Our green building

The new ActewAGL House, at 40 Bunda Street in Civic, is one of the most sustainable building projects in Canberra's history.

With a capacity of over 400 employees, our new building uses smart eco-friendly technologies to reduce our energy consumption and our carbon footprint.

What are some of the environmental initiatives implemented in our building?

• Base building and fit out designed to achieve a five-star energy rating under the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS).
• An innovative air-conditioning plant that has a passive chilled beam system. The open plan design permits more efficient heating and cooling, saving energy and reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced.
• A fresh air environmental system with intakes located in the plant room on level 6. There will virtually be no recycling of air in the building and this system will work in conjunction with the building's passive chilled beam air-conditioning system, which will achieve an even temperature throughout the building.
• More efficient IT hardware solutions and smart building lighting systems.
• Floor coverings made out of eco linoleum, sustainably grown bamboo timber, stone and low VOC (volatile organic compounds) carpet.
• Furniture that is Good Environmental Choice Award (GECA) approved.
• On-site bike storage for up to 53 bicycles.
• On-site water-saving initiatives, such as water-saving showerheads and dual-flush toilets.
• Located close to Canberra city bus interchange, which will encourage staff to use public transport.

What energy ratings will our new building have?

The new building is designed to achieve a five-star energy rating under the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). ActewAGL is also aiming to achieve at least a four-star rating through the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) rating system.

What is a NABERS rating?

NABERS is a performance-based rating system that rates a building on the basis of its measured operational impacts on the environment. To achieve a NABERS energy rating, 12 months worth of actual kilowatt hours of electricity used per square metre of our building will be measured. This measurement will also take into consideration our building's operating hours. 

What is a Green Star rating?

The GBCA Green Star rating is a measurement that is given by the Green Building Council of Australia. This rating takes into account factors, such as water and energy usage, proximity to public transport, waste management, bike storage, lighting and general indoor environment quality. Our Bunda Street building's internal fit-out is being designed to achieve at least a four-star rating, which is currently best practice.

Which chilled beam system is our building using?

Our building uses carat passive chilled beams manufactured by Frenger Ltd from the UK. Passive chilled beams are more energy efficient than active chilled beams due to the reduced number of fans and air handling units required for their operation.

What is so smart about our smart building lighting system?

Our smart lighting system measures the available natural light and dims or brightens the lights so that a constant lighting level is achieved (350 lumens). This means that less power is used overall. The system is also split into zones across each floor and uses movement sensors to detect if an office area is in use. If an area is unoccupied for a period, the system automatically switches lights off to conserve energy.

'The Journey' - a stunning piece of art

Our foyer is home to a stunning piece of art which has made headlines around the world. 'The Journey' is a sculpture which features low energy LED lights and is powered by Greenchoice renewable energy.