The good news is that across the building sector in Australia, the vast majority of businesses – more than 95% – are expecting to maintain or increase investments in sustainable practices over the next five years.
By using real-time data to monitor conditions, automated optimisation of lighting and climate control, and smart sensors that react to room use, building managers can make huge savings in operating costs.
By specifying, designing and building structures that have these features considered from the start, engineers and construction companies can anticipate future customer demand. And by using the latest digital tools with local standards and regulations built in, architects can streamline their workflows and speed up the pace of design.
ABB has identified 7 key steps that the building sector can take to improve efficiency
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The sustainability imperative
There is regulatory and market pressure for the commercial building segment to become more sustainable. With Section J of the National Construction Code updated to require electrical infrastructure that supports solar energy and electric vehicle charging, for example, it’s vital that developers, builders and building operators keep sustainability front of mind.
The same update mandates that a building must ‘reduce the energy consumption and energy peak demand of key energy using equipment; and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that occur as a result of a building’s energy consumption and energy source.’
With the construction and management of buildings contributing up to 25% of Australia’s carbon emissions, the challenge for those involved in the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of buildings is finding methods that allow them to measure, understand and optimise the energy efficiency of their assets.
Australia is ranked 50th on the Climate Change Performance Index
Any sustainability activities implemented by the building sector need to:
Align with business goals
Solutions need to deliver financial returns as well as ecological benefits.
Automate and optimise
Technology should help measure and improve energy consumption and drive cost reductions.
Future-proof your assets
Evolving customer expectations, changing legislation, and moving targets mean that any solution needs to be flexible and adaptable.
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State-of-the-art building automation for South Australia’s largest private hospital
“We are very proud to have partnered with ABB to provide a real world-class building automation solution that ultimately will deliver critical support to hospital staff and patients.”
Peter Garrett
Managing Director, mySmart
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Sustainability and buildings
Overcoming barriers to reap benefits
So what is holding the building sector back from implementing sustainable practices? Universally, the answer seems to be the cost of implementation.
Across the board, from design and consulting services to construction firms and facilities management businesses, high upfront costs ranks as the most common barrier.
Among the other impediments facing the building sector more than average is the difficulty involved in measuring the direct business benefits that come from sustainable practices.
Australian building sector lagging behind
The story is a little different when we consider the Australian building industry, though.
While 76% of Australian businesses ranked sustainability as important, only 68% of respondents from the building industry sector made the same choice in our survey. A much larger proportion also rated sustainability as being of 'low' or 'very low' importance – 12% of the building sector compared to the Australian average of 7%.
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ABB solutions in action
How ABB Electrification products are making buildings more sustainable
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Take the next step with ABB
Learn more about ABB's approach to sustainability, or get in touch to find out how we can help
Calvary Adelaide Hospital is a 12-storey building with a floor area of 57,000m2, including 5 levels of patient wards. Throughout, it uses the ABB i-bus® KNX system for all lighting control and monitoring.
ABB’s i-bus® KNX solution integrates the hospital’s lighting and energy metering to interface with the building management system (BMS) and Nurse Call system. This provides automation and control critical for effective lighting, operational efficiency and safety.
And the flexibility and open protocol of the KNX system affords the hospital opportunities for expansions, alterations and upgrades.
“Calvary Adelaide Hospital is a great technical solution for a truly modern facility. We are very proud to have partnered with ABB to provide a real world-class building automation solution that ultimately will deliver critical support to hospital staff and patients,” said Peter Garrett, Managing Director, mySmart.
Sustainability report
ABB’s latest report, ‘Progressing Sustainability in Australian Business’, identifies the Australian businesses who are leading the charge.
These leaders stand out because they define sustainability in a holistic sense, and they have a plan, complete with clear metrics and targets. More importantly, 80% are leveraging technology to help them reach their sustainability goals.
Sustainability at ABB
We are committed to enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future, both through the work we do with our customers, and in our own operations.
Read about how our Sustainability Agenda guides everything we do, and how we’re tracking to meet our ambitious targets in resource consumption, social progress, and integrity and transparency – all leading to a low-carbon society.
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On the road to zero emissions
With regulatory and customer-driven demand for electrical vehicle (EV) charging on the rise, it’s important that building operators consider the infrastructural and electrical needs of charging stations.
As part of our commitment to net zero, and to give our own employees first-hand knowledge of our industry leading solutions, we recently installed several Terra 124 DC Fast Chargers at our offices in Notting Hill, Victoria.
“More and more companies today are stepping up their sustainability initiatives and getting that message out,” says Sean Stove, Division Manager E-Mobility.
“If you are one of those and want to demonstrate that you're a sustainable organisation committed to mitigating climate change, then installing EV chargers on your site clearly sends this great message.”
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Contact an ABB expert
Want to understand more about how ABB can help you automate your systems and help you build more sustainable buildings?
Interested in hearing about the latest news and insights from ABB?
Contact us today to find out how we're electrifying the world in a safe, smart and sustainable way.
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“If you want to demonstrate that you're a sustainable organisation committed to mitigating climate change, then installing EV chargers on your site clearly sends this great message.”
Sean Stove
Division Manager E-Mobility at ABB
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Solutions to make your buildings more sustainable
The good news is that Australian businesses already understand and embrace the need for more sustainable practices.
According to ABB's report Progressing Sustainability in Australian Business, more than three-quarters of Australian businesses rate the importance of sustainability as being 'high' or 'very high' to their company.
For a long time, sustainability was a buzzword used by companies across the globe, but it has rapidly become a business imperative – and a competitive differentiator.