How does ABW impact NABERS Office Energy Ratings?

How does ABW impact NABERS Office Energy Ratings?

A reminder of how to apply ABW to NABERS practice 

In 2015, NABERS commissioned a study of Activity Based Working (ABW) to understand how these workplaces might impact NABERS Energy Base Building and Tenancy ratings. 

The study showed that ABW has minimal impact on average base building performance and therefore, the Rules and benchmarks for base building ratings were not altered.

For Tenancy Ratings, the study showed that ABW workplaces had a strong positive impact on NABERS performance because this way of working results in lowered energy use.

Here’s a refresher into ABW and our 2015 Study about the correlation with NABERS Energy:

What is ABW?

ABW is a concept or a way of working that provides people with a choice of office environments in which they can work. These varied environments can support different activities and the idea is that you can choose your desk, room or area according to the task that you’re about to do.

According to The Urban Developer, the concept evolved from research that showed attendance at a traditional desk is on average about 50% at peak hours, which means on any given day an office desk is only being used half the time during office hours.

The Study

To understand how ABW workplaces impacted NABERS Energy Base Building and Tenancy ratings, the study used real data from low and high density ABW tenancies and compared it to that of a standard workplace in different climate zones.

There are two features of ABW workplaces that could [MA1] impact a NABERS Energy Rating. These are:

  • Higher occupant density
  • Higher workpoint utilisation (desks are used more frequently).

The study reviewed changes in occupant and equipment loads due to ABW, and if these changes produced a significant effect on NABERS ratings beyond what the original benchmarks were designed for.

The Results.

The Study showed:

  • ABW has minimal impact on average base building NABERS performance. The greatest difference in the study showed less than a 0.1 Star difference between a conventional tenancy and one using ABW. (This however was for a typical office based on current building stock, and the impact may be greater in very high performing buildings.)
  • ABW workplaces have a strong positive impact on NABERS tenancy performance. This is because the associated behaviour change results in lower energy use.
  • The application of NABERS computer count methodology is valid for ABW, provided that the counts are taken between 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:30.

How to apply the NABERS Rules to an ABW space?

Due to the small impact of different tenancy densities, the Rules and benchmarks for base building ratings were not altered.

However, NABERS does recommend that computer counts are conducted between 9:30 and 12 noon, or between 14:00 and 16:30 to ensure a representative count is obtained. Computer counts taken at the very start or end of the day, or during lunch hours, may give a result lower than the typical occupancy, potentially impacting the rating result. In addition, workpoints outside of traditional NLA areas – such as in a café or foyer – should be included in the computer count as long as the computers are still on the premises.



Christhina Candido

A/Prof | Director - SHE Lab | IWBI Global Research Advisory | WELL Faculty #2023IWBIChangemakerAward #2021WELLFacultyAward

6y
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