BSRIA is supporting a four-month feasibility study to develop a prototype UK scheme which has the potential to deliver the energy performance specified in client briefs.

The concept embraces the ‘design for performance’ approach pioneered in Australia, where very energy efficient new office buildings are routinely achieved and verified by investment-grade energy ratings, using its NABERS scheme.

The study is being funded and overseen by leading players in the UK prime office market: British Land, Legal & General Property, Stanhope, TH Real Estate, Laing O’Rourke and the energy simulation company EDSL. It also has the support of DECC, BCO, BPF and UK-GBC. In addition to providing technical assistance, UBT is funding expert input on the Australian scheme from Paul Bannister of Energy Action, Canberra, who helped to develop NABERS Energy.

It has the backing of the Better Buildings Partnership, a team led by Verco and including BSRIA, Arup and UBT.

Developers, owners and occupiers of new and refurbished buildings expect that compliance with Building Regulations will produce a building that is energy efficient in operation and well on its way towards the 2020 nearly-zero energy target mandated by a European Directive. In practice, the actual performance of most buildings falls well short of the design intent – the ‘so-called’ performance gap.

In Australia, this chronic problem has been eliminated for new office building projects in which clients and their teams sign up to – and then follow – a Commitment Agreement protocol to design, construct and manage their buildings to achieve agreed levels of actual in-use performance. This process is underwritten by the credibility of the NABERS scheme (which ensures that better rated buildings really do have lower energy running costs). As a result, a strong market from investors and tenants for the highest performing buildings has emerged.

BSRIA chief executive Julia Evans said: “Energy efficiency in buildings is essential to the industry, to BSRIA and its members. And any such research is vital. We totally support the feasibility study and the research that is taking place by all the organisations involved.

“The building performance gap is specifically a key concern to BSRIA – so we hope this study yields some useful results. As an industry, we aim to achieve the best sustainability in buildings possible. This must be a priority,” she concluded.