NABERS ratings from 12 months of measured energy and water
NABERS rates buildings from one to six stars on what they actually use, measured over 12 continuous months and checked by an accredited assessor. Aqueduct keeps that energy and water data complete, split by base building and tenancy, so the next rating holds no surprises.
Who it applies to
NABERS is run by the NSW Government for Australia's federal, state and territory governments and has rated buildings since 1999. It covers offices, shopping centers, hotels, apartments, data centers and more, and is voluntary for most of them.
Offices are the exception. Under the Commercial Building Disclosure program, office space of 1,000 square meters or more offered for sale or lease usually needs a Building Energy Efficiency Certificate, which includes a NABERS Energy rating. NABERS UK, run by CIBSE, rates offices; NABERSNZ runs in New Zealand.
What a rating is built on
Based on the NABERS Energy and Water for Offices Rules v5.2 (2025). The accredited assessor certifies the rating.
| Requirement | What it asks for | Data Aqueduct supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Rating period | 12 continuous months of acceptable data. | Interval history per meter, with gaps found while there is still time to fix them. |
| Base building scope | Central services serving lettable area and common areas. | Chillers, boilers, lifts and common area loads metered as their own group. |
| Tenancy scope | Lighting and power inside a tenancy, excluding central services. | Tenant sub-meters assigned to each tenancy. |
| NABERS Water | Measured water use, rated on the same star scale. | Main and sub-meter water by building, with leaks and night flow flagged. |
| Indoor Environment | Indoor environment quality, also rated in stars. | CO2, temperature, humidity and particulates per zone from aQ AirSafe. |
Numbers that matter
The NABERS scale, benchmarked against comparable buildings. Ratings are valid for 12 months.
Source: NABERSOffice space offered for sale or lease at or above this size generally needs a disclosure certificate.
Source: Commercial Building DisclosureThe CBD roadmap proposes extending disclosure to more building types; no date is set and the law must change first.
Source: CBD roadmapRelated standards
Sources4 references cited on this page
sites in 21 countries run on Aqueduct.
and 9 clinics in one of India’s top hospital chains.
US airport running water intelligence on Aqueduct.
of commercial real estate under Aqueduct.
FMCG manufacturing campus.
operations run on Aqueduct.
Related
Common questions
Roughly. With 12 months of metered energy split by scope, your assessor or the NABERS calculator can estimate the stars, and month by month tracking shows whether the next rating is heading up or down.
Owners are rated on central services and tenants on their own space. Without separate meters the two get mixed, and one party ends up carrying the other's consumption.
Yes. The UK and New Zealand run their own versions, and the UK scheme includes a Design for Performance route that targets a rating before a new building opens. Both rely on the same base building and tenancy split, so Aqueduct data works across all three. See NABERS UK.
Aqueduct records indoor air and comfort conditions per zone continuously, which is the evidence an indoor environment rating draws on. The accredited assessor runs the rating to the NABERS rules, and the continuous record shows whether conditions held between assessments.
See Aqueduct on your own facility.
Bring a site, a utility bill or a question. We will show you where the loss is.