Commercial Services
Footprint Energy works with clients to provide sustainability advice for commercial properties. This advice incorporates energy, waste, and water status, benchmarks and ratings against national and state averages. Recommendations for improvements to reduce energy, water and waste bills can also be tailored to your business.
NABERS - Commercial Building Disclosure
The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) scheme is a national program that benchmarks the environmental performance of buildings by awarding a star rating on a scale of one to five. A building with a high star rating will be more efficient and cheaper to run, and will result in lower environmental impacts. NABERS ratings are available for office buildings (tenancies or base buildings), hotels or shopping centres.
If you are selling, leasing or sub-leasing office space over 2000 square metres, a NABERS Certificate is required. For more information view the Commercial Building Disclosure website www.cbd.gov.au/default.aspx.
Energy efficiency also plays a vital role in minimising overheads. Many premises can save 20 to 40 per cent on their energy bills by implementing cost effective energy efficiency practices.
The environmental performance of buildings is becoming increasingly important to the wider business community. Energy aware tenants are now asking questions about the energy performance of base buildings. Investors are also becoming more interested in the environmental performance of the buildings they invest in, not to mention reduced life cycle costs.
You can self assess the energy, water, waste or indoor environment performance of your premises at no cost using the rating calculator on the NABERS website www.nabers.com.au. To use the NABERS Trademark to promote your star rating, you will need to obtain an accredited Performance Rating through an Accredited Assessor.
Gaining an accredited NABERS Performance Rating gives your company a competitive advantage:
Building owners and tenants can promote their environmental performance.
A high rating result means greater efficiency, hence lower costs. This assists building owners and managers to attract and retain tenants.
Companies that have demonstrated a willingness to take action on wider community issues, such as global warming through NABERS Performance Ratings, have enjoyed increased staff productivity and greater customer awareness.
Cameron Whiteside from Footprint Energy Assessors is an NABERS Accredited Assessor who will provide you with an accredited Performance Rating, present you with a certificate and give you access to the NABERS Trademark and promotional tools.
Cameron is also able to provide you with additional services that can help you to improve your star rating and reduce your energy cost. These include energy broking, energy savings certificates, and advice on renewable energy generation.
Please call Footprint Energy to organise an accredited Performance Rating or to find out more about the National Australian Built Environment Rating System scheme. More information can be found on the NABERS website www.nabers.com.au .
Level 1, 2 and 3 Energy Audits (AS/NZS 3598:2000)
Energy audits identify where energy is being consumed and presents potential opportunities for saving money and energy. Footprint Energy offers Levels 1, 2 and 3 energy audits under Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 3598:2000. We conduct Level 1 and Level 2 Energy Audits (AS/NZS 3598:2000) for a range of commercial properties including office buildings, shopping malls, apartment buildings and industrial sites. We are able to tailor an energy audit to suit your unique needs.
Energy Saving Scheme (ESS)
If you are a business owner or manager in the commercial or industrial sector, take advantage of the financial incentives offered under the NSW Government’s Energy Savings Scheme (ESS), to offset the cost of installing energy efficiency equipment which reduces the cost of energy bills. The ESS is a market based financial incentive scheme to encourage energy efficiency activities through the generation and trade of Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs or commonly known as ‘Eskies’). There is currently a significant opportunity to capitalise on the existing and future demand for ESCs.
The ESS works by setting an energy savings target for electricity retailers by the Government. Electricity retailers in NSW are required to purchase a number of ESCs which are created when your business reduces energy consumption through the ESS.
In general, ESCs are created after the energy has been saved but there are also options available to generate certificates in advance. The certificates can then be sold on the open market.
Who Can Benefit From This Scheme?
Generally commercial and industrial businesses using more than 160 MWh/year and looking to upgrade plant, lighting systems, improve production efficiencies, or just saving money on your energy bills, can benefit from this Scheme. Under the ESS, a business can generate ESCs for each MWh of electricity saved from eligible energy efficiency projects. Contact Footprint Energy to find out if your current or future projects are eligible.
How Much Does it Cost and How Much Money Can I Save?
Footprint Energy offers a professional service to businesses in creating ESCs by saving you time and money involved in gathering data, preparing and submitting an ESC Application to the NSW Government. Your business will never be out of pocket as Footprint Energy is paid through a portion of the income generated from the sale of the ESCs.
One ESC can be generated for each MWh saved per year. Further, in some circumstances, ESCs can be brought forward to create more income upfront. The market price for an ESC is approximately $20/MWh saved.
Want to Know More?
Footprint Energy staff assists in bridging the gap in providing specialist advice to make energy saving processes cost-effective and easy to implement through their knowledge and experience of the energy industry, and access to high quality, cost-effective energy efficiency services and products.
Energy Savings Scheme (ESS)www.ess.nsw.gov.au
Project Management for Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Footprint can source and install new technologies to reduce your energy consumption, as part of our project management service to you.
Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program
Footprint Energy is contracted to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) to offer services to businesses in NSW to promote energy efficiency.
The Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program (EESBP) is providing businesses with solutions which don’t cost the earth. Energy costs are on the increase and further rises are on the cards. Businesses have the opportunity to save power, save money, and enhance green credentials. This Program is part of the NSW Government's $150 million Energy Efficiency Strategy. This strategy is helping NSW business save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy efficiency is defined as ‘using less energy to provide the same level of service’. By improving energy efficiency, real cost savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved by small business. An average small business spends around $8,000 per annum on their energy bill. Consider the possibility of your business making money by reducing energy usage?
The NSW OEH Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program gives small businesses the opportunity to access subsidised energy assessments and tailored Energy Action Plans. Assistance is also provided to coordinate the retrofit of energy efficiency equipment such as lighting and skylights, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning), hot water systems, insulation, commercial refrigeration, air compressors, boilers and electric motors; plus 50% subsidised payment of the retrofit costs up to $2,000 or $5,000, depending on electricity usage.
Based on the successful outcomes of the Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program’s first 12 months, it has been shown that businesses are saving on average $1400 per year from implementing the tailored Energy Action Plan which includes retrofitting energy efficient equipment, in effect upgrading your business premises, and ultimately saving up to 10 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere annually. A win-win outcome for business and the environment!
If your business spends about $20,000 or less a year on electricity, or employs up to about 10 fulltime staff, you can join the up today. All it costs your business for the initial assessment is $75 or $150, depending on annual electricity consumption, and five easy steps:
Join the Program by registering with Footprint Energy Assessors.
Receive a subsidised energy assessment and get your own tailored Energy Action Plan which offers a wide range of recommendations.
Implement your energy efficient measures including up to 4 hours support to coordinate installation, at no extra cost.
Pay up to only 50% of the cost of improvements.
Receive a Certificate of Participation.
Businesses wanting to know more about the NSW Government’s Energy Efficiency for Small Business Program can contact Footprint Energy Assessors, on mobile 0439 642 328, or email cwhiteside@footprintenergy.com.au.
