Sustainability ratings are won in the operating year
Ratings are won in the operating year, not in the assessment week.
NABERS, BREEAM In-Use, ENERGY STAR and GRESB are all scored on measured operational performance - typically twelve months of real metered data, not design intent. That means the rating is decided by how the building actually ran all year: every hour of unnecessary plant operation, every uncorrected fault, every control override nobody reversed.
The bar keeps moving. Australian Commonwealth office leases now require a minimum 5.5 star NABERS Energy rating, rising to 6.0 stars from July 2026.
The July 2025 benchmark methodology change also shifted ratings for up to 70% of rated office buildings nationally. Read our full 2026 NABERS guide.
One platform, whichever scheme you are rated against
Different markets, different acronyms, same underlying requirement: prove how the building performed on real data. PEAK produces that record continuously, wherever your portfolio sits.
NABERS, Green Star, CBD
NABERS Energy, Water, Indoor Environment and Waste; Green Star Performance; and Commercial Building Disclosure obligations. All scored on twelve months of measured operation.
BREEAM, EPC & MEES, NABERS UK
BREEAM In-Use, EPC ratings under the MEES minimum standards, NABERS UK administered by CIBSE, and the operational reporting following EPBD transposition.
ENERGY STAR, LEED, building performance standards
ENERGY STAR benchmarking, LEED for existing buildings, and city and state building performance standards such as New York's Local Law 97 with their associated penalties.
GRESB, WELL, Green Mark
GRESB portfolio benchmarking for investors, WELL for occupant health, and Green Mark across Singapore and South East Asia.
How the major rating schemes compare
Most schemes score a building on what it actually did over a measurement period. The important exception is the EPC, which rates the asset on modelled performance rather than metered operation.
A rating is a valuation input, not a plaque
Independent research consistently associates higher operational ratings with higher rents, stronger occupancy and better sale prices. The effect shows up in transaction data across several markets.
Sales price premium for prime Sydney and Melbourne offices rated NABERS 5 stars or above, compared with unrated equivalents. Those rated below 5 stars still achieved 8.3%.
Knight Frank hedonic analysis of around 330 asset sales, 2010-2021.
Occupancy in 5.5 and 6.0 star rated CBD offices compared with 4 star buildings, alongside a 1-5% rent advantage.
CBRE NABERhood Watch, 2024.
Sale price premium, and 6.7% on rent, for New Zealand offices holding both top Green Star and NABERSNZ ratings. Premiums scale with each additional star.
JLL and NZGBC, Turning Green to Gold.
Debt converted to sustainability-linked loans by Growthpoint Properties, with interest reductions tied to NABERS Indoor Environment, Energy and Water targets.
CIM client, monitored on PEAK.
Know your NABERS rating before the assessor does
An annual assessment tells you the result twelve months too late to change it. PEAK tracks the rating continuously through the year, so a slipping star is something you fix rather than something you explain.
Live rating estimates
Monthly decimal estimates of where the rating currently sits, rather than a single number once a year.
Scenario modelling
Test what a given intervention would do to the rating before committing budget to it.
Data integrity
Failing sensors and metering gaps are caught as faults, not discovered when the assessment fails.
Everything we have written on NABERS
A Guide to Improving Your NABERS Rating
How building optimisation strategies took one office building from 0 to 5 stars, written by CIM's engineers.
Ratings our clients actually hold
Office portfolio, AustraliaCharter Hall topped the 2025 GRESB office rankings
Five Charter Hall funds placed in the global top 10 most sustainable. PEAK runs across the office portfolio for energy, water and indoor environment performance.
Bankwest Place & Raine Square, PerthA record NABERS Energy rating, held two years running
Bankwest Place and Raine Square in Perth exceeded the sustainability commitments in a major tenant lease, alongside a 20% energy reduction on a A$1m annual spend.
Stars gained at a Brisbane office property
Optimisation of existing plant, without a capital upgrade programme, taking the asset from unrated performance to five stars.
Office site, GlasgowElectricity reduction at a Glasgow office site
Eagle Street Partners moved fast on operational efficiency, with the saving verified rather than estimated.
Read the case study →A 5-Step Strategy for Your Net Zero Roadmap
Monitor drift, optimise what you own, then upgrade, electrify and offset - and why the order saves money.
Zero to five stars, without a capital upgrade
Case Studies
.avif)
%20(1).avif)
%20(1).avif)
Sustainability ratings, explained
How are building sustainability ratings actually calculated?
Operational rating schemes score buildings on measured performance, typically twelve months of metered data rather than design intent. That means the rating reflects how the building actually ran all year - including unnecessary plant operation, uncorrected faults and control overrides.
Which rating schemes does PEAK support?
PEAK supports NABERS Energy, Water, Indoor Environment and Waste, Green Star Performance, BREEAM In-Use, EPC and MEES, NABERS UK, ENERGY STAR, LEED for existing buildings, city building performance standards, GRESB, WELL and Green Mark.
Do sustainability ratings affect property value?
Independent research associates higher ratings with measurable value. Knight Frank found prime Sydney and Melbourne offices rated NABERS 5 stars or above sold at a 17.9% premium over unrated equivalents. CBRE found 5.5 and 6.0 star CBD offices ran at 88% occupancy against 76% for 4 star buildings, with a 1-5% rent advantage.
What is the difference between NABERS tracking and an annual assessment?
An annual assessment reports the result after the rating period has closed, too late to change it. Continuous tracking gives monthly estimates through the year, so a slipping rating can be corrected while the measurement window is still open.
What are the current NABERS requirements for Australian government leases?
Australian Commonwealth office leases require a minimum 5.5 star NABERS Energy rating, rising to 6.0 stars from July 2026. The July 2025 benchmark methodology change also shifted ratings for up to 70% of rated office buildings nationally.
Powering property teams in these world leading companies.
