Up to $30,000 is available from Better Commercial Buildings Program to help commercial building owners to implement building energy efficiency improvements via a merit-based application process.
Better Commercial Buildings Program
The Sustainability Victoria Better Commercial Buildings Program provides financial assistance for commercial buildings to implement building energy efficiency improvements.
The grant program involves a merit-based application process. Approved projects must be able to be completed within 18 months of the funding agreement being signed. This includes a 12 month monitoring period.
Background
The Better Commercial Buildings Program aims to address a core need for Victoria’s buildings sector. Recent modelling shows that if no action is undertaken, particularly in under-performing assets, the buildings sector is likely to consume almost half of Australia’s ‘carbon budget’ by 2050 (Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, 2016).
Underperforming buildings and tenancies are the biggest, most readily available and untapped opportunity for emission reduction, cost saving, and improving health, wellbeing and productivity in workplaces. Data from the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) has identified Victoria as currently the poorest performing state for commercial building energy efficiency.
Providing support to underperforming commercial buildings will engage a segment of the commercial building market which is traditionally not focussed on energy efficiency or carbon neutrality.
Funding
Grants of up to $30,000 are available from Better Commercial Buildings Program to help commercial building owners with the costs of implementing energy efficiency projects. A co-contribution from the applicant is required. Your organisation must make a minimum cash co-contribution of ($1:$1) towards the total project cost.
Eligible Projects
Providing grants of up to $5,000 for energy audits completed by a Service Provider.
- AS3598.1:2014 Energy audits
- Dynamic thermal modelling
- Detailed feasibility studies for comprehensive energy projects including: façade retrofits, services retrofit, and renewable energy
- Long term asset planning
- Updating of drawings and/or specifications
Providing grants of up to $20,000 for implementing improvements, overseen by a Service Provider.
- Capital improvements
- Building monitoring systems
- Metering and monitoring systems
- Building tuning
Providing grants of up to $5,000 for post installation measurement and assessment by a Service Provider.
- Post implementation building tuning/commissioning
- Energy monitoring
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible for funding applicants must:
- Be institutional investors, businesses, individuals, family businesses, or Owners’ Corporations.
- Be the owner, or authorised to act on behalf of the owner, of an eligible commercial building
- Have a current Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Have been operating for at least 12 months
- Implement the project in Victoria
- Meet the minimum co-contribution of the fund/grant program
- Agree to comply with Sustainability Victoria’s Terms and Conditions
- Agree to comply with the Terms of Participation in Grant Program
- Have had no Environment Protection Authority (EPA) or Victorian WorkCover Authority violations in the past five years, or if any violations:
- The violations were not serious
- The violations have been satisfactorily resolved
- The applicant has made appropriate efforts, including implementing management systems, to ensure the violation is not repeated and
- Since the violation, the applicant has had a satisfactory level of compliance with environmental and WorkCover Authority legislation.
Eligible commercial buildings must meet the following requirements:
- Australian Valuation Property Classification Code (AVPCC 2018): The following building classification codes are eligible: 21 Retail, 22 Office, 23 Short term business and tourist accommodation, 24 Hospitality, 25 Entertainment, 26 Tourism facilities/infrastructure, 27 Personal services, 28 Vehicle car parking, washing and sales.
- PCA Guide to Office Building Quality 2012: All buildings except ‘Premium’ and ‘Grade A’ (or equivalent) are eligible.
Timing
Applications close 30 June 2018.
