Australia is a Green Star pioneer that has led a global revolution toward zero emission buildings.
Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) chief operating officer Robin Mellon said Australia was one of the first countries in the world to establish a Green Star ratings system.
“Although Green Star is only 11 years old, it is growing rapidly. Today there are 98 green building councils globally. Seven years ago there was only 26,” he said.
Mellon said the GBCA, which is made up of more than 790 member companies, rated 105 buildings last year and over 300 government buildings.
“In total we completed 729 certified projects in Australia,” he said. This is in addition to preparing 27 submissions and hosting 170 different courses last year.
Green buildings, Mellon said, deliver a better ROI with a 12 per cent green premium in value and a five per cent premium in rent. He said vacancy rates are also much lower.
As well as the dollar savings, the council has researched the environmental benefits. For example, Green Star-certified buildings use 66 per cent less electricity than average Australian buildings, produce 62 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and use 51 per cent less potable water.
“But green star isn’t just about energy efficiency. The metrics have continued to evolve,” Mellon said.
“There is a social return on investment that can also be measured.
“When a bicycle rack is installed, it leads to reduced obesity and other social impacts.
“It’s these social metrics that are really starting to make a difference.
“It’s all about how people feel, which can have a significant impact on things like productivity.”
At 1 Shelley Street, Sydney, which is the Macquarie Bank headquarters, staff increased productivity by 15 per cent.
Mellon said the Macquarie Bank research tracked more than 2,500 staff over 15 months as they moved into their high-performance six star rated office.
“How many millions of dollars does that level of productivity equal?” Mellon asked.
“Once staff have worked in a six star rated building it’s hard to return to cubicle farms with bad lighting and poor ventilation.
“That’s why companies in Green Star rated building can attract and retain the best staff.”
Mellon said another office at the Gauge in Melbourne has reduced staff absenteeism by a whopping 42 per cent.
Since the educating rating tool was introduced in 2007, Australia has seen some exceptional successes including the five star rated University of Melbourne.
“Places that feel good inspire students and their attention span improves,” Mellon said.
“Teacher retention in green schools translates into a financial saving of about $12 a metre over a 20 year period.
“The benefits change depending on the setting. Since the industrial rating tool was introduced in 2009, we have seen improvements in safety.
“We know that natural lighting equals less workplace accidents than electric light.
“There are different IEQ metrics for retail centres, which are being built as community hubs. It’s not just a place to spend money but a place to spend time.
“Westfield Sydney, which is a six star building, increased visitor traffic by 20 per cent to more than 22 million a year after a major retrofit. You would never know there are rainwater tanks in the basement of Westfield.”
Then there is the healthcare tool launched in 2008, which has delivered another set of metrics. Mellon said a new maternity wing at the Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide has improved the rate of healing for patients because mothers are happier and more relaxed.
“Despite there being the same number of beds, the wing produced 271 more babies. There’s that social value metric again,” Mellon said.
“Better patient care increases bed turnover due to faster recovery and can reduce the need for pain medication by up to 22 per cent.”