Environmental sustainability underpins our approach to the development of Brindabella Business Park.

That means we are committed to maintaining the qualities that are valued in the physical environment. Put simply, our quality of life and the liveability and beauty of our natural environment. In this regard, we’re very proud of the significant number of firsts that we’ve achieved in sustainability.

For example, Brindabella Business Park was the first place in Australia to achieve a 5 Green Star Rating.

Brindabella Business Park was also the first development in Australia to use recycled concrete and recycled steel on a commercial scale, resulting in buildings that use less embodied energy and more recycled materials. That means we’re home to the highest concentration of energy efficient buildings in the country.

Trigeneration
Through our commitment to environmental sustainability and by using cutting edge designs and state-of-the-art technologies such as trigeneration, the Park’s newest buildings produce 75% less carbon dioxide than a standard office building and 55% less than a 5 star rated building.

Trigeneration represents another important environmental first on a national scale for Brindabella Business Park. Using natural gas, trigeneration involves the simultaneous production of electricity and thermal energy – heat – in the one energy process. Natural gas produces less than half the greenhouse gas per unit of produced energy than the cleanest thermal power station.

The greater efficiency achieved through trigeneration means carbon dioxide emissions are dramatically reduced and surplus power generated after hours is returned to the electricity grid as green power.

With conventional coal generated power stations, only 30 percent of the produced energy becomes useful electricity and the rest is dumped as waste heat.

However, our on-site natural gas powered trigeneration plant captures the waste heat which is used to heat buildings in winter and, through an absorption chiller, cools the buildings in summer.

More importantly, trigeneration does not rely on the electricity supply and provides a level of back-up in the event of blackouts that is unmatched in Canberra.

Water Recycling
Brindabella Business Park hosts some of Australia’s most advanced water saving technologies – technologies that reduce our dependence on scarce town water supplies. Our water program recycles an amazing 100,000 litres of water every day.

And by collecting rainwater in tanks and introducing water recycling, our buildings use around one quarter the water used by conventional buildings. Our parks and gardens use tank water collected off roofs and then the recycled water and when required, bore water. The toilets in the new buildings use the recycled water. Town water is used only for drinking and showering.

Environmental sustainability is more than a catch phrase at Brindabella Business Park. It’s a fundamental objective that drives our approach towards the future.