Federal and State governments have announced funding for a new rating tool for apartment buildings that will support emissions reduction goals and reduce power costs by encouraging higher standards for energy efficient systems in new builds and retrofits.

The tool will be developed by the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) and run as part of the Australian National Energy Productivity Plan to help achieve a 40 per cent increase in national energy usage productivity. The tool will use a six star scale to rate apartments based on an assessment of central services energy performance and potential retrofits for lighting, HVAC systems, hot water systems and more.

Current tools for the commercial office sector have proven effective, with emissions savings so far equivalent to 160, 000 cars off the road and over $100 million in power costs. NABERS has also expanded awareness of energy efficiency benefits, including improved wellbeing for occupants and leaseability.

The tool will be under development for the rest of 2016, with a pilot expected to run in 2017.

Media release here.