The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) is a performance-based rating system for existing buildings. NABERS rates a building on its environmental impact out of 5 stars, providing an easily identifiable rating of how well you manage your environmental impact compared with others.

NABERS can be used to define and set operational performance targets and measure and rate actual performance. Accredited ratings can also be used to disclose and report on performance, enlist professional services to improve a rating, and make decisions about priority actions or investment options.

An energy audit evaluates the energy consumption of a home, business or other organisation in order to determine how energy is currently used, and how energy use can be reduced or used more efficiently.

Learn the who, what, where, why and how of getting an energy audit.

In every building there is opportunity to reduce energy use - but you need to be able to monitor what your current energy use is in order to uncover where effective changes can be made.

This is where real-time energy monitoring - a new technological advance that is now within the reach of every business - can show you where you should be focussing your efforts and ensuring that your changes bring about the desired energy reductions.

Electricity meters measure the flow of electricity into a building or site. The electricity retailer uses the information on your electricity consumption from the meter to charge you for your use.

Once you know how to read an electricity meter, you can identify your usage patterns. This enables you to conserve, reduce or change the way you use electricity - which will result in saving on your electricity bills and reducing carbon emissions.

A lux meter is a powerful tool that can be used to uncover opportunities for energy savings through identifying areas that are over-lit in your building.

Once you recognise over-lit areas, you can then delamp fluorescent light fittings to reduce energy usage and cost.

Delamping is an environmentally friendly, simple and cost effective way to reduce carbon emissions and save money on your energy bills.

Using reflectors underneath the remaining lamp increases light efficiency even more. In most cases, the difference between two fluorescent lamps and a delampled light fitting using a reflector is unnoticeable.