Building Energy Ratings and Advice

What Building Energy Ratings and Advice does

Building Energy Ratings and Advice (BERA) is an Australian building energy efficiency consultancy headquartered in South Brisbane, Queensland, founded in 2015. The firm provides National Construction Code (NCC) energy efficiency compliance documentation and advisory services for architects, building designers, builders, and certifiers across every Australian state and territory. Core offerings include Section J Reports and JV3 Reports for commercial buildings, plus NatHERS, BASIX, BESS, and Deemed-to-Satisfy assessments for residential projects, with premium add-ons such as 'Designing for 7 Stars' advisory and the Architects Premium Energy Efficiency Package. BERA positions itself around expertise across multiple code iterations (NCC 2016, 2019, 2022, and the upcoming 2025) and a fast turnaround of approximately three working days per assessment.

The firm's underlying technology is built around NCC compliance methodology, including NatHERS software for residential thermal modeling, J1V3 thermal modeling for commercial buildings, and Section J Deemed-to-Satisfy assessments. BERA has developed two proprietary in-house tools — a wall-glazing calculator and a thermal bridging calculator — built to overcome bugs and workflow limitations found in the official ABCB Window-Glazing Calculator. These tools are embedded into the assessment spreadsheet and provide modest workflow automation but do not represent a software platform; the bulk of work remains manual assessor-driven consulting.

BERA operates a sales-led, direct-consultation model. Customers upload plans via the company website and receive quotes within 24 hours, with assessments priced on a one-time basis between A$100 and A$1,000 depending on complexity and assessment method. Distribution is entirely domestic Australia, achieved through a single Brisbane headquarters. Marketing channels are weighted toward content (an active blog covering NCC changes), an occasional newsletter, and client referrals reinforced by published testimonials. The firm is privately held, bootstrapped, and operates with approximately six employees.

Name

Building Energy Ratings and Advice

Legal name

Building Energy Ratings & Advice

Website

https://bera.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BERA is an Australian building energy efficiency consultancy that provides NCC Section J, NatHERS, BASIX, BESS, and Deemed-to-Satisfy compliance assessments for architects, builders, and certifiers across all Australian states and territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

South Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Energy Efficiency Assessments: Professional services revenue generated from conducting energy efficiency assessments for commercial and residential buildings. Services include Section J Reports, JV3 Assessments, NatHERS Assessments, BASIX assessments, and consultation services. Pricing typically ranges from $100 to $1,000 depending on complexity and assessment method used.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BERA provides energy efficiency assessments and compliance documentation for commercial and residential buildings across Australia. Core offerings include Section J Reports, JV3 Reports, Deemed to Satisfy (DTS) assessments, NatHERS ratings, BASIX assessments, and BESS assessments to ensure buildings comply with National Construction Code (NCC) Energy Efficiency requirements.

Product overview

BERA is a building energy efficiency consulting service offering a portfolio of assessment and advisory products for both commercial and residential buildings across Australia. Their core offerings include Section J Reports and JV3 Reports for commercial buildings (covering NCC compliance for building fabric, lighting, HVAC, and energy systems), and Residential Energy Efficiency Assessments including NatHERS ratings, Deemed to Satisfy, BASIX, and BESS assessments for homes. Premium add-on modules include 'Designing for 7 Stars' (for the new NCC 2022 seven-star requirement) and the Architects Premium Energy Efficiency Package for early-stage design consultation. All services are delivered through manual consulting engagements where clients upload plans and receive assessments and compliance documentation from certified energy assessors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Section J Reports NCC Section J Reports for commercial buildings that assess compliance with minimum Energy Efficiency standards including building materials (walls, roofs, floors, glazing), lighting, and energy consumption requirements.
• JV3 Reports Performance solution method using software-generated verification that develops a full thermal model of the building and determines performance against a reference building design.
• Deemed to Satisfy (DTS) Assessments Simple comparison method evaluating building design against benchmark minimum standards for thermal performance of each building element (roof, walls, glazing, floors, etc.).
• Residential Energy Efficiency Assessments NatHERS, Deemed to Satisfy, and BASIX assessments for residential buildings ensuring compliance with energy efficiency requirements for new homes and renovations.
• Designing for 7 Stars Premium service helping architects and designers achieve the new NCC 2022 minimum 7-star NatHERS rating requirement for new residential buildings.
• Architects Premium Energy Efficiency Package Comprehensive energy efficiency consultation package for architects providing early-stage design guidance and ongoing support throughout the design process.
• Energy Efficiency Advice Consultation services ranging from initial guidance on NCC legislation to detailed discussion of design compliance options and thermal performance optimization.
• BESS Assessments Building Energy Efficiency Software assessments for commercial buildings providing energy efficiency compliance verification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Modern energy efficiency measures can reduce energy consumption by up to 90%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global engineering consultancy with significant Australian operations including building energy modelling and Section J advisory; a scaled incumbent whose energy team overlaps with BERA's commercial compliance work.
• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with a sustainability and building performance practice that delivers energy compliance and thermal modelling in Australia; competes at the larger end of commercial Section J work.
• Atelier Ten: Global sustainability and building performance consultancy with strong Australian presence; offers energy modelling and Section J-adjacent services at the higher end of the market, overlapping with BERA's commercial work but at larger project scale.
• pitt&sherry: Australian engineering consultancy with a building services and energy efficiency team providing NCC Section J compliance advice; broader portfolio but overlaps with BERA on commercial energy assessments.
• Northmore Gordon: Australian building services engineering firm with energy efficiency and Section J capability as part of a wider mechanical/electrical design offering; competes for commercial energy assessment work.
• Aurecon: Global engineering and infrastructure advisory with Australian building services and energy teams that include NCC Section J capability; competes with BERA on commercial building assessments via integrated design mandates.

Direct peers

• AccuRate Energy Ratings: Australian building energy rating consultancy offering NatHERS, BASIX and Section J assessments; comparable to BERA in service mix and target customers (architects, builders, certifiers).
• Home Energy Rating: Australian residential energy efficiency assessor providing NatHERS ratings and compliance documentation; overlaps directly with BERA's residential service line.
• FirstRate: Australian provider of residential energy rating software and accredited NatHERS assessments; directly competes with BERA in the same NatHERS/DTS residential assessment market across Australia.
• Energy Smart: Australian energy efficiency consultancy providing commercial and residential energy ratings and thermal performance assessments; competes for the same designer and builder customer base as BERA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/building-energy-ratings-and-advice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Building Energy Ratings and Advice