Kapiti Coast District Council’s refurbished civic building in Paraparaumu has been awarded 4.5 stars out of 6 for energy performance under NABERSNZ, the energy rating scheme for office buildings.
The score, covering the whole building’s energy use, denotes “excellent” energy efficiency. It is the second council building in New Zealand to obtain a NABERSNZ rating, after Auckland Council achieved 3.5 stars for one of its buildings last year.
Providing ratings from one to six stars, NABERSNZ is the industry standard for benchmarking and improving office building energy performance in New Zealand. Kapiti mayor Ross Church says the council has worked hard to improve its own efficiency and carbon emissions, demonstrated by its recent wins in the 2014 EECA Awards.
“This confirms the effectiveness of the council’s response to climate change, which is one of the most significant challenges facing New Zealand.
“We are committed to reducing our own impact as well as inspiring change and resilience, both in our local community and for other communities in New Zealand.”
The two-level civic building in Rimu Rd is home to the council chambers, customer services and operational staff. It was extensively rebuilt and refurbished in 2012 with an atrium for natural light, external shading on north windows and highly efficient air conditioning and ventilation. The building will eventually form part of a “civic precinct” and town centre for Paraparaumu.
EECA chief executive Mike Underhill says NABERSNZ helped owners and tenants easily understand energy use information, providing a benchmark to compare and improve energy performance.
“Kapiti Coast District Council is showing real leadership – both to business in the region, and to the local government sector. For public sector bodies, NABERSNZ is a way to help reduce energy waste and ensure public funds are being managed well.
“Energy savings of around 25% are achievable for most office buildings and tenancies. This scheme helps simplify the process – getting and improving a NABERSNZ rating is the best way to make these savings.”
NZ Green Building Council chief executive Alex Cutler said local government had a strong role to play as an advocate, as well as a client for NABERSNZ.
“Councils aren’t huge owners of commercial property, but they can show strong local leadership and promote smart energy use – which is exactly what Kāpiti is doing. NABERSNZ creates a market value for good energy management, reducing costs for tenants and improving capital value for building owners.”
A NABERSNZ Rating covers one year of energy use data, taking into account equipment used, staff numbers and occupancy hours. Kapiti Coast District Council’s NABERSNZ rating was carried out by John Gallagher from Anax.