Partnering for Sustainable Design
At Torple, we tailor BESS assessments to meet the unique needs of each project, ensuring both compliance and clarity at every stage. By collaborating closely with architects, developers, and designers, we provide expert guidance across all BESS categories- including water, energy, stormwater management, and indoor environmental quality to support smarter, more sustainable design outcomes.
Energy & Water Efficiency
We evaluate your building’s performance through comprehensive energy assessment and recommend strategies to meet or exceed BESS benchmarks.
Stormwater & Waste Management
Integrated assessments that align with STORM and WSUD requirements for a streamlined approval process.
Indoor Environmental Quality
We help you optimise daylight access, ventilation, and thermal comfort for healthier, more livable spaces.
Achieving Your Vision Starts with Smarter Sustainability
The Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard (BESS) is used by Victorian councils to assess sustainability in new developments, covering energy, water, waste, and indoor environmental quality. At Torple, we prepare comprehensive BESS assessment reports and provide clear recommendations to help your project achieve a strong BESS score — ensuring planning compliance and long-term performance.
Developed by the Victorian Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE), BESS replaced the older STEPS and SDS tools for residential and non-residential projects and is considered the Victorian equivalent of BASIX in New South Wales.
In essence, a BESS report demonstrates how a proposed development performs across each sustainability category, highlights the required inclusions for architectural plans, and identifies the documentation needed to provide evidence of sustainable design.
The Benefits of BESS
- Free and Accessible
BESS is a free, online tool designed to help project teams demonstrate sustainable design across most building classes. It provides a clear framework for councils to assess environmental performance, covering nine key categories of sustainable design. - Simple to Use
The platform is designed to be straightforward and easy to navigate, making the assessment process more efficient. - Widely Accepted
BESS reports are recognised by all Victorian councils as the official tool for Sustainable Design Assessment (SDA) and Sustainable Management Plan (SMP) submissions. - Flexible and Comprehensive
In addition to its in-built calculators, BESS allows integration of external modelling results (e.g., daylighting or energy simulations) for more accurate assessments. - User-Friendly Guidance
With clear internal guides, BESS makes it simple for professionals at any level to understand and apply. - Educational Value
Beyond compliance, BESS also serves as a learning resource for those looking to deepen their knowledge of sustainable building design.
How the BESS Scoring System Works
The BESS scoring system is based on how well a project performs across nine sustainability categories. Each category has its own weighting, and the final score reflects both the degree of sustainable measures adopted and the relative importance of each category. The higher the level of sustainable design features integrated into the project, the higher the score achieved in the online BESS tool.
Category Weightings in BESS
The final score is a percentage that represents overall sustainability performance, helping councils assess whether a project meets the required planning compliance standards.
BESS Final Overall Score
The BESS final score represents the overall sustainability performance of a project. Based on the percentage achieved, projects are classified into the following performance levels:
- Best Practice – Achieved when the proposed building scores 50% or higher
- Excellence – Achieved when the proposed building scores 70% or higher
This benchmark helps councils, architects, and developers understand whether a project is simply meeting baseline expectations or demonstrating outstanding sustainable design
How Can Our Team Help You Navigate BESS
Project Discovery
Book a 20-minute consultation with our sustainability expert to discuss your development and how BESS applies. We’ll walk you through the BESS assessment process and gather initial project details.
Data Collection & Design Review
We’ll work with your design team to collect architectural plans and sustainability features. This includes reviewing energy, water, waste, and indoor environment strategies.
BESS Assessment & Reporting
Our team will complete the BESS assessment using council-approved tools, ensuring your project meets or exceeds required benchmarks. You’ll receive a detailed, submission-ready BESS report.
Submission Support & Revisions
We assist with submitting your BESS report to council and provide support for any feedback or revisions needed—ensuring a smooth path to planning approval.
Have some Questions
What is BESS and why is it required?
BESS is a sustainability assessment tool used by many Victorian councils to evaluate the environmental performance of new developments. It’s often required as part of the planning permit process.
What types of projects need a BESS assessment?
BESS assessments are typically required for multi-unit residential, mixed-use, and larger townhouse developments. Some councils may also request it for smaller projects.
What does a BESS assessment cover?
BESS evaluates your project across nine categories, including energy, water, stormwater, waste, indoor environment quality, transport, urban ecology, innovation, and management.
How long does it take to complete a BESS report?
Depending on the size of the home and the documentation available, the timeframe will vary. Please reach out to us to talk about your goals and plans.
What documents do I need to provide for a BESS assessment?
You’ll need architectural plans, site details, material specifications, and information about sustainability features like solar panels, rainwater tanks, and insulation.
Can you help if my project doesn’t meet BESS requirements?
Yes! We’ll provide practical recommendations to improve your score and ensure your project meets council expectations.
Will you assist with council submissions?
Yes, we provide full support for submitting your BESS report and responding to any council feedback or revision requests.
Hear From Those We've Partnered With
We take pride in delivering thoughtful, sustainable solutions—and our clients say it best.
“The Torple team has been fantastic over the years in providing detailed energy assessments. Specifically, in being pro-active in providing solutions to star rating shortfalls in an easy manner. I would highly recommend Torple due to their low fuss approach to every project they undertake”
“I have worked with Torple for many years on both residential and commercial projects and they play a valuable role in my business in both design development and the development approval process. They are prompt, efficient and good communicators and provide up-to-date information and advice.”
“Professional, efficient and easy to deal with. The team at Torple constantly deliver accurate reports quickly and provide helpful guidance throughout the process in an ever evolving space. Highly recommend for reliable energy rating assessments”.
“We have been using Torple for 18 Months now and have found them fantastic to deal with. They are solution driven and are always willing to work with us to produce the best outcome for our clients. We look forward to working with Torple for future projects & developments.”
“We love working with Torple to ensure our designs are compliant with NCC requirements for both Residential and Commercial Buildings. We appreciate their in-depth knowledge to help us achieve compliance with Section J requirements. They are highly skilled in their field, easy to work with and a great asset to our company.”
