Drivers of energy and water efficiency in commercial office buildings

This paper summarises a study that looked at the factors that influence both energy and water efficiency for commercial office buildings. Using NABERS ratings for both of these, comparisons were made of various grades of buildings, with the information gathered from a broad range of office buildings nationally. Beyond physical characteristics of the systems used, the communication and management regimes of building managers as well as the skills of those controlling the buildings’ efficiency were surveyed to understand the impact of these factors on the buildings’ water and energy performance.