Australia has made net zero a clear priority with the release of the 2022 National Construction Code (NCC), which targets residential spaces. The NCC requires architects and builders to create homes that reach the 7-star energy standards, resulting in benefits like lower energy bills, limited greenhouse gas emissions, and a healthier living space.

Since building a 7-star home is mandatory in Australia, what are the options to achieve it? Currently, one can use assessment software to determine the energy efficiency of the whole space or analyze individual elements like glazing, fabric, and more.

This guide will discuss these options in light of NCC 2022 and help you understand how to achieve the 7-star energy rating.

Understanding the Deem-to-Satisfy Pathways 

The NCC 2022 has mandated energy efficiency performance requirements for all Australian homes. Currently, there are two paths through which you can fulfill these energy rating requirements:

1. Determining energy rating through approved software, such as HERO, Accurate, BersPro, or Accurate.
2. Following Section 13 of the Australian Building Code Board (ABCB) Housing Provisions, make building sealing, ceiling fans, and building fabric.

It is crucial to understand that assessors can determine a house’s energy ratings through software that considers the house as a whole. They can also examine each element in the Elemental DTS solution. Depending on a particular situation, they can combine both options.

No matter the chosen solution, evidence and documentation must be provided to substantiate the energy efficiency claims.

1. House Energy Rating Solutions With FirstRate5 

Housing designs and construction must use solar passive design principles to achieve the 7-star energy rating mandated in Australia. Architects and builders use their dedication and talent to ensure compliance with the latest energy standards. They need technological help in the form of software to determine if a dwelling is actually compliant with the 7-star energy requirements.

Here, we’ll take FirstRate5 as an example. It is a leading name in thermal performance assessment. Many industrial players use it to determine whether a dwelling meets a 7-star energy rating. The software has several features that help builders and architects know if the homes they have constructed or designed meet the minimum standards or need modifications.

One feature is the graphic user interface, which lets assessors generate a home’s geometry by analyzing the floor plans. This feature is then combined with another one called the AccuRate calculation engine. It helps create the final home rating, which applies to both existing designs and optimizes them for compliance.

This tool generates ratings from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most robust compliance standard. The Nationwide House Energy Rating administers it, and its accreditation comes from the NatHERS Software Accreditation Protocol (SAP).

How FirstRate5 Helps With 7-star Compliance 

Usually, one can boost a home’s rating through the following two ways:

1. Using solar passive design principles in the floor plans means maximizing the power of the sun and the wind to lower energy costs and make the home as comfortable as possible.
2. Enhancing the insulation and the specifications of windows to the point where the home becomes 7-star compliant.

When one digs deeper and tries to choose between these two options, it becomes clear that the second is way more expensive.

FirstRate5 analyzes a particular design and determines the heat and air conditioning required to keep it comfortable year-round. This analysis determines a workable temperature range for the home.

It helps assessors know how much of the home can be heated by the sun during winter, which increases the overall rating. Similarly, a house with airy windows, proper insulation, and quality glazing will require much less cooling during summer and will have a higher rating.

2. Elemental Provisions 

As the name suggests, these provisions address various elements that go into improving a home’s energy efficiency and have been described in Section 13 of the ABCB Housing. These can be called the must haves to achieve the 7-star energy rating:

• Building fabric
• External glazing
• Building sealing
• Air movement
• Services

Let’s look at the energy efficiency requirements detailed in the NCC Vol. 2, prepared by the ABCB.

Thermal Performance of a Building 

Improving a building’s thermal performance refers to using minimal artificial heating and cooling and maximizing natural heating and cooling sources. This makes the home more energy efficient by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

Some of the most important terms here are:

• Geographic location: These are NCC-determined climate zones where different heating and cooling loads can achieve the same energy ratings.
• Permanent features: These have a long-term impact on a home’s thermal performance, such as large heritage areas, mountains, existing buildings, and the like.
• Solar radiations: They refer to solar passive energy principles in which we heat the building in cooler weather and reduce the sun’s impact in warmer weather.
• Building envelope: The sealing of building fabric between conditioned and unconditioned spaces to prevent unwanted loss or heat entry.

Conclusion 

To determine a home’s energy consumption, one can assess the home as a whole with reliable software or analyze it element by element. No matter which option one chooses, it is crucial to have energy rating assessments done by a reliable organization.

PassivEnergy is one of the leading names in home energy assessments and is trusted by designers and builders across the board. We have a team with considerable experience in design, construction, and sustainable practices, helping us understand the right pathway to the required 7-star energy rating. Our technological understanding of the energy rating system differentiates us from other players on the market, which helps us provide the highest possible service quality.

So, visit our website for a free quote today or ask any questions. We’re always happy to help.