Major changes have been announced in Australia’s residential building industry with the most significant amendments to the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) in 30 years, writes Greg King-Evans.
Australia’s energy ministers met in late August 2022 and agreed to changes in energy efficiency ratings for residential buildings that will apply to new homes nationwide.
The updating of the scheme is designed to help cut buildings’ ongoing costs on the path to net-zero emissions, with the introduction of minimum energy ratings of seven stars under the National Construction Code 2022 being one of the most notable improvements, up from the previous rating of six stars.
NatHERS provides a rating out of 10 stars that covers a home’s design and its construction materials, including for walls, insulation, windows and roofs.
With the new standard, a whole-of-home energy rating will assess the energy performance of major appliances such as hot water systems, heating and cooling, pool and spa pumps, solar modules and battery storage.
This additional rating is out of 100 and is designed to encourage builders to consider the efficiency of appliances they recommend to homeowners.
Australia’s residential building sector accounts for 11 per cent of the country’s total energy, 23 per cent of electricity consumption, and 11 per cent of national greenhouse gas emissions, meaning these changes are expected to have a tangible impact on the nation’s overarching net-zero ambitions.
“With more than 150,000 houses built every year [in Australia] these efficiency measures will help constrain energy demand, which is vital to support the economy’s transition to net zero,” says Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister.
“Energy efficient houses are more comfortable to live in as they are cheaper to heat in winter and cool in summer. They have new, high-performance electric appliances that are more functional and cut energy bills.
“We want more Australians to have access to these technologies.
“Much of the energy Australians pay for every year is wasted. Billions of dollars of energy leak out as hot air from poorly constructed buildings in winter; are lost by inefficient air-conditioners in summer; and wasted by old appliances and business equipment year round.”
The Federal Government is also introducing minimum energy performance standards for LED lighting and phasing out inefficient lightings such as incandescent filament and halogen lamps.