How this report can assist in increasing the sustainable performance and operation of commercial buildings and why you may need it for your project before the government changes next year.
Strategic Context
The NABERS Strategic Plan helped frame how NABERS could support stronger operational performance across Australian buildings. It placed greater attention on measured outcomes, energy performance, water performance, government leadership, minimum performance expectations and improvement pathways for buildings already in operation.
For commercial buildings, this strategic direction matters because operational performance is shaped by more than the original design. A building’s real performance is influenced by energy use, water use, HVAC systems, controls, occupancy patterns, maintenance practices, tenancy conditions and the way the building is managed and tuned over time.
NABERS Strategic planning therefore sits between rating, review and transition. It helps project teams and asset owners understand how a building currently performs, what may be limiting its NABERS Energy or NABERS Water outcomes, and which operational changes or staged improvements may support stronger asset performance.
NABERS ratings provide a measured view of performance, but strategic planning considers how those outcomes may be improved over time.
Government and commercial tenancy expectations can make operational performance increasingly important for leasing, reporting and asset planning.
A strategic view can identify practical pathways for building tuning, services review, operational improvement and future upgrade planning.
Knowledge Navigation
NABERS Strategic connects measured building outcomes with operational energy, existing building optimisation, commercial asset planning and long-term performance pathways.
Understand how commercial buildings perform in real operating conditions beyond design intent.
Review how NABERS Energy, NABERS Water and operational data help reveal actual building performance.
Explore how existing commercial buildings can move through staged operational improvement pathways.
See how services operation, controls, plant behaviour and tuning influence energy performance.
Consider how seasonal use, occupancy, controls and management practices affect ongoing performance.
Connect individual building performance with portfolio planning, tenant expectations and asset transition.
Operational Performance
Design intent describes how a building is expected to perform. Operational building performance shows how the building actually performs once it is occupied, managed, maintained and used over time.
This distinction is central to NABERS Strategic thinking. A commercial building may have been designed with strong environmental performance principles, but its real outcomes can change once HVAC systems, lighting controls, equipment loads, tenant behaviour, operating hours, weather conditions and maintenance practices interact in daily use.
Strategic operational review helps bridge this gap. It looks at the difference between intended performance and measured performance, then considers how building tuning, controls review, services optimisation, energy data and asset planning may support better NABERS Energy, NABERS Water or broader operational outcomes.
The expected performance of a building based on design assumptions, documentation, modelling, systems selection and intended operation.
The actual performance of a building based on operational data, energy use, water use, occupancy patterns and system behaviour.
The space between what a building was intended to do and what it actually delivers in operation, cost, comfort and asset performance.
Measured Outcomes
NABERS is valuable because it is connected to measured performance. Instead of relying only on design assumptions, theoretical modelling or intended operation, NABERS performance pathways help reveal how a commercial building performs once it is operating in real conditions.
For NABERS Strategic work, measured outcomes may include energy use, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, tenancy conditions, operating hours, equipment loads, HVAC behaviour, control settings and the way the building is managed across seasons. These inputs help create a clearer picture of actual operational performance.
This measured view can support better decisions. Asset owners and project teams can use operational data to identify where performance is already strong, where it may be constrained, and where building tuning, services optimisation or staged upgrades may improve NABERS Energy, NABERS Water or broader commercial asset outcomes.
Energy bills, water bills, metering data, operating hours, tenancy information and system behaviour can help reveal actual performance.
HVAC systems, controls, lighting, equipment loads and services operation can strongly influence NABERS performance outcomes.
Measured performance helps show how the building is actually operating, not just how it was expected to perform.
Asset Performance
NABERS Strategic can help commercial building owners look beyond a single rating outcome and understand how operational performance relates to long-term asset planning. For many existing buildings, the question is not only what the current NABERS Energy or NABERS Water result may be, but what pathway is available to improve performance over time.
A strategic performance pathway may consider the building’s current condition, services systems, tenancy arrangements, operating hours, maintenance patterns, upgrade opportunities, likely constraints and future performance expectations. This helps project teams understand whether improvement is best approached through tuning, controls review, HVAC optimisation, staged capital works or broader asset transition planning.
For portfolio owners and commercial asset teams, this type of review can support more consistent decision-making across multiple buildings. It can help identify which assets may require immediate operational attention, which buildings may benefit from staged improvement, and where NABERS performance can become part of a wider asset strategy.
A strategic review can help clarify where a commercial building currently sits in relation to operational energy, water use and measured performance.
Performance may be improved through building tuning, controls refinement, HVAC review, services optimisation or staged upgrade planning.
NABERS performance can inform leasing decisions, portfolio planning, asset transition, tenant expectations and long-term operational priorities.
Existing Buildings
Existing commercial buildings often hold some of the most important opportunities for operational energy improvement. Unlike a new building, where performance is largely shaped through design, an existing building reveals its performance through energy bills, water use, operating patterns, services behaviour, maintenance records and the way occupants use the space.
NABERS Strategic thinking can help asset owners and project teams understand how an existing building is performing now, what may be influencing that performance, and which practical steps may improve NABERS Energy, NABERS Water or broader operational outcomes. This may include reviewing HVAC operation, controls settings, lighting loads, tenancy conditions, operating hours, metering data and services maintenance.
For many buildings, the pathway is not a single large intervention. It may begin with better operational data, building tuning, system review or minor controls adjustments before moving toward staged upgrades, retrofit planning or longer-term asset transition. A strategic view helps make those decisions more visible and better sequenced.
Operational review begins with the building as it currently exists, including systems, usage, metering, tenancy patterns and management practices.
Improvement may come through tuning, controls review, HVAC optimisation, lighting changes, operational adjustments or staged building upgrades.
NABERS Strategic work can help clarify which improvements should happen first, which require capital planning and which depend on better data.
HVAC Optimisation
HVAC systems can have a major influence on operational energy performance in commercial buildings. Even when a building has been well designed, the way heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are controlled, maintained, scheduled and tuned can strongly affect NABERS Energy outcomes.
NABERS Strategic review may consider how HVAC plant, controls, operating hours, zoning, set points, after-hours use, ventilation rates, equipment loads and seasonal patterns contribute to measured building performance. This helps identify whether performance issues are linked to system capacity, control logic, maintenance, occupancy changes or operational settings.
In many existing buildings, HVAC optimisation is not only about replacing equipment. It may begin with understanding how the system is currently operating, whether controls match real occupancy, whether plant is running longer than needed, and whether tuning or commissioning adjustments could improve energy performance before larger upgrades are considered.
HVAC performance is shaped by plant operation, schedules, zoning, controls, set points, maintenance and how the building is used.
Heating, cooling, ventilation and after-hours operation can significantly influence NABERS Energy performance in commercial buildings.
Improvement may begin with tuning, controls review, recommissioning, operational adjustments or staged services upgrades.
Building Tuning
Building performance is not fixed at handover. As occupancy changes, systems age, controls are adjusted and operating patterns shift, a commercial building can move away from its intended performance. Building tuning helps bring the operation of the building closer to its current use, rather than relying on assumptions made during design or commissioning.
Within a NABERS Strategic context, building tuning may involve reviewing HVAC schedules, controls settings, after-hours operation, temperature set points, ventilation behaviour, lighting controls, metering data, tenant usage patterns and maintenance practices. The aim is to understand whether the building is operating as efficiently and consistently as possible before larger upgrades are considered.
This ongoing approach can support improved NABERS Energy outcomes, more stable operational performance and better asset planning. It also helps project teams identify whether performance issues are caused by system settings, operational drift, data gaps, maintenance constraints or more substantial building services limitations.
Buildings can gradually move away from intended performance as usage, controls, maintenance and system behaviour change over time.
Tuning may include reviewing schedules, set points, controls, metering data, HVAC operation, lighting behaviour and after-hours use.
A tuned building can provide a stronger basis for NABERS performance, operational energy improvement and long-term asset decisions.
Portfolio Strategy
NABERS Strategic can support decision-making across more than one building. For commercial property owners, government agencies and portfolio managers, operational performance data can help compare assets, identify performance patterns and understand where improvement work may be most useful.
A portfolio-level view may consider NABERS Energy, NABERS Water, building type, tenancy arrangements, operating hours, services condition, maintenance practices, metering quality and the likely cost or complexity of improving each asset. This allows performance planning to become more structured, rather than being handled building by building in isolation.
For organisations managing multiple commercial buildings, NABERS performance can become part of a wider asset strategy. It can help prioritise building tuning, HVAC optimisation, operational energy review, staged upgrades and future transition planning across a group of assets.
Portfolio review can help compare buildings by performance, data quality, operational constraints and improvement potential.
NABERS Strategic work can help identify which assets may need immediate tuning, further review or staged investment planning.
Portfolio-level strategy can connect operational performance with leasing, capital works, asset transition and future reporting needs.
Commercial Performance
Tenant expectations are increasingly connected to how commercial buildings perform in operation. Energy performance, water use, indoor comfort, after-hours operation, building services reliability and transparency around measured outcomes can all influence how a building is understood by occupants, leasing teams and asset owners.
NABERS Strategic thinking can help connect tenant expectations with practical operational performance. A building may need to demonstrate credible NABERS Energy or NABERS Water outcomes, respond to government or corporate leasing requirements, or show that performance issues are being reviewed through tuning, HVAC optimisation, services review or staged improvement planning.
This does not mean every building needs the same pathway. Some assets may need better data. Others may need building tuning, controls review, plant optimisation, tenant engagement or longer-term upgrade planning. A strategic NABERS view helps clarify what matters most for the building, the occupants and the asset’s future commercial position.
Clear performance information can support conversations around leasing, government occupancy, tenant expectations and asset positioning.
Operational performance can influence comfort, after-hours use, service reliability and how occupants experience the building day to day.
Measured performance can help commercial assets remain credible as expectations around energy, water and operational transparency increase.
Future Asset Performance
Decarbonisation planning for commercial buildings depends on understanding how the asset performs now. Before future upgrades can be properly sequenced, project teams need a clear view of operational energy use, building services behaviour, occupancy patterns, data quality and the practical constraints that shape performance in daily operation.
NABERS Strategic work can help connect measured performance with realistic transition pathways. This may include reviewing NABERS Energy outcomes, HVAC operation, controls settings, after-hours use, building tuning opportunities, electrification considerations, solar contribution, metering quality and staged services upgrades.
For existing commercial buildings, future asset performance is rarely improved through a single action. It is usually shaped through a sequence of operational review, tuning, data improvement, tenant coordination, capital planning and long-term services decisions. A strategic NABERS view helps make that sequence clearer.
Measured operational performance helps establish where the building currently sits before future improvement pathways are considered.
Improvement may be sequenced through tuning, controls review, HVAC optimisation, electrification planning and staged services upgrades.
Future asset performance depends on clear data, realistic planning, operational discipline and practical improvement pathways over time.
Transition Pathways
Existing commercial buildings often need a transition pathway rather than a single performance solution. Their operational outcomes are shaped by original design, building age, services condition, occupancy patterns, tenancy requirements, maintenance history, controls settings and the quality of available performance data.
NABERS Strategic work can help clarify where a building currently sits and what type of improvement pathway is realistic. For some assets, the first step may be better metering, data review or building tuning. For others, the pathway may involve HVAC optimisation, controls upgrades, tenancy coordination, electrification planning or staged capital works.
A transition pathway gives structure to operational improvement. It can help project teams decide what should be reviewed first, what can be improved through low-disruption operational changes, and what may need to be planned as part of longer-term asset performance, NABERS Energy improvement or broader commercial building transition.
Early review may focus on data quality, metering, operating hours, tenancy patterns, controls behaviour and current NABERS performance context.
Some buildings may improve through tuning, controls refinement, HVAC optimisation, maintenance review or better operational management.
Larger changes may need staged investment planning, services upgrades, electrification pathways or long-term asset transition decisions.
Strategic Reporting
A NABERS Strategic Report can help translate operational performance information into a clearer asset pathway. Rather than only identifying a rating result, it may review the building’s current performance context, available data, rating considerations, operational constraints and practical opportunities for improvement.
Depending on the building and project scope, a strategic report may consider NABERS Energy, NABERS Water, building type, occupancy patterns, operating hours, tenancy conditions, metering information, energy bills, water bills, HVAC systems, controls settings, maintenance practices and services operation. These inputs help identify what is known, what may need further investigation, and what could influence future NABERS performance.
The report may also outline likely barriers, improvement opportunities, staged actions and strategic recommendations. This can support asset owners, government agencies, commercial tenants and portfolio teams when planning rating pathways, operational energy improvement, building tuning, upgrade sequencing or longer-term asset transition.
A report may review building type, occupancy, operating hours, tenancy conditions, metering quality and available performance data.
It can identify constraints linked to HVAC operation, controls, maintenance, after-hours use, data gaps or services condition.
Recommendations may support tuning, rating preparation, operational review, staged upgrades or long-term asset transition planning.
Requirements and Use Cases
A NABERS Strategic Report may be useful when a building owner, government agency, commercial tenant or asset manager needs a clearer view of operational performance before making rating, leasing, upgrade or portfolio decisions. It can help clarify how a building is currently performing and what may be required to improve its NABERS pathway over time.
This type of review may be relevant before a formal NABERS assessment, during commercial lease planning, when responding to minimum performance expectations, or when preparing an existing building for operational energy improvement. It can also help project teams understand whether current performance is being limited by data gaps, operating hours, tenancy conditions, HVAC operation, controls settings or services maintenance.
NABERS Strategic reporting can be especially relevant for office buildings, shopping centres, apartment buildings, hotels, data centres, government tenancies and mixed-use commercial assets where energy use, water use and operational patterns are more complex than a simple single-use building.
A strategic review can help identify likely rating considerations, data needs and operational issues before a formal NABERS assessment.
It can help determine whether performance may be improved through tuning, controls review, HVAC optimisation or staged capital works.
Portfolio teams can use strategic reporting to compare assets, identify priorities and plan operational improvements across multiple buildings.
Performance Review
NABERS Strategic performance review begins with the building type, available data and operational context. Different assets may require different review pathways, because an office building, shopping centre, apartment building, hotel, data centre or mixed-use commercial building will not use energy and water in the same way.
A strategic review may consider energy bills, water bills, metering data, operating hours, tenancy arrangements, occupancy patterns, HVAC systems, controls settings, equipment loads, services maintenance and after-hours use. These inputs help determine whether the building’s current performance is well understood, whether further information is needed, and what may influence future NABERS Energy or NABERS Water outcomes.
The level of accuracy depends on the quality of information available and the purpose of the review. Early strategic planning may use available data to identify likely pathways and constraints, while more detailed work may require stronger metering information, operational records, system review or preparation for a formal NABERS assessment.
Review pathways may differ for office buildings, shopping centres, apartment buildings, hotels, data centres and mixed-use assets.
Energy bills, water bills, metering, operating hours and tenancy information help determine how clearly performance can be understood.
The review may support early planning, rating preparation, operational tuning, services review or longer-term asset transition decisions.
Cost and Timing
The cost and timing of NABERS Strategic work depends on the building type, size, available information, rating pathway, reporting requirements and level of review required. A simple early-stage performance review will usually have a different scope from a detailed NABERS Strategic Report involving multiple systems, tenants, meters, operational records and improvement scenarios.
For some commercial buildings, the first stage may focus on reviewing existing energy bills, water bills, operating hours, tenancy arrangements and available metering data. For more complex assets, the process may also require HVAC review, controls investigation, building tuning analysis, services coordination or preparation for a formal NABERS Energy or NABERS Water assessment.
Clear scoping is important because NABERS Strategic work can range from early advisory review through to detailed operational performance reporting. The right pathway depends on whether the project is being used for rating preparation, government leasing, portfolio planning, upgrade sequencing, building tuning or long-term asset transition.
Larger or more complex buildings may require additional review of meters, tenancy conditions, HVAC operation, controls and services data.
Good energy, water, metering and operational records can make the review clearer, while data gaps may require further investigation.
The scope should reflect whether the work is for early planning, rating preparation, operational tuning, asset strategy or portfolio review.
Frequently Asked Questions
NABERS Strategic is a higher-level approach to understanding operational building performance, measured outcomes and long-term commercial asset improvement. It uses NABERS performance thinking to assess how commercial buildings operate in real conditions and what pathways may improve performance over time.
A standard NABERS rating focuses on measured performance for a specific rating pathway. NABERS Strategic looks more broadly at how NABERS Energy, NABERS Water, operational data, building tuning, HVAC optimisation and asset planning can support future performance improvement.
Operational building performance matters because a building’s real energy use, water use, comfort and services behaviour may differ from its design intent. NABERS Strategic helps identify how a building performs after occupation, management, maintenance and daily use are taken into account.
Design intent describes how a building is expected to perform. Measured performance shows how the building actually performs in operation, based on energy use, water use, occupancy, HVAC behaviour, operating hours, controls settings and other real-world conditions.
A NABERS Strategic Report may be useful before a formal NABERS assessment, commercial lease decision, government tenancy review, portfolio planning process, operational energy improvement program or staged building upgrade. It can help clarify current performance, likely constraints and practical improvement pathways.
NABERS Energy performance can be influenced by HVAC systems, lighting, controls, equipment loads, operating hours, after-hours use, tenancy arrangements, maintenance practices, metering quality and how the building is tuned and managed over time.
Yes. NABERS Strategic is especially useful for existing commercial buildings because it can help identify current performance constraints, data gaps, tuning opportunities, HVAC optimisation needs, operational improvements and staged upgrade pathways.
HVAC optimisation can have a significant influence on operational energy performance. Reviewing plant operation, schedules, zoning, set points, ventilation rates, controls and after-hours operation can help identify opportunities to improve NABERS Energy outcomes.
Yes. A NABERS Strategic approach can help portfolio owners compare building performance, identify assets that may need tuning or further review, and plan operational energy improvement, services upgrades or asset transition across multiple buildings.
NABERS Strategic can support decarbonisation pathways by clarifying current operational energy performance, identifying improvement opportunities and helping sequence tuning, data improvement, HVAC optimisation, electrification planning and staged services upgrades over time.
Related Knowledge
NABERS Strategic sits within a wider commercial performance ecosystem, connecting operational energy, building tuning, asset performance and measured outcomes across existing buildings.
Explore how measured building outcomes, operational energy and real-world performance influence commercial assets.
View Operational EnergyUnderstand how Section J and JV3 pathways relate to commercial building performance before operation.
View JV3 Knowledge HubConnect operational performance with HVAC behaviour, comfort, tuning and commercial building systems.
View Thermal Comfort ModellingOperational Performance Pathways
Commercial building performance is not only defined by design or compliance. It is revealed through operation, data, tuning, systems behaviour and the decisions made across the life of the asset.
Certified Energy can help project teams, asset owners and commercial building stakeholders understand how NABERS Strategic thinking may support measured performance, existing building improvement and long-term operational energy pathways.
Last reviewed: June 2026. This page is maintained by Certified Energy as part of its Commercial Performance Knowledge Hub.
