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To ensure you are getting the best result, Sustainability WA BAL assessments are carried out by FPAA accredited consultants.

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Let Sustainability WA assist you with your next commercial project by providing an easy to read, cost effective solution.

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Our Green Star services can be provided along with our other Sustainable and Energy Efficiency services, such as Section J compliance and 6 Star Energy Efficiency report or separately.

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A Basix assessment considers water use, Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort.

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Sustainability WA will provide you with all the documents you need for council to approve the energy efficiency requirements.

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This sophisticated software analyses your building plans and assesses the heating and cooling loads required to keep your future house at a comfortable temperature.

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The VURB Method is the most effective method for energy efficiency compliance for large houses, houses with elevated floors, houses with upside down living or houses with unusual design features.

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The elemental provisions dictate the insulation or performance levels you need to comply with for each energy efficient home design element.

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Sustainability WA helped develop the protocol governing additions and alterations.

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The Right Insulation increases building energy efficiency, improves health and well-being and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

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As promised in our last update we are filling out some of the detail for Alterations and Addition requirements now that the official protocol has been released by the Building Commission. The protocol and documentation to be used with the protocol is available here: Building Commission Bulletin – Alterations and Additions

There will be a number of options for  compliance when the 5 star exemption lapses in May 2015.

The first will be to comply with the energy efficiency requirements of the current NCC as do new houses.

The second will be to obtain energy efficiency certification using the protocols as endorsed by the Building Commission of WA.

Why the need for the protocol?

When a HERS home energy rating system program is used the whole house must be assessed. When glazing calculators developed by the ABCB are used the whole floor must be assessed. If only part of the floor or house is being renovated this will result in an unfair burden being placed on the existing part of the house which may result in renovations and extensions being unable to comply with the energy efficiency regulations.

To counter this, the protocol has been introduced. This protocol operates under a number of key principles. Firstly that all parts of the house, after renovation, will achieve the same or better level of energy efficiency. Secondly by upgrading existing parts of the house, that would otherwise be untouched during the renovation project, this will result in better energy efficiency overall and should be encouraged. Thirdly the NCC is still the authority and unless an item is specifically mentioned in the protocol the NCC is to be used.

What does this mean?

In general terms:

The new portions of a building needs to meet the latest energy efficiency requirements.

Existing parts not being changed but are part of the affected area, need to either remain as is or to the BCA that was applicable when building license was applied for(whichever is higher).

If parts of the existing are improved(EG add ceiling insulation to parts where there is currently none)  then a concession can be used for the new section of the building.

Alterations and additions that affect more than 80% of the residence have to comply with the full energy efficiency regulations as if they are a new house.

Alterations and additions that affect less than 10% of the residence may be unaffected by the energy efficiency regulations, under certain circumstances.

There is both a HERS(Star Rating) and an Elemental Provisions(Glazing calculator etc) option as there is with new houses.  Which will be best will become clear as we do more testing, however we expect that what works for new houses will  also hold true with the additions and renovations.  

How to comply

Some important changes are needed in the documentation of projects that will lodged for a building license after May 1st 2015 and will be affected by the new regulations.

Most importantly the whole house, even the portions that will be unaffected by the additions and alterations, needs to be documented. Documentation will need to include construction types, insulation currently installed, window and door sizes of both remaining windows and new and year that the building license was applied for. If there are a number of additions or extensions in the past the date of building license application and the parts that were affected by that application will need to be identified for each section.

With the above information we will then be able to assess which method will be more suitable for your project.

The protocol also details how to deal with smaller renovations etc. such as new roof cover, roof colour changes and external cladding changes.

It is expected that the protocol allows the flexibility to ensure a good outcome for renovations and extensions that does not overly burden the industry but at the same time will result in greater energy efficiency for new building.

However to make sure the protocol  is used effectively and the best result is achieved for your project it is very important to make sure that the person doing your assessments on additions and alterations has a good understanding of the BCA energy efficiency regulations as a whole as well as the new protocols and tools released.

Over the coming months leading into the application of the new regulations we will be releasing more data on how to comply and which method works best for which projects.

If you have any specific questions, items you need clarifying or would like to contribute a set of plans for the case studies please let us know.

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When asked about our work, or about our qualifications regarding sustainability, from our own experiences, the response is often understood as dealing with solar panels or being involved in other clichéd sustainable actions. While such technologies and actions can play a role in an approach to the sustainable dichotomy these are just a fraction what we do and know. There is a whole lot more that could be understood to what energy efficient home plans sustainability is. Knowing the full spectrum of what sustainability is can assist in making certain adjustments to making life for yourself, family and community a whole lot better.

The following articles in this category will endeavor to educate and bring to attention some important initiatives that can improve your well being, be sustainable, improve your economical status, well-being and help make the environment around you a better place.

Understanding what energy efficiency is and how it is a key role within the notion of sustainability can help you save money in the long term, create an asset rather than a liability and be a part of making an environmental difference.

The notion of energy efficiency is understood as üsing less energy to provide the same service “in conjunction with this statement it has been noted that ënergy efficiency is not energy conservation, instead energy conservation is reducing or going without a service to save energy” for example: Turning off a light is energy conservation, replacing an standard light for a LED light or fluorescent light (which uses less energy is produce the same amount of light) is energy efficiency.

In the case of Sustainability WA’s interpretation of energy efficiency it is not to suggest wearing a jumper to keep warm or strip down to keep cool, which leads to energy conservation.  Instead Sustainability WA provides advice to assist with thermal management of a residence or commercial structure.

The measure of the energy efficiency of a residence is measured as a star rating. According the to the Building Code of Australia the minimum thermal performance is measured by a 6 star rating. The highest rating achieved for a residence is 10 Stars which indicates that there is no need for any assisted thermal management.

According to owner Nathan Peart, Sustainability WA “Aims to ensure that our clients achieve their energy efficiency targets, make an environmental difference and most importantly make certain that your energy efficiency choices save you money in the long term”.

Don’t waste anymore of your time worrying about keeping up-to-date with the ongoing changes to energy efficiency regulations.

Give us a call on 08 9583 4333 or Contact Us and let us handle the details for you.

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Lately the building industry has been in a constant state of change. With building regulations changing and then clarifications and amendments, these changes make it hard to keep a handle on where we stand.

Energy Efficiency assessments are no different.

The change to 6 star regulations in Western Australia last May was a huge change for the building and design industry. This has been followed this May with further changes. These changes are due to clarifications from the government body that regulates residential Energy Efficiency assessments, NatHERS.

The BCA states that a residential energy efficiency assessment that is conducted using the NatHERS protocols and achieves 6 stars have satisfied the energy efficiency regulations. It is therefore important that you are not only getting a residential energy assessment but one that complies with the NatHERS protocols, so that you are not left with a non compliant building.

The NatHERS regulations set out what software can be used and how the assessment must be conducted. It is these NatHERS regulations that have changed as of May 1st. This has resulted in a more stringent assessing procedure and has had a negative effect on most ratings.

So what are the changes and how does it affect you?

The changes can be broken into 4 key areas:

Zoning Changes

When an assessment is conducted a house is broken into zones. Each zone is given a different usage pattern ( E.G. a bedroom is night time use) and noted if the area is heated or cooled.

There was previously freedom to choose the usage and if the area was heating and cooled. This is no longer the case. All areas, except wet areas are considered heated and cooled and all areas except bedrooms are considered day time use. The only exception to this is a study – which can be determined as night time use if it has a robe and could be used as a bedroom.

This can have a significant impact on the energy rating, as daytime uses generally result in higher energy uses and therefore a lower rating.

Colours

Previously medium was the default colours of walls and roof if none were noted. Although this still remains for walls, the assessment must now be conducted using worst case roof colour. In the metropolitan and southern areas Light is generally the worst colour. In the northern areas it is dark.

Obstructions

Adjoining structures can have a large impact on the energy efficiency of a house. If a house is shaded on the north side by a neighbouring house, or has the cooling sea breezes blocked this will reduce the energy rating it achieves. Previously it was only required to enter obstructions that were shown on the site plan. This is no longer the case.

We now assume that there will be an identical house built next door if it is vacant, or the house is not shown on the site plan.

Lighting

Recessed down lights, whatever type they are, have a negative impact on our ratings, for 2 reasons.

Firstly a clearance must be left between down lights and ceiling insulation. This results in a hole in the ceiling insulation that allows heat and cold to escape, affecting the overall ceiling insulation properties.

Secondly if Down lights are vented this allows a passage for uncontrolled air movement

Although the Building Commission has advised that only directional or gimbled lights are considered vented, if it is not noted on the plan we now need to assume all Down lights are vented. If no electrical plan is provided we are to assume that there will be 4 down lights per 10m². This will result in a significantly reduced rating and extra costs in compliance.

What to do?

You will have found that the ratings you have received from May 1st have been lower and possibly requiring greater upgrades. If not, check with your energy assessor that the latest rules are being applied.

Ensure your Energy efficient home plans have the following information to assist with an accurate rating:

Roof Colour (If Known)

Neighbouring structures shown on your site plan

Note on electrical plan if Down lights are to be unvented

If no electrical plan is provided note if there will be recessed down lights on the floor plan.

And of course if you have any questions talk to us here at Sustainability WA. If you don’t have an energy efficiency assessor on your team already perhaps it is time to consider engaging Sustainability WA to work with you as part of your design team.

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One pathway for proving that you house or building project has met the minimum energy efficient home design standard is to gain a 6 star rating (The minimum energy efficient star rating) using House Energy Rating Software(HERS).

This sophisticated software analyses your building plans and assesses the heating and cooling loads required to keep your future house at a comfortable temperature.

It takes into account the full building fabric – Roof, Ceiling, Walls, windows and floors – and the heat and cold that can pass through these elements.

The Energy rating depends on:

The layout of the home.

The construction of its roof, walls, windows and floor.

The orientation of windows and shading to the sun’s path and local breezes.

How well the above factors suit the local climate.

Sealing – Vented down lights and gas vents will significantly affect an energy rating.

Colours of material – Dark colours are better in cold climates and light colours are better in warmer climates.

Floor coverings – Tiles show a performance gain in areas where there are high heating loads or where there are full height windows allowing solar access to the tiles.

Zero stars means the building shell does practically nothing to reduce the discomfort of hot or cold weather, while occupants of a 10 star home are unlikely to need any artificial cooling or heating.

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Sustainability WA can work with you to tailor an alternative solution for BCA energy efficiency compliance with the Verification using a Reference Building assessment method (VURB). This alternative gives you flexibility to meet energy efficiency compliance and good energy efficient home design by using both the Deemed-to-Satisfy Elemental Provisions method and the thermal modelling software.

The Verification using a Reference Building assessment method uses the Elemental Provisions as a compliance benchmark. A building is modelled with the Elemental Provisions using thermal modelling software to create target annual energy consumption. The building is then designed with your desired specification and this proposed building is also modelled in the thermal software. If your proposed building uses the same or less energy than the reference target then it is deemed to comply.

Verification Using a Reference Building is a minimum performance standard, meaning any proposed building which can achieve above the reference building benchmark energy heating and/or cooling loads is deemed compliant. This process gives builders, architects and designers the freedom to design buildings that meet (or exceed) specifications while also being cost effective. With VURB a star rating is not given but rather the building complies with the energy efficient home design requirements of the BCA.

A reference building cannot be labelled as 6 stars but can be more cost effective to construct compared to 6 stars. The VURB Method is the most effective method for energy efficiency compliance for large houses, houses with elevated floors, houses with upside down living or houses with unusual design features.

In general, it can help reduce your build costs, while still achieving energy compliance. As this requires 3 separate ratings to calculate, the assessment cost is higher, however, the outcome achieved is much more cost effective in the building stage.

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The elemental provisions, or Deemed To Satisfy as it used to be called, provides the least flexible way to achieve compliance of energy efficient home design elements but can still be useful in some circumstances, particularly light weight constructions.

The elemental provisions dictate the insulation or performance levels you need to comply with for each energy efficient home design element.

For example, a floor will have to have a certain R value, as well as the walls and so on. You cannot increase the R value in the walls to compensate for less insulation in the floor. Each individual component must comply. This often makes it difficult to comply with this method.

As always energy efficient home design will be easier with Sustainability WA and we will find the correct assessment method for your project.