NABERS has driven measurable energy and emissions improvements across Australian offices, and increasingly across hotels, shopping centres, data centres and apartment buildings. But a large part of the built environment has sat outside the star rating system entirely, simply because a dedicated NABERS Energy tool doesn’t yet exist for their sector.
The NABERS Energy Performance Indicator (NEPI) is designed to close that gap.
What NEPI is
NEPI is a simplified energy rating tool for smaller sectors that don’t currently have a standalone NABERS Energy rating tool. Rather than issuing a one to six star result, it provides a verified measure of a building’s energy and emissions intensity, calculated from energy usage and floor area, and presents the result using a simple dial style comparison indicator.
Many building sectors are individually responsible for relatively low emissions, but collectively they account for a significant share of Australia’s energy use. NEPI gives owners in those sectors a credible, government backed way to understand and manage their energy performance, even where a full star rating pathway isn’t available to them.
Each NEPI rating also includes a Renewable Energy Indicator score, showing the proportion of the building’s energy that comes from on-site and off-site renewable sources.
How NEPI differs from a full NABERS Energy rating
NEPI shares the same foundations as a NABERS star rating. It uses real operational data, it’s carried out by a NABERS Accredited Assessor, and it follows a documented set of rules. But there are some deliberate differences that reflect its role as an entry point:
- It reports energy and emissions intensity rather than a star result, displayed via a dial comparison.
- Comparison is expressed in MJ/m² rather than by emissions.
- Minimum energy coverage includes all air conditioning and ventilation.
- A comparison against sector peers is only available where sufficient sector data exists.
- The NABERS certification fee for a NEPI rating is lower than that of a star rating.
The kinds of buildings NEPI is built for
NEPI is aimed at building types that fall outside the existing NABERS Energy tools. NABERS lists a broad and varied range of eligible sectors, including:
- Entertainment, recreation and sports facilities, such as aquatic centres, cinemas and gymnasiums, where continuous heating, cooling and ventilation drive high energy use.
- Hospitality and food and beverage venues, including bars and restaurants.
- Specialised retail not covered by the NABERS Retail Stores tool, such as supermarkets, food retailers, bakeries, laundromats and petrol stations, where refrigeration and equipment loads are significant.
- Private hospitals and medical centres, where energy use is high and continuous.
- Higher education and childcare facilities, where owners increasingly want to demonstrate credible sustainability performance to their communities.
- Manufacturing and storage facilities, public and transport buildings, and accommodation services not covered by the NABERS Hotel tool.
For any of these, NEPI provides the same thing: an independent, verified measure of energy and emissions intensity where none was previously available, and a baseline to improve on. The full list of eligible sectors sits within the NABERS Energy Performance Indicator Rules. Note that if a building type is eligible for a full NABERS Energy rating, it can’t use NEPI instead.
The positioning value
For owners in sectors that have never been able to participate in NABERS, NEPI provides something they previously couldn’t access: an independent, government backed measure of energy performance.
That verified status matters. A NEPI result carries more weight with tenants, prospective buyers and funders than an internal energy estimate, because it has been prepared by an accredited assessor against a consistent national methodology. It lets owners promote their environmental credentials with evidence rather than general claims, and it demonstrates a proactive stance on energy and emissions in sectors where few peers have taken that step.
This verified status is increasingly useful when it comes to sustainability disclosure. A NEPI result gives owners credible, independently assessed data to support their reporting, rather than relying on unverified internal estimates, backed by the same trusted NABERS methodology that has underpinned building performance ratings in Australia for over two decades.
The operational value
Beyond positioning, the practical benefit of NEPI is that it turns an unrated building into a measured one.
Once you have a verified baseline of energy and emissions intensity, you can track it year on year, quantify the impact of upgrades and operational changes, and make investment decisions based on evidence rather than assumption. The Renewable Energy Indicator adds visibility over where your energy comes from, which is increasingly relevant for owners electrifying gas systems or planning their decarbonisation pathway.
For portfolio managers, NEPI also brings previously unrated assets into the same measurement framework as NABERS rated buildings. That means a more complete, comparable view across the portfolio, the ability to identify which buildings have the most to gain, and a consistent basis for setting and tracking performance targets across a mixed set of asset types.
With a lower certification fee than a star rating and a lighter data requirement, it’s a practical first step for owners who want to begin their energy efficiency journey without committing to a full rating process from the outset.
Getting started with NettZero
A NEPI rating must be carried out by a NABERS Accredited Assessor, who will help plan the documentation and site work required, including building area and energy usage data.
NettZero is an accredited NABERS assessor and can help you understand whether your assets are eligible, establish a verified baseline, and set NEPI up as a repeatable part of your wider sustainability strategy. If you manage buildings in a sector that doesn’t yet have a full NABERS Energy rating, get in touch to discuss your building or portfolio.