Built to Sustain: Everybody Needs Good NABERS

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Mike and Fatima in the Plant Room in No. 1 Spinningfields

How collaboration, data and building optimisation helped No.1 Spinningfields become the highest NABERS Certified Performance building in Manchester.

No.1 Spinningfields, one of Manchester’s prime commercial office spaces, set out to improve its operational energy performance through the NABERS Certified Performance accreditation, a rating system focused on measuring operational energy data once the building is in use.

The project, commissioned by Schroders Capital, was led by Form Property in collaboration with Sweco, NG Bailey and Open Green Energy. Rather than relying on major replacement works, the team focused on improving the way the existing building systems were operated whilst maintaining occupier comfort. This approach also helped to reduce energy use whilst avoiding unnecessary embodied carbon associated with replacing existing plant and equipment.

The challenge

Commercial buildings are complex environments. Heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting systems need to support occupier comfort throughout the day, while also responding efficiently to changing occupancy levels, weather conditions and day-to-day building demands.

At No.1 Spinningfields, the opportunity was to use better data insight to understand where energy was being used most intensively or unnecessarily, then make targeted changes through the Building Management System.

Amy in the Plant Room in No. 1 Spinningfields

The collaborative approach

Form coordinated the project, translating technical recommendations into a clear action plan and working closely with the on-site and technical teams to ensure changes were carefully managed, tracked and reviewed. However, the success of the project was underpinned by the specialist input of each collaborator.

Sweco, through engineering expertise, helped identify where the building’s systems could be adjusted to reduce energy intensity. NG Bailey provided the on-site engineering expertise needed to turn recommendations into practical action. Open Green Energy provided live data insight through G.R.E.T.A, its interactive data platform, providing the project team access to half-hourly energy data at individual meter level.

The resultant process was one that worked seamlessly to feed input and insights into actions, with the outcome of informed operational changes being seen in real-time, informing a feedback loop that led to continuous performance improvement.

The results

The project was shortlisted as finalists for the ESG Edge Awards, and delivered measurable improvements in building performance.

For the period 01/09/2022 to 31/08/2024:

Electricity use reduced by 466,121 kWh, equivalent to a 19% reduction.
Gas use reduced by 720,500kWh, equivalent to a 43% reduction.
Associated market-based carbon emissions savings totalled approximately 149 kgCO₂e, due to the reduction in biogas consumption.
Occupier comfort remained central throughout the process.

Why it matters

This project shows that meaningful sustainability improvements do not always depend on large capital works. The team’s expertise and clear project management resulted in a near-10 year-old building achieved the best score in Manchester (as of August 2025) without replacing any of the plant, showcasing that there is real opportunity in optimising existing systems through expertise rather than relying on replacement.

The lessons from No.1 Spinningfields are now informing Form’s wider approach to asset optimisation, including future NABERS work across other managed assets.

As Makoto Fukui, Fund Manager at Schroders Capital, said:

“This accreditation is another milestone in our long-term objective for No.1 Spinningfields to offer best-in-class occupier experience and sustainability performance. This would not have been possible without the collaborative relationship that our team and advisers have forged with our occupiers, and we thank all our partners for their efforts in achieving this result.”