National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) Announces Their First International Certification in India and outside Australia
NABERS Recognizes Paharpur Business Centre’s indoor air environment quality management for occupants’ health and well-being
Melbourne based company CETEC Pty Ltd, a technical risk management consultancy focusing on occupational health and safety, environmental consulting, awarded Paharpur Business Centre (PBC), a USGBC LEED (EB) Platinum Certified and BEE 5 Star rated, green office building, located in Nehru Place Greens, New Delhi with the first-ever certification under the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS).
NABERS is a performance-based rating system for existing buildings, which rated the Paharpur Business Centre based on its measured operational impact on the environment on several parameters including indoor air quality, ventilation and levels of pollutants.
Paharpur Business Centre is India’s first retrofit building to earn top rating for its green space and its indoor air quality conforms to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) World Health Organizations (WHO) standards.
Announcing the first international certification for NABERS, Dr. Vyt Garnys, Managing Director, CETEC Pty Ltd said, “ PBC qualified NABERS parameters by using unique technologies in combination with best practice and extremely high aspirational targets set by the owners.
PBC addressed achievement of high Indoor Environment Quality by attending to control all pollutants such as fine particles, CO2 and enhancement of oxygen levels by the use of plants and mechanical practices.
The lighting levels, noise and comfort parameters were controlled by continous recording and attention to data of the building’s operation. The outstanding feature of the NABERS rating was the exceptionally high ‘occupant-satisfaction score’. This is one of the highest score that has been achieved by the Australian NABERS protocol that we have measured so far. Satisfied tenants are gold for their own business as well as for PBC’s tenants’ retention. Finally, this high tenant satisfaction also indicates high occupant productivity which is vital for India’s recovery.”
Mr. Peter Varghese AO, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Australia Government say, “Being performance based, a NABERS Indoor Environment rating provides proof that the technologies which have been implemented at PBC have been commissioned well, are being managed well, and are providing tangible benefits to the building’s occupants in the form of a more comfortable and healthy workplace.
This rating shows that the team at PBC understands that operating a truly sustainable building means not just minimizing its impact on the environment, but also maximising the wellbeing of the people who occupy it. The investments that have been made into making this a high performance building will provide widespread returns, as healthy, comfortable occupants become more productive employees and more energized citizens.”
Mr. Kamal Meattle, CEO Paharpur Business Centre and Software Technology Incubator Park, added “Given that Delhi’s air is practically unfit for breathing, it is great that we have a third party verification of good air quality at PBC – for wellness and productivity of our occupants. People working in buildings need to keep well and it is a well known fact that indoor air is 10 times more polluted than outside or ambient air. What does one do, when the ambient air is itself unacceptable?
PBC has found solutions for it. We grow fresh air with the help of more than 1,200 air purifying plants that not only detoxify the indoor air but also enrich it with oxygen.
PBC cares for its occupants – their Wellness. This goes beyond its USGBC LEED Platinum and BEE 5 star rating. We have achieved a 4 star rating for our Indoor Environment Quality, in NABERS’ assessment. We hope to make it to a 5 star rating in the next certification after a year.
PBC’s occupant-centric approach and the efforts towards enhanced Human Experience has been summarized well by Mr. Varghese.”
Barun Aggarwal, Director, Breathe EasyTM, IAQ Division of PBC said, “We are delighted to be the first recipient of NABERS Certification outside Australia. It reiterates our commitment to Occupants’ Health & Wellbeing in a bult environment by ensuring excellent Indoor Environment Quality.
Air Quality has now started gaining momentum in India. It is one of the critical components of Indoor Environment Quality. PBC, now being certified with a clear International certification, paves the way for others to replicate healthy indoor environment at homes and offices.”
CETEC Pty Ltd focuses on reducing risk and providing solutions. CETEC’s scientific and technical approach to IEQ (Facility Ecology™) makes them a national leader in this field. CETEC has been a long term and firm advocate of improving occupant’s satisfaction and wellbeing, corporate productivity, and facility efficiency through the development and use of the National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme (NABERS) for Office Indoor Environment.
CETEC was engaged by Breathe Easy to conduct an Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) Study of their office building -PBC and because of their holistic approach, they also elected PBC to apply for the NABERS certification.
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About NABERS
NABERS
National Australian Built Environment Rating System
BUILT ON PERFORMANCE.
Welcome to NABERS.
NABERS is a national rating system that measures the environmental performance of Australian buildings, tenancies and homes. Put simply, NABERS measures the energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality of a building or tenancy and its impact on the environment.
It does this by using measured and verified performance information, such as utility bills, and converting them into an easy to understand star rating scale from one to six stars. For example, a 6 star rating demonstrates market-leading performance, while a 1 star rating means the building or tenancy has considerable scope for improvement.
For over ten years, NABERS has helped property owners, managers and tenants across Australia to improve their sustainability performance, reaping financial benefits and building their reputation.
If you’re new to sustainability, this website will help you to understand NABERS, what it measures, what it delivers and how to get started. You’ll also be able to read how others have used NABERS to advance their sustainability goals.
NABERS is managed nationally by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, on behalf of Commonwealth, state and territory governments.
About Paharpur Business Centre
Located in one of the largest and busiest business districts of South Delhi – Nehru Place, New Delhi, Paharpur Business Centre (PBC) is a green micro, small and medium enterprise (mSME) in the services and real estate sector that offers instant, managed & serviced Office Solutions on a “plug & play” basis in mountain fresh air ambience. Built to compulsory Government Design, it is the first retrofit building in India that is USGBC LEED Platinum EB Certified (under O & M category) in 2010 and a BEE 5star rated building with an annual energy hourly energy rating (AAhEPI) of 28 Wh/ hr/ sqm.
Currently PBC operates at 20 Wh/hr/sqm and the endeavour is to bring it down to 15 Wh/hr/sqm.
PBC and its suite of 27 support services are certified to ISO 9001, 14001, 22000, 50001; OHSAS 18001; SA 8000, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (under Act 2006).
Paharpur Business Centre is also a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP). PBC is the only mSME among the 6 signatories to WEP from India.
Care for the environment has been an intrinsic part of PBC’s business strategy. Since inception, its USP, “Indoor Air Quality” (IAQ) is a proof of it. PBC grows its own fresh air with the help of over 1200 air purifying plants. PBC has a fresh-air treatment plant/ air washer in the Green House at the rooftop which is integrated with our IAQ system. IAQ at PBC conforms to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards. It helps the occupants in the building to have better functioning lungs; a fresher mind; reduced number of sick days and 15-20 per cent higher productivity.
IAQ system adds value to the human experience in the building.
PBC was awarded by ET Now for Best Workplace, in February 2013.
PBC has also received special commendation from CoreNet Global in April 2013, for Industry Excellence, Economic Development and Sustainable Leadership. PBC has also been recognized for energy management practices and was presented the 15th CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management in October 2014.
PBC has been a leading provider of office facilities and services to corporate houses as well as Fortune 500 companies planning a foray into the Indian marketplace, for nearly two decades now.
To know more, please visit the website: www.pbcnet.com and/or follow PBC on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
For Media Queries Contact:
Smruti S Samantray
Dy. Manager, Corporate Communications
Paharpur Business Centre
T: +91-11-4120 7171/ 7018
M: 9711215910
