When the CBD Tenancy Lighting Assessment for offices becomes compulsory in November, commercial building owners will be forced to become more conscious about the lighting systems installed in their buildings.
The change will prompt building owners to retro-fit to new, efficient T5 or LED lighting.
In addition to encouraging greater consciousness to tenancy lighting, the TLA will prompt ongoing innovation in tenancy lighting advancement, which will result in improved building efficiency, reduced energy costs and lower emissions.
While the environmental benefits are welcomed the the TLA would mean an added cost of compliance for building owners.
It will also stretch already under resourced qualified NABERS/CBD assessors around the country.
So, what is the TLA and how will it affect building owners?
When it becomes mandatory on 1 November 2011, the TLA will become the third and final element of the Building Energy Efficiency Certificate, or BEEC.
The Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Act 2010 (BEED Act) requires corporations selling, leasing or subleasing certain large office spaces greater than 2000 square metres to register a BEEC.
The BEEC is comprises three parts. The first is a NABERS energy rating and the third provides general energy efficiency guidance for owners and tenants. The second is a tenancy lighting energy efficiency assessment.
Assessment of a building is based on a methodical survey of the general lighting system installed in the tenant office spaces – the system that is reasonably expected to be left in a tenant space when the tenant leaves and the tenancy fit-out removed.
The TLA reports on two factors.
Firstly, it considers the overall energy efficiency of the general lighting installed.
This is measured in watts per square metre with less than 7.0 watts a square metre considered “excellent”, 10.1 to 15.0 W/sq m considered “median” and greater than 15.0 W/sq m+ considered “poor”.
It reviews the installed lighting control system and categorises it as being of basic, average or sophisticated capacity – this is a measure of its potential to closely match the operation of the lights with the needs of the occupants.
Typically, an all-building assessment would be undertaken if the building is being prepared for sale or specific tenancies would be reviewed if these areas are to be advertised for lease or sub-lease.
Precisely how the TLA is conducted is covered by the new CBD Tenancy Lighting Assessment for Offices Rules (www.cbd.gov.au).
As with a NABERS rating, a TLA is valid for one year.
