Energy ratings, what are they and how do they work?
Anytime a project is planned for construction or modification, regardless of being domestic, commercial or industrial, an energy rating is required before you get a building permit. For industry professionals this is straight forward and makes sense, but lets discuss energy ratings in detail to prevent confusion.
An energy rating is like a check or a certification that applies to a building project anywhere between when your first plan is drawn to all the way at the end of the planning process when you are almost ready to build. An energy rater or thermal performance assessor will assess, or rate, your project to see how it stacks up against industry benchmarks. In short there are standards of compliance for all building projects regardless of design and scope.
All projects require an approved energy rating before commencement. While this process sounds complicated, Blue Sky Design Solutions can achieve the required energy rating quickly and economically.
Not only do you get a tick of approval to commence your project, you also have the advantage of knowing your project has been assessed to ensure it is the best and most efficient design for now, and the future.
All energy ratings must be paired with a Whole of Home assessment, which we can also help with. For more information click here.
Residential energy ratings, 7 stars and extension assessments
Lets talk about a new project you might be planning. An energy rating will be required so it is worth understanding how they work.
In Australia we have a government scheme that is almost two decades old called NATHERS, which stands for nationwide house energy rating scheme. It isn’t necessary reading but more info can be found by clicking here.
NATHERS is the standard by which all homes need to comply, this includes the 7 star standard. An energy rating will rate your new home or extension and will give it a star rating depending on how well it complies with the NATHERS standard.
Several factors which influence your star rating are the house or extension design and layout, your window sizes and locations, where North is on your plan, and the materials your dwelling is built from. There are actually many more factors but that isn’t important now. If we do your energy rating we can consult you on things that need to be considered through your design.
In short every house, and extension gets a completely different star rating, some are just 6 stars and others 8 stars depending on design considerations.
Now the super important part, why spend time speaking with an energy rater about your star rating? Because your energy rating gives you a very good idea of how much your heating and cooling bill will be every year, and in a time where energy costs are constantly rising it is a great idea to build a home or extension that is energy efficient, to keep the bills low. Additionally less energy used is better for the environment, so its a double benefit to have an energy efficient home.
Commercial energy ratings, ‘Section J reports’
If you are in the market for a commercial energy rating, you are probably a developer or a builder with experience in your field and you probably need no explanation on how a commercial energy rating works or why it is required. However is is worth discussing how it is different from a residential energy rating.
Commercial developments, for example a new cafe, car dealership or a clothing outlet that is being renovated, all need what is called a Section J report, which is a commercial energy rating.
The name Section J comes from the legislation governing commercial energy use, which is Section J of the NCC (National construction code). This is a basic rule set for commercial energy rating compliance, and you will need an assessment done on even small commercial extensions.
There is no star rating or 7 star standard for commercial buildings, a Section J report looks a bit different and works differently to a star rating, however it is just as important in determining how to minimize operation costs and energy usage for your future commercial building or business.
In addition to this, most commercial developments require another assessment as well as a Section J report called a sustainable design assessment, details can be found on this website, click here for more info.