Our Surrey office has achieved a NABERS 5.5 star Certified Performance Rating for the 2nd year running. It remains the only building in the UK to achieve a certified NABERS 5.5 stars, which makes it a UK leading achievement.
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Our Sunbury office has achieved a 5.5 Star NABERS UK Energy for Offices Whole Building rating, as featured in CIBSE Journal (March 2026). This milestone demonstrates what is possible when technical rigour and operational engagement work together. We are now progressing toward a 6 Star rating.
Delivering high performance in a building constructed in the 1960s required a carefully targeted, evidence based strategy. Rather than wholesale replacement, we focused on measurable improvements that would directly influence operational energy performance.
Key upgrades included:
• Targeted fabric enhancements, including upgrading single glazing to double glazing
• Installation of high efficiency LED lighting with daylight dimming and PIR controls
• Enhanced performance monitoring through increasingly granular metering
These technical interventions created the foundation for improved performance. However, technology alone does not secure a 5.5 Star rating.
The defining factor has been a building performance mindset across our team. By understanding how the building operates in real time, occupants are empowered to make informed decisions that reduce energy demand. Small, consistent behavioural adjustments accumulate into meaningful, measurable savings.
This achievement reinforces a clear message: existing buildings can exceed expectations. With the right retrofit strategy, robust data, and engaged occupants, legacy office stock can align with modern performance standards.
We are now advancing toward a 6 Star NABERS rating, supported by our photovoltaic panel installation and continued refinement of performance monitoring.
For a detailed overview of the project, read the full feature in the March 2026 edition of CIBSE Journal.
The next phase focuses on renewables and advanced analytics:
Generating our own energy to power the building
To offset electricity demand
For deeper performance insights
By layering these initiatives onto an already optimised base, Watkins Payne is now working toward achieving 6.0-Star NABERS certification within the next 12 months.