Ecologically Sustainable Design (ESD)

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Eco Engineering Group offers end-to-end ESD services from master planning, concept, design, tender, construction and commissioning, to certification, operation and decommissioning phases for the following development types:

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• Commercial

• Industrial

• Health

• Retail

• Educational

• Residential

• Public Infrastructure

 

We identify the most suitable sustainable design strategies for each building by understanding our clients’ objectives along with local legislative, environmental, social and economic issues. Our services include:

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• Project Initiation and Planning

  • Sustainable Master Plans

  • Sustainability due diligence

    • Solar Access

    • Shading

    • Orientation

    • Land use and ecology

    • Local Climate analysis

    • Wind flow and temperature analysis

  • Feasibility of centralised energy plants (e.g. Photovoltaics, Wind, Geothermal, Cogeneration, Tri-generation)

  • Sustainability submissions and coordination with the authorities

  • Development of sustainability targets and benchmarking

 

• Schematic Design

  • Climate responsive and passive solar design strategies

  • Shading and solar access analysis

  • Building fabric  

  • Glazing design and façade analysis

  • Development of sustainability Design Briefs

  • Development of sustainability Cost Plans

 

• Design Development

  • Daylight modelling and design

  • Energy Efficiency design and advice:

    • Lighting

    • Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

    • Hydraulics

    • Maximum Demand reduction

  • Renewable energy engineering

  • Building Performance Simulation

    • Building Energy modelling

    • Thermal Comfort analysis (PMV)

    • Building Thermal modelling

    • Airflow and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling

    • Daylight modelling and design

    • NABERS Energy Simulation – Tenancy, Base Building, Whole Building

  • Water efficiency, recycling and treatment strategies

  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCA)

  • Natural ventilation design

  • Development of sustainability Design Guides

  • Development of sustainability Cost Plans

  • Indoor Environment Quality

  • Recycling and Waste Management

  • Materials Selection Advice

  • NCC Section J Energy Efficiency design compliance advice and assessment

 

• Development Application (DA) and  Documentation

  • NCC Section J assessments - DTS and JV3

  • NatHERS Thermal Modelling (AccuRate, BERS Pro) and BASIX

  • Green Star and NABERS modelling and reports:

    • Energy and thermal modelling

    • Thermal Comfort analysis (PMV)

    • Air Change Effectiveness and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling

    • Daylight modelling

    • NABERS Energy Simulation – Tenancy, Base Building, Whole Building

  • Sustainability planning reports

  • Council and authority sustainability reports

 

• Tender documentation and review

  • ESD tender preparation and review

  • CIBSE commissioning specifications

 

• Construction

  • Sustainability compliance reports

  • Preparation of Building User’s Guides – Green Star

  • Advice on Green Star construction requirements

 

• Commissioning

  • CIBSE commissioning clauses and specifications

  • Independent Commissioning Agent 

  • Green Star Commissioning and Building Tuning

 

• Operation and post-construction

  • Sustainable Energy and Resource Efficiency

  • Sustainability benchmarking and rating schemes

  • Building Performance Modelling and Simulation

    • Energy and thermal modelling – JV3, Green Star

    • Thermal Comfort analysis (PMV)

    • Air Change Effectiveness and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis

    • Daylight modelling

    • NABERS Energy Simulation – Tenancy, Base Building, Whole Building

  • Measurement and Verification (M&V)

  • Energy performance monitoring.

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Sustainable Energy and Resource Efficiency

 

Eco Engineering Group assists clients to increase the resource efficiency of their operations in the most cost-effective way. We start by understanding your objectives. We model your demand and investigate how resources are used in your facility. We then conduct efficiency assessments and consider the technology options to identify the most suitable sustainable energy, water and waste solutions for your facility.

 

Our sustainable energy and resource efficiency services include:

• Energy Efficiency assessments

• Energy Efficient lighting design and review

• Renewable Energy feasibility studies and design

  • Photovoltaic (PV) – Grid-connected and Stand-Alone applications

  • Wind Energy systems

  • Solar Thermal energy systems

  • Building Integrated PV Systems

• Water Efficiency assessments

• Waste Efficiency assessments

• Grants and funding applications

• Design development for efficiency upgrade projects

• Implementation support and project management

• Energy performance monitoring

• Measurement and Verification (M&V)

 

We have developed effective audit methodologies over many years to ensure that we provide useful, implementable recommendations. We provide a wide range of audits tailored to suit the various levels of detail and reporting required by our clients.

 

With experience across all renewable energy technologies, Eco Engineering Group provides a range of independent technical and commercial advisory services. We specialise in project development, technology review, feasibility studies as well as investment and financing options.

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Eco Engineering Group energy audit reports provide detailed analysis for energy-saving options and include comprehensive business cases to facilitate informed investment decisions relating to energy efficiency and renewable energy generation. Our clearly written reports can be understood by technical and non-technical staff, and enable our clients to choose the measures which best meet their objectives and requirements.

The business cases developed as part of our audits generally include:

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• A detailed description of the efficiency measure and detailed implementation plan

• Quantity of the energy and cost savings for each opportunity

• Estimated capital costs for the implementation of each initiative

• Greenhouse Gas emission reductions of each measure

• Grants and funding available for the project

• Market-based emission reduction incentives (such as Energy Saving Certificates, Renewable Energy Certificates, etc.) for each opportunity

• Technical specification and Measurements and Verification (M&V) plan for each opportunity.

 

Our auditors have conducted a significant number of energy and water audits and managed retro-fit projects across a wide range of facilities, including:

 

• Commercial office buildings,

• Hotels,

• Retail and shopping centres,

• Industrial facilities,

• Warehouses,

• Aged care facilities and

• Clubs.

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Building Performance Modelling and Simulation

 

Leading-edge building analysis software allows us to effectively predict and quantify the performance outcomes of innovative sustainability design features, at both initial concept design and over the life of the building. We apply the following range of techniques to ensure the sustainability targets of our projects are achieved:

• Local climate analysis

• Wind flow and temperature analysis

• Energy and Water Modelling and forecasting

• Energy and thermal modelling – JV3, Green Star

• NABERS Energy Simulation – Tenancy, Base Building, Whole Building

• Thermal Comfort analysis

• Air Change Effectiveness studies

• Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis

• Daylight modelling

• Dynamic Energy Simulations

• Passive Solar Design

• Solar access and shading analysis

• Measurement and Verification (M&V) analysis

• Decentralised energy generation forecasts

• Renewable Energy feasibility modelling and energy generation forecasting for:

  • Photovoltaic fields and systems,

  • Wind farms,

  • Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV),

  • Solar Thermal systems.

• Life Cycle Assessments

• Carbon footprint assessments and Carbon Neutrality strategies.

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Sustainability Reporting, Measurement and Compliance Assessment

 

Environmental sustainability is moving from the fringe to the centre of business and government, becoming a measure of operational excellence.

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As this transition occurs, organisations need to transform their operations to fully integrate sustainability initiatives across the enterprise. Eco Engineering Group uses robust improvement methodologies to help organisations integrate sustainability into the fabric of their strategies and operating models.

A range of federal and state government programs require organisations to disclose their energy and water use and carbon emissions. Legislative sustainability reports may also require an assessment of improvement options and the response of the reporting business to identified opportunities.

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Eco Engineering Group removes the complexity of sustainability reporting. We provide our clients with a practical framework for collecting, managing and interpreting data, and effective procedures in line with their reporting requirements.

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Our services include:

• Sustainability reporting and compliance assessments

• Sustainability benchmarking and rating schemes

• Energy Efficiency Opportunities (EEO)

• Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD)

• National Construction Code (NCC) Section J Assessments and Advice – DTS and JV3

• BASIX and NatHERS assessments for residential buildings

• Measurement and Verification (M&V)

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Sustainability Benchmarking and Rating Schemes

 

Eco Engineering Group has qualified and experienced assessors for the most commonly used rating tools in Australia, such as:

• NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme)

• Green Star

• Building Energy Efficiency Certificates (BEEC)

 

Over the years we have developed tools and methodologies which allow us to effectively manage and simplify the benchmarking process for our clients. In obtaining building performance ratings we take an integrated and collaborative approach with all stakeholders to identify the most cost-effective strategy. We appreciate the financial and design limitations, and proactively guide the team throughout the journey to achieve the targeted outcomes.

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Our expertise in utilising sustainability benchmarking and rating tools includes:

NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme)

 

The NABERS scheme allows building owners, managers and tenants to understand their Greenhouse Emissions, Water Use, Waste to Landfill and Indoor Environment Quality of their commercial office buildings, shopping centres or hotels.

 

Eco Engineering Group provides the following NABERS services to commercial office buildings, shopping centres, data centres and hotels:

 

• Accredited NABERS assessments for:

  • Energy

  • Water

  • Waste

  • Indoor Environment

• NABERS Commitment Agreements,

• NABERS energy modelling required for Green Star ratings

 

Our NABERS Accredited Assessors are amongst the most experienced and have designed and assessed multiple 5 and 6 Star NABERS rating office buildings throughout Australia.

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Green Star

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The Green Star rating tools have been developed by the Green Building Council of Australia to evaluate the environmental design of Australian buildings based on a number of criteria including energy, water, indoor environment quality, emissions, resource conservation and innovation.

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The rating systems take a holistic view in assessing the ecological footprint of developments and benchmarking it against Australian and World best practice. Each Green Star rating tool (e.g. Design & As-Built v1.3, Interiors, Communities) has a similar process for assigning ratings to a project. There are 9 Green Star Rating categories which are the same in all tools. These categories are summarised below:

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• Management

• Indoor Environment Quality

• Energy

• Transport

• Water

• Materials

• Land Use and Ecology

• Emissions

• Innovation

 

Our Green Star Accredited Professionals are highly experienced with a wide range of Green Star rating tools and have delivered multiple 5 Star Green Star ratings (Australian Excellence) throughout Australia.

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Building Energy Efficiency Certificates (BEEC)

 

Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) program supports compliance with the Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Act whereby sellers or lessors of office space of 1,000 square metres or more must obtain and disclose a current Building Energy Efficiency Certificate (BEEC).  An online government registry keeps a record of all the buildings with Building Energy Efficiency Certificates (BEEC).

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We partner with our commercial clients to prepare a Building Energy Efficiency Certificate (BEEC) application as a requirement of the Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) program.

 

A BEEC is comprised of:

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• Base building or whole building NABERS Energy rating,

• Tenancy Lighting Assessment, and

• General energy efficiency guidance.

 

Our CBD accredited assessors can assist you with your BEEC requirements and tailor commercial office energy efficiency solutions to meet your strategic objectives.

For more information on CBD requirements and penalties, visit the Commercial Building Disclosure website. 

 

Sustainability Grants, Funding Programs and Emission Offset Plans

 

Eco Engineering Group assists businesses to access government funding programs and market-based emission reduction incentives, which are designed to assist organisations to improve their energy and water efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.

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We start by understanding the nature and eligibility of the appropriate program, then developing an application tailored to provide the best possible chance to secure funding.

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Eco Engineering Group can also assist clients to ensure successful project implementation and outcome verification. Our services include:

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• Independent Measurement and Verification (M&V) studies

• NSW Energy Saving Certificates (ESCs)

• Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs)

• Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) – STCs / LTCs

• Federal and State Government funding programs

• Emission offsets and Carbon Neutrality programs

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Energy Efficiency and Demand Management Programs

 

Environmental sustainability is moving from the fringe to the centre of business and government, becoming a measure of operational excellence.

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As this transition occurs, organisations need to transform their operations to fully integrate sustainability initiatives across the enterprise. Eco Engineering Group uses robust improvement methodologies to help organisations integrate sustainability into the fabric of their strategies and operating models.

Eco Engineering Group provides advice to state and local government organisations on technical, financial and marketing issues concerning energy efficiency, demand management and sustainability. Our services include:

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• Energy Efficiency program development and support

• Monitoring and evaluation of Energy Efficiency programs

• Impact forecasting, modelling and assessments

• Greenhouse gas emission reduction evaluation and impact studies

• Demand Management program development and support

• Load research and forecasting

 

In providing the above services our role is built around an independent model of identification, assessment, facilitation and project management process, rather than a model that is tied to a particular product or technology.

 

To find out more or to discuss how we can best assist you with your project, please contact us on (02) 8959 3374.