NABERS UK

What is NABERS UK?

NABERS UK is an operational energy rating scheme for existing office buildings, adapted from the Australian model and administered in the UK by CIBSE. It measures actual in-use energy consumption and benchmarks it against net lettable area and hours of occupation, awarding a rating of one to six stars.

How is NABERS UK different from an EPC?

An EPC is an asset rating based on modelled energy performance under standardised conditions. NABERS UK measures actual operational energy use. A building can have a good EPC but perform poorly in use — NABERS UK measures what is actually happening rather than what the model predicted.

What types of NABERS UK rating are available?

There are three rating types. A Whole Building rating covers all tenant and common services energy. A Base Building rating covers central services such as heating, cooling and lighting, excluding tenant energy. A Tenancy rating covers energy within a specific tenancy for lighting and small power.

How long does a NABERS UK rating last?

Each rating is valid for 12 months. Buildings pursuing ongoing certification require annual reassessment, which provides a consistent measure of whether energy performance is improving, stable or deteriorating over time.

What data is needed to carry out a NABERS UK assessment?

The assessment requires 12 months of metered energy consumption data, net lettable area, hours of occupation and information on the building's central services. The quality and completeness of metering data is one of the most common factors affecting assessment timescales.

Is NABERS UK required by planning authorities?

NABERS UK is increasingly referenced in planning policy. The City of London Corporation has integrated NABERS UK ratings into its Planning for Sustainability SPD. Other local authorities are moving in a similar direction. For major commercial office developments, checking local planning requirements at an early stage is advisable.

Can NABERS UK be used for buildings other than offices?

The current UK scheme covers offices. The Australian NABERS framework covers a broader range of building types including hotels, retail and data centres. Expansion of the UK scheme to additional building types is an area of ongoing development.

What is NABERS UK Design for Performance?

Design for Performance is the design-stage component of the NABERS UK framework. It involves modelling a proposed building's operational energy performance using TM54 methodology and having the target rating independently verified before construction. It is used for new builds and major refurbishments where an in-use rating is not yet possible.