Sustainable Commercial Buildings - Options

Waitangi Park

Commercial buildings are adopting a growing range of sustainable strategies, from energy-saving to the holistic approach addressing wider environmental issues such as water use, materials selection and waste management.

Sustainability Options

• Green roofs
  Rooftop planting lowers greenhouse gas emissions by absorbing carbon dioxide, helps reduce and treat storm-water runoff, and provides an agreeable environment for the occupiers.
• Rainwater collection
  Collected rainwater can be used to flush toilets or water landscaped areas. Using rainwater minimises mains water use, reduces flood risks, and saves on energy costs required to pump water up into the building.
• Passive heating and cooling
  Insulate using materials with good thermal mass properties to reduce energy used for heating and cooling.
• Lighting
  Ensure maximum daylight use and install energy-efficient light bulbs and sensors regulating the brightness as required.
• Electronic technology
  Controls for heating and cooling bring significant savings. User interfaces such as screens showing occupants how much energy the building is using can raise awareness and influence positive behaviour.
• Fine tuning
  Ensure that building systems work efficiently so that water and energy is not wasted.
• Construction waste
  Use an environmental management system to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, and to control storm-water and sediment runoff.

For large scale developments, sustainability should be addressed from the beginning of the design process. Tell the design team what is required before they begin work. Many decisions are made about a project in the first 10 minutes of the first meeting.

Related Links

• New Zealand Green Building Council website
• REBRI website

Department Details:
Strategy