1. Revaluating the Energy Consumption
of Commercial Buildings
Throughout history, buildings have been changing to
address social needs. As an example, today’s
Australian building industry appears to be entering
an era of change, with a view toward minimising the
energy, carbon and environmental footprint of
commercial buildings.
A need to optimise and conserve resources is once
again driving the change in the building industry,
with transformative technologies holding the key to
meeting its challenges.
As designers, builders and owners search for means
to minimise the operating costs and environmental
effects
of
buildings
whilst
increasing
their
functionality, “green” trends are becoming observable
in the industry. Commercial building designers,
builders and owners are now revaluating the energy,
carbon and environmental footprints of the buildings
they design, build or renovate and own.
Drivers of Energy Use in Commercial Buildings
Energy consumption in commercial buildings has been growing in aggregate
over time. The services demanded of commercial buildings such as lighting,
warmth in the winter, cooling in the summer and computing, which require
significant energy use, have been increasing. As a result, millions of commercial
buildings are now consuming more energy than the transportation or industry
sectors.

2. Solution to the Rising Energy Use in Commercial Building
The continuously rising energy demand of commercial buildings has given rise to the green
trends. Sustaining these trends is a challenging path for even large corporations to take, much
less for smaller companies, however. Fortunately, improvements in the technologies and
practices for lighting fixtures, windows, insulation, building controls, appliances and wholebuilding designing and construction are making it possible to deliver building services with
lower energy intensities.
As Australia’s population and economy continues to grow, so does its energy use. Fortunately,
the rise in energy use can be mitigated by the improvements in the technologies and practices
related to the energy consumption of commercial buildings. When implemented upon the
construction or renovation of commercial buildings, these technologies and practices will assist
in sustaining the green trends.
Sources:
http://australia.gov.au/topics/business-and-industry/industry/building-and-construction-industry
http://www.abcb.gov.au/major-initiatives/energy-efficiency
http://www.thecaretakers.com.au/