERS rating it has been proven: tenants are happier. Tenants stay longer. You have fewer revenue-losing vacancies. Tenants are willing to pay higher rents to live in a building that is more economical in terms of energy costs.

Public expectation

If you own a rental property, a hotel, or an office building those who use it have an expectation that you as landlord or hotelier will “go green”. Your public has that expectation.

NABERS ratings are good yardsticks

A NABERS rating allows you to asses where you are and create a plan for where you want to be. You can achieve significant savings when you have an accurate environmental performance rating. Once you have identified how and where you’re using energy and water and where you there is waste, you can pinpoint ways to save money and reduce your company’s carbon footprint.

Improve employee morale

Employees who work for corporations that are actively pursuing building efficiency programs have a higher regard for their employer. They deem their work environment healthier. They are less likely to cost the company sick days. They are more likely to remain working for an employer who demonstrates environmental responsibility and to participate in energy cost-cutting and environmentally-friendly measures. Government policy

NABERS ratings of building environmental performance are oftenpart of government policies and commercial property agreements. Companies like Ausnviro specialize in assisting owners perform and improved their NABERS rating. 

Call Ausnviro today on 1300 622 377 or visit our contact page.

The Value of NABERS

NABERS-Value

How Does NABERS Benefit My Business?

You might think that this system will not benefit your business and might only wrap you up in more red tape for environmental purposes, but you would be wrong – it is an important part of real estate in Australia today. What benefit is there to you or your business that your buildings have a high, or for that matter a low, NABERS rating?

A high rating will show that you are committed to reducing the cost of your utility bills – it will mean that you are minimising water usage, that you use energy efficient power outlets and lighting, that your heating system and air conditioning systems are efficient; it also means that you have taken every step to reduce the amount of waste that you produce. With all of these things in place, you can reduce your annual utility bills by 20 to 40 percent. Having just come out of a recession, cost savings are still very important to businesses as they seek to maximise profit and cut out unnecessary expenditure where possible.
If you own commercial tenancy property, potential clients will certainly be looking at such efficiency saving as part of the package when considering renting your office space. With a 72% reported uptake in the standard, it is highly likely that business owners will ask specifically about what cost savings measures you have installed in your commercial property.

With efficient heating, lighting, water and air quality you will be creating a better working environment. Undoubtedly, this will make your property more desirable meaning they will be in greater demand, meaning that you can charge higher rents, meaning more profits for you and for the shareholders and a better reputation for your company. Taking all of this into account, the actual base value of the property and your company will increase! 

Finally there is the legal requirement: getting a NABERS rating will help you achieve the Commercial Building Disclosure requirement

What is NABERS?

We are moving further and further towards a green world, to create a clean and safe environment for our children and their children. Governments and businesses the world over recognise the scale of the problem facing humanity of global climate change, fuel efficiency, water use and air quality – not to mention the increasing financial cost of utilities.

NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) is a government enacted standard designed to measure a number of attributes of commercial buildings. It is a rating system that looks at the following criteria: energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste, and quality of the indoor environment (such as sufficient ventilation)

An independent accredited Assessor examines a number of evidence types in determining what a building’s rating should be. The rating system itself goes from one star to six stars. If a building is given a one star rating, it means there is considerable room for improvement on most if not all of the criteria. A six star rating is the highest accolade, meaning that the owners have done everything possible to demonstrate their concern for the environment, reduce utility costs and use power and water supplies more efficiently.

The NABERS system applies to all commercial buildings and tenancies in Australia; there are separate NABERS systems for hotels, shopping centres and data centres.

To discuss NABERS call Ausnviro today on 1300 622 377 or visit our contact page.

Ausnviro first NABERSNZ accredited company in New Zealand

Ausnviro is proud to announce that we are the first Australian company to be accredited in New Zealand for the NABERSNZ scheme.

As NABERS specialists in Australia for nearly 5 years our extensive experience in NABERS is second to none.

We believe there is huge potential for energy efficiency in the New Zealand property market which has now adopted the NABERSNZ benchmark.

Ausnviro has formed a new division of the company appropriately named NZenviro.

NZenviro are NABERSNZ specialists.

www.nzenviro.co.nz

NABERSNZ - NZenviro