Heating and cooling

Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) is part of the services that the base building provides to tenants and it is responsible for a significant part of the building’s energy consumption. Office tenants can influence heating and cooling choices by seeking green lease conditions and high performing buildings. Tenants’ energy savings activities that reduce waste heat, like lighting upgrades, also help to reduce the work of air-conditioners. A relationship with the building manager is essential to optimising heating and cooling for both energy savings and comfort indoors.

Key elements

HVAC overview

Understanding how heating and cooling contributes to electricity consumption helps tenants and building operators collaborate for efficiency.

How tenants can influence heating and cooling

Tenants can support and improve their building manager's heating and cooling performance in a number of ways

Indoor comfort and temperature set-points

Indoor comfort and temperature set-points

Adjusting the temperature set-point of the building to better match the weather can make significant energy savings and keep people comfortable

Distributed energy in the property - today's opportunities

Distributed energy in the property - today's opportunities

This guide, Distributed energy in the property sector – today’s opportunities, was developed by the Property Council and Clean Energy Finance Corporation to give building owners and managers insights into benefits and payback periods of clean energy technologies.

Beginner's Guide to Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Beginner's Guide to Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

For tenants to improve Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Related resources

Why Expand the Band - a factsheet for building owners

Why Expand the Band - a factsheet for building owners

Over heating or cooling your building? This factsheet will show you how we can provide better occupant comfort, save money and reduce emissions by expanding the band.

Why Expand the Band - a factsheet for Tenants

Why Expand the Band - a factsheet for Tenants

Increase productivity, reduce emissions and save money. This factsheet will explain how.

Bring your Best Self- Campaign Posters

Bring your Best Self- Campaign Posters

Download these fun 'Bring your Best Self' posters to use in your office.

BCO Guide to improving the environmental performance of offices

A guide by the British Council for Offices providing methods to measure building performance, occupant satisfaction, case studies and more. The report says that high performance can create productivity improvements that swamp utilities costs.

A guide to office building quality

A Property Council of Australia document providing tools for assessing office building quality in new and existing buildings. The tools provide a guide to parameters that typically influence building quality, offering a voluntary, market based approach.

Low Energy High Rise Project

Research and information for building operators by the Warren Centre showing how NABERS ratings can be improved but up to one star, with very low or no capital cost.

EEX: Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning

A comprehensive resource from the Energy Efficiency Exchange on reducing demand, optimising service, and upgrading HVAC services to improve overall energy performance.

Video: what affects occupant comfort?

Occupant comfort, indoor temperatures and energy consumption are are linked. In this video, Sydney University's world-expert on the topic, Prof. Richard de Dear explains the different dimensions impacting occupant comfort at a Better Buildings Partnership event.

Case studies

Case study: Exergy

Case study: Exergy

Exergy are the first CitySwitch signatory to achieve a 6 Star NABERS rating without Green Power. Exergy focussed on getting the simple things right, including laptops for staff and greater use of the cloud, zoned lighting and occupancy sensors, and energy monitoring that sends an alert when usage is higher than usual.

Case Study: ACORPP

Case Study: ACORPP

ACORPP involved staff in selecting a new office and save over a thousand dollars a year in electricity by choosing a space with natural light, providing laptops, and timers on boardroom air conditioning. ACORPP also chose furniture and fitout materials for certified low environmental impact, recycled content and recyclability.

Case Study: WT Sustainability

Case Study: WT Sustainability

WTS took the opportunity, when fitting out their new office in North Sydney, to use in-house expertise and knowledge in integrating sustainable design and construction practice and initiatives. They successfully achieved their goal of a 6 Star NABERS Energy tenancy rating and now have an energy consumption level of 78 per cent less than a typical office.

Case Study: Thomson Rossi

Case Study: Thomson Rossi

Adelaide architectural firm and CitySwitch award finalist, Thomson Rossi, share the steps they have taken to reduce office energy bills. Measures include harnessing natural light and air-flow and reducing the need for printing and photocopying by issuing all staff with iPads.

Case Study: DTZ

Case Study: DTZ

As the first corporate tenant to join CitySwitch, DTZ has since achieved outstanding energy efficiency results in their Sydney office. They've slashed operating costs by 40 per cent and reduced emissions by 375,000 kg CO₂over 8 years.

Case Study: Craft Victoria

Case Study: Craft Victoria

Craft Victoria's advocacy of sustainability extends from their public programmes to the Melbourne tenancy's day-to-day operations. Simple lighting, heating and cooling modifications were driven by a staff green team who were able to slash energy consumption by 27 per cent.

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CitySwitch Signatory of the Year and New Signatory Awards - category judging criteria

Delivering outcomes as demonstrated by an improved or maintained current NABERS Energy rating and achieved energy savings* (up to 28 points)
Implementing one or more energy saving initiatives (up to 10 points)
Demonstrating leadership by undertaking innovative, creative or progressive office energy efficiency activities (up to 10 points)
Engagement of staff/ customers/suppliers and/or stakeholders to educate and create market transformation (up to 10 points)
Participation in CitySwitch local program activities (up to 10 points).

Note, new Signatories submitting for New Signatory of the Year Award need only complete an indicative rating – all other submissions must be accredited.

CitySwitch Partnership of the Year Award - category judging criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Submitted projects should:

Involve more than one registered company
Demonstrate that they are innovative and over and above “business as usual”
Demonstrate that they catalyse “market transformation” and or “address a market barrier”
Deliver a reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions within the built environment

Judging Criteria

Delivering outcomes as demonstrated by an improved or maintained current NABERS Energy rating and achieved energy savings* (up to 14 points)
Implementing one or more energy saving initiatives (up to 10 points)
Demonstrating leadership by undertaking innovative, creative or progressive office energy efficiency activities (up to 17 points)
Engagement of staff/ customers/suppliers and/or stakeholders to educate and create market transformation (up to 17 points)
Participation in CitySwitch local program activities (up to 10 points)
The submitting entity MUST be a CitySwitch Signatory

Note, Signatories submitting for the Partnership of the Year Award may submit an accredited NABERS tenancy, whole building or base building rating.