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Matrak + NABERS Embodied Carbon
NABERS Embodied Carbon is Australia's certified rating. It needs a bill of quantities, and Matrak produces one from the drawings.
What is NABERS Embodied Carbon?
NABERS Embodied Carbon is the Australian government's rating for upfront embodied carbon (modules A1 to A5), certified by an accredited assessor. Its national material emission factors database is the dataset Green Star Buildings requires for its Upfront Carbon credit.
Where it shines: The official, independently certified Australian rating, backed by government.
Matrak + NABERS Embodied Carbon, side by side
| Capability | NABERS Embodied Carbon | Matrak AI Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Measures quantities from PDF drawings | No | Yes |
| Uses supplier EPDs | Yes | Yes |
| NABERS factors (Green Star Upfront Carbon) | Yes | Yes |
| Re-measures each revision and shows the carbon change | No | Yes |
| Every quantity marked up on the drawing | No | Yes |
| Whole-of-life LCA (modules A to D) | No | No |
| Certified rating or certification report | Yes | No |
| Where the quantities come from | Bill of quantities supplied to an accredited assessor | PDF drawings, plus any supplier EPDs you attach |
| Pricing | Rating and assessor fees | Pay per takeoff, carbon included. No subscription. |
Based on each vendor's public product information as at September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll correct it.
How they fit together
A rating needs a bill of quantities, and building one by hand is where the time and the consultant fees go. Matrak measures the quantities from the PDF drawings and applies the same NABERS factors, so your assessor starts from a checked bill instead of a blank page. Matrak doesn't issue ratings: it gets you ready for one, and shows you the carbon at every revision on the way.
A carbon tool is only as good as the quantities fed into it, and producing those quantities is the slow, expensive part: a consultant rebuilding a bill of quantities by hand, often months after the drawings. Matrak's AI measures them straight from the PDF drawings in about 30 minutes, applies supplier EPDs first and NABERS factors where there are none, and shows every quantity marked up on the drawing. Run it again on the next revision and you see the carbon change beside the cost change.
Frequently asked questions
Does Matrak replace an LCA tool?
Not for a whole-of-life LCA or a certified rating. Matrak measures upfront embodied carbon (cradle-to-gate, A1 to A3) for each line of the bill of quantities, from the drawings. Many teams use it to get the quantities and a first carbon number fast, then carry the bill into their LCA tool or a NABERS assessment.
Where do the carbon factors come from?
Your suppliers' Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) when you attach them. Otherwise the NABERS National material emission factors database (v2026.2), the dataset GBCA's Green Star Buildings requires for its Upfront Carbon credit.
How long does it take?
About 30 minutes for a typical project, from PDF drawings to a bill of quantities with carbon on every line. There's no model to build and no quantities to type in.
Can we export it?
Yes. Excel, CSV and the quote all carry the carbon columns, or push it straight into Matrak.