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DES 67
Commercial Building Refurbishment – Government Programs
David Oppenheim
Many CBD buildings throughout Australia are reaching an age where they will soon be undertaking an intermediate, major or complete refurbishment. In addition, studies show that significant savings can be achieved by running buildings at their optimum level through continuous commissioning, incorporating sub-metering and reporting and management systems. This applies not only to energy, but also water, waste and indoor environment quality. All of these can include an Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) approach and there is therefore an opportunity to integrate environmental responsibility into refurbishments. This Note explores how Government programs can increase the uptake of these ESD opportunities.