The latest round of Victorian Government grants to help commercial building owners reduce their energy costs is helping Box Hill company, CBM Australia.

CBM Australia will receive $30,000 through the State Government’s $1.76 million Better Commercial Buildings program, which helps building owners and tenants make their buildings more energy efficient.

CBM is an international development organisation devoted to improving the lives of people with disabilities in the poorest places on earth. As a not-for profit owner occupier, a key focus of the project is to reduce energy operational costs and identify a pathway to improve energy efficiency on site.

The money will be used to provide CMBA with a comprehensive audit to identify opportunities in addition to the proposed building management upgrades and existing solar array.

The member for Eastern Metropolitan Region, Shaun Leane said the Better Commercial Buildings program could help many other local businesses reduce one of their most fundamental operating costs.

“Applications for Better Commercial Buildings grants are now open from building owners, agents, commercial tenants and facilities managers,” Mr Leane said.

“These grants can help businesses identify and implement improvements, measure their success, gain access to further finance options and pre-approved service providers.

“It’s a system that takes the guess work out of choosing suppliers, when you carry out energy improvement work,” Mr Leane said.

Common changes have included replacing out-dated heating and cooling systems, upgrading lighting and installing timer or movement switches, supplementing energy from the grid with solar panels.

Apart from helping to cut one of the most fundamental business operating costs, energy upgrades have been found to improve staff comfort and reduce complaints about hot and cold spots in offices.

The program can help improve a building’s rating under the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) system by one star, on average.

Information about how to apply for the Better Commercial Buildings grants and other programs to help businesses can be found at www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/grants.

Find out more about how Sustainability Victoria can help your business at www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/Business.