NABERS IEQ
Investa currently leads the Australian office market in the sophistication and vigilance of our IEQ management regime. While the NABERS Office rating tool has not yet been finalised the draft rating methodology has been developed. It is envisaged that Investa's existing management protocols will address the majority of this rating tool's requirements with only minimal modification. We anticipate that a base building IEQ rating, when launched, will cover the following elements:
- Acoustic comfort
- Thermal comfort including temperature, humidity, outdoor temperature and air speed.
- Air Quality including contaminants and carbon dioxide levels
We commissioned independent analysis of our ongoing indoor environment quality (IEQ) monitoring data during the period and established that, when applied to established productivity models from overseas, our office buildings are providing substantially higher than average productivity conditions for occupants. These findings will be subjected to further analysis and testing before being formally disclosed.
Green Lease Guide
In most buildings, one of the major sources of indoor air contaminants is office fitout materials containing chemical compounds. In partnership with the City of Sydney, City of Melbourne and the New South Wales Government we developed and launched the Green Lease Guide for commercial office tenants designed specifically to help tenants address this issue (among others) in their materials selections and inform them of a variety of good environmental choices they can make.
The Guide addresses key areas of material use in tenancy fitout designs, helping tenants to make good environmental choices for the benefit of their staff.
Low VOC Materials
We are working to phase out obvious sources of indoor air pollution by substituting to good environmental choices wherever practicable. We believe new paint and carpet are the most appropriate focal areas for the office portfolio (given that most finishes and furnishings are introduced by the tenants themselves, but we are also considering opportunities to address off-gassing from sealants used in areas such as bathrooms' air conditioning ductwork.
During the period we moved to ensure that all paint used in office refurbishments is now low VOC paint, meaning that the VOCs used as solvents are significantly reduced. While this presently comes with a small cost premium, it is envisaged that over time this will become cost-neutral as such products grow in popularity. Opportunities to tie in procurement agreements with the work being done at Clarendon will also hopefully assist here.
We have investigated a range of opportunities for how VOCs from carpet can be addressed including reuse.
Enjo Cloth Cleaning Study
Many chemicals are introduced to tenancies on a day-to-day basis via cleaners in their normal cleaning products. While these products have all been assessed as safe for use, limiting their use in the cleaning process will mean that fewer chemicals are introduced to the indoor environments of our tenants.
Investa is currently running a trial with two of its major cleaning contractors to investigate the use of micro-fibre cleaning products in lieu of using chemical cleaning agents. Early indications suggest that the cleaning products are faster to use and provide better results overall, providing an OHS benefit to both the cleaning staff and the tenants. Once the trial is complete, it is envisaged that this will be rolled out nationally across the office portfolio.
Smart Thermostat Trial
Over the 2006/07 summer period, Investa collaborated with the CSIRO and Sustainability Victoria to study how temperature variance could be managed better to improve tenant comfort and save energy. The results of the experiments performed by the CSIRO's Energy Technology Division on the HVAC system in one of Investa's commercial buildings in Melbourne showed that it is feasible to reduce electricity consumption by up to 15% on a hot summer's day by intelligent control of the buildings' thermostats and, in so doing, enhance occupant comfort.
ARC Linkage Submission
Recognising that well maintained indoor environments will only be correctly valued when hard evidence is found to prove the relationship between air quality (in particular) and productivity, we formed a partnership during the period with UNSW and engineering consultancy ARUP. Our team, comprising specialists in mechanical engineering, indoor architecture and olfactory measurement and testing, collaborated on a submission to the Australian Government's Research Council (ARC) for a linkage grant to fund a detailed study in our portfolio over a three-year period. If successful the study will be able to draw on $600,000 of cash and in-kind resources over three years and build on the best research that currently exists from around the world to examine the relationship between IEQ and productivity in Australia.
Educating Home Buyers
We have begun a process to educate the market about creating healthy indoor environments, beginning with the production of the Your Home Buyer's Guide. We are looking to build on this document by educating our sales staff, tender presenters and colour consultants about sustainability and the issues of health, safety and wellbeing surrounding clients' selections of their homes. Next year we aim to report in detail on this work.
Commitments for Financial Year 2008
- Implement only Low VOC paints in all base building works by March 2008.
- Work with suppliers to improve indoor air quality in Clarendon Homes.
- Enhance education for prospective tenants about Green Buildings.
- 100% of Commercial Developments staff to undertake 'sustainability' training during financial year.
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