Brisbane CBD office building’s energy efficiency innovation wins industry accolade

28 November 2014

A Brisbane CBD office block which achieved a five-star NABERS Energy Base Building Rating following CEFC-financed energy efficiency improvements has won the 'Best HVAC and Refrigeration Retrofit or Upgrade' category at AIRAH's Awards of Excellence 2014. 

Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) CEO Oliver Yates congratulated 247 Adelaide Street for the accolade, announced in Brisbane on November 27. 

"This is well-deserved industry recognition for an energy efficiency upgrade which has resulted in this 1970s office block nearly halving its base building electricity use," he said. 

The 247 Adelaide Street improvements included new high efficiency air cooled chillers, new pumps and variable speed drives, a new mechanical switchboard, solar thermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units and LED lighting. 

The CEFC provided around $700,000 in finance for the upgrade with the remaining amount for the $1.23 million project sourced through the Australian Government's Green Building Fund. The upgrade also enabled the building owners to benefit from incentives offered by energy supplier Energex for reducing peak demand.

 "Australia's capital cities are home to a significant number of 20 to 30-year-old B and C grade buildings that would benefit from refurbishments that improved the energy efficiency of the base buildings," Mr Yates said.

"The CEFC has partnered with co-financiers and is positioned to support financing transformations of these properties as we've demonstrated through the 247 Adelaide Street star performer."

The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) Awards of Excellence are a public industry recognition of outstanding achievement in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration industry.