Energy Efficiency

6 STAR ENERGY RATINGS

House energy ratings

House energy rating through the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) uses computer simulations to assess the potential thermal comfort of Australian homes on a scale of zero to 10 stars. The more stars, the less likely the occupants need cooling or heating to stay comfortable.

What is rated?

A dwelling can be rated before or after it is built. The 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 these suit the local climate.

What the stars mean

  • Zero stars means the building shell does practically nothing to reduce the discomfort of hot or cold weather.
  • A 5 star rating indicates good, but not outstanding, thermal performance.
  • Occupants of a 10 star home are unlikely to need any artificial cooling or heating.

Typical ratings

Houses built in 1990 averaged about 1 star on the NatHERS scale. Before the introduction of national energy efficiency regulations for houses in 2003, less than one per cent of Australian houses achieved 5 stars.

Many well designed houses are now being built above 6 stars or more, and examples are available on the Your Home website at: www.yourhome.gov.au

Energy consumption by hot water systems, lights or household appliances is not part of the rating because those fittings are usually replaced several times during the life of the building.

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I would like my house to have an energy assessment, but-
  • I don't want to take time off work for the assessment
  • I do not have time to open up the house
  • The last person did not turn up for the appointment
  • I don't want someone looking around my bedroom or bathroom
  • How much is this going to cost?
  • Will I see a difference in my bills?
  • Will I be able to feel the difference in comfort?
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Together, lets build your home as a computer simulation to find out how it really performs.

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What information is needed for the assessment?

  • Number of rooms
  • Type/function of rooms eg. bedroom, living room etc.
  • Sizes of rooms
  • Size of windows
  • Window coverings (internal and external) eg. blinds, curtains or drapes
  • Floor coverings
  • House type eg. brick venear or weatherboard
  • Roof type
  • Number of wall vents, exhaust fans or chimneys
  • Postcode (for climate location)
  • Adjoining properties (eg. tall buildings overshadowing)

What will the report provide?

  • A Star Rating certificate - out of 10 stars as per the HERS program (HERS - House Energy Rating Scheme)
  • Heating and cooling consumption for each room
  • Shows the performance of the building materials of the house
  • Shows the performance of the glazing on each orientation
  • Indicates rooms that will be above comfort level in summer
  • Indicates rooms that will be below comfort level in winter
  • Shows the impacts of air leakage
  • Shows improvements for possible changes eg. installing insulation, sealing air leakage, improved glazing etc.
  • Can approximate the dollar savings from improvements

What do I do now?

Step 1: Email an existing set of house plans.

Step 2: You will receive a checklist via email to complete the information gathering for the energy assessment.

If you do not have an existing set of plans please email for a "whole of house" checklist.

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Commercial Energy Efficiency

Consulting Plus has several trading names to cover the diverse activities of this company. The energy efficiency activities operate under the trading name of dwellings Energyman and has been servicing clients since January 2000.

Wayne Gorman provides energy efficiency ratings and documentation for new 5 Star energy ratings for residential dwellings, deemed-to-satisfy (DTS) energy efficiency documentation for residential dwellings contained in the Building Codes of Australia (BCA) Part 3.12.1 and energy efficiency analysis of existing residential dwellings. Wayne Gorman also provides energy efficiency documentation for commercial buildings under the J Section of the BCA that covers Class 5-9 buildings and NABERS ratings for Class 5 buildings.

Wayne Gorman is an accredited NABERS assessor, First Rate 5 assessor and can provide expert opinion on energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings covering Class 1, Class 2, Class 4 and Class 5-9 under the BCA.

Wayne Gorman is an accredited Cert IV trainer for-

  • Residential Building Thermal Performance (RBTP),
  • First Rate 5 software,
  • AccuRate software,
  • NABERS rating scheme,
  • Master Builders Association Green Living Builders course
  • Home Sustainability Assessors Scheme - HSAS.

Wayne delivers training for -

  • Association of Building Sustainability Assessors - ABSA
  • Australian Institute of Building Surveyors - AIBS
  • Building Designers Association of Tasmania - BDAT
  • Housing Industry Association - HIA
  • Master Builders Association - MBA
  • private companies and specialised in-house training contracts.