Tainui Group Holdings’ Amohia Ake Becomes First Building In The Waikato To Achieve Highest Rating For Energy Efficiency

Amohia Ake – the new ACC Centre developed by Tainui Group Holdings in Collingwood Street in Hamilton, has been awarded the city’s first 6 Star NABERSNZ rating by the New Zealand Green Building Council. This prestigious rating is the highest possible and recognises outstanding energy use and efficiency of office buildings.

Of the more than 150 NABERSNZ rated buildings, Amohia Ake is one of only half a dozen buildings in Aotearoa currently certified to 6 stars. The achievement marks another important milestone in sustainable building practices and recognises that the building uses around 80 percent less energy than a typical New Zealand office building.

“We are thrilled to see Amohia Ake set a new standard for energy efficiency in Waikato. It is great for the tenants, for the owners and for New Zealand,” says Andrew Eagles, chief executive of the New Zealand Green Building Council.

Developed and owned by Tainui Group Holdings and tenanted by ACC, Amohia Ake exemplifies excellence in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

“A 6 star rating is no mean feat, and is a testament to the dedication and vision of Tainui Group Holdings and ACC. It demonstrates what can be achieved when efficiency and getting the best out of our office spaces is prioritised.”

Richard Jefferies, Acting CEO at Tainui Group Holdings says the iwi company is focused on reducing energy consumption and on taking an environmentally-conscious approach to building management.

“Achieving this 6 star rating for Amohia Ake is in line with the commitment of our iwi to kaitiakitanga (guardianship) both in terms of sustainable development practices and the performance of the finished buildings. We’re proud to play our part in creating high-performing, energy-efficient buildings that benefit both our tenants and the wider community.”

Part of the building’s success has been working alongside consulting engineers at Beca to maximise performance. Beca Sustainable Buildings team lead Ben Masters says having a fully-electric building with no gas or fossil fuel used for heating or hot water played a major part in the building’s high rating.

“While fully-electric, the building takes pressure off the grid through its smart, energy-efficient design. Its high-performance building envelope minimises heating and cooling demand, while low-energy systems further reduce consumption. Post-occupancy building tuning has added even more savings, resulting in nearly 80% less energy use compared to a typical New Zealand office building. This isn’t just great for reducing emissions—it delivers significant operational cost savings for Tainui Group Holdings and ACC.”

With more than 800 staff based at the building, Stewart McRobie, ACC Deputy Chief Executive Corporate and Finance says ACC is delighted to benefit from such a high standard of energy efficiency.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with Tainui Group Holdings and contributing to a more sustainable future.

“The building’s advanced design helps ACC to reduce its environmental impact through lower greenhouse gas emissions while also lowering our energy costs. Ultimately this helps us to support the wellbeing of whānau and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.”

About NABERSNZ

NABERSNZ is a system for rating the energy efficiency of office buildings. It is an independent tool, administered by the New Zealand Green Building Council on behalf of the New Zealand Government. A NABERSNZ rating benchmarks 12 months of energy data and provides a star rating between 0 and 6. A rating is valid for 1 year, to encourage continuous monitoring and improvement.

About Tainui Group Holdings

Tainui Group Holdings is the wholly-owned commercial entity of Waikato-Tainui – one of the largest iwi (tribal) groups in New Zealand with more than 86,000 members. We protect and grow our commercial assets with a diverse portfolio which spans commercial, retail, and residential property, hotels, farming, fishing and forestry, infrastructure, and equities. We are committed to the development, sustainability and prosperity of our region and take a disciplined, long-term view to delivering commercial leadership with an iwi worldview for a prosperous iwi today and for generations to come. www.tgh.co.nz

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