Benefits for tenants of green buildings

Research has shown that there are real advantages for businesses operating in certified 5 Star Green Star energy-efficient buildings. The benefits of green buildings extend well beyond the carbon footprint.

In October 2006, 500 Collins Street, Melbourne became the first refurbished tall city office building in Australia to receive a 5 Star Green Star rating.

Improving workplace productivity

Following the refurbishment of 500 Collins St, a workplace productivity study of a number of floors found that:

• Average sick days per employee per month had declined by 39%. 
• Sick leave costs dropped by 44%. 
• Speed and accuracy of typing increased. 
• Lawyers' billing ratios increased even as average hours declined.

Saving money and cutting emissions

Happier and more productive employees were not the only benefit. The refurbishment also:

• saved about $15,000 a year in energy bills 
• cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,700 tonnes a year.

Research background

The research was conducted by Business Outlook and Evaluation on two building tenants:

• Oakley Thompson (law firm ) 
• Lonsec (stockbrokers).

The study involved:

• staff surveys
• examination of sick leave records
• typing tests
• billable hours ratios.

Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels, along with temperature and relative humidity, were also measured.

See downloads below for further details.