The NSW Government controls and evolves the online BASIX assessment program home designers and builders use in undertaking the required BASIX assessments in procuring the BASIX Certificate required before councils or Private Certifiers can approve a proposed new home or renovation. On 29 August 2022 the NSW Government announced changes to the BASIX standards as part of the new Sustainable Buildings State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) 2022 which will come into effect on 1 October 2023. The NSW Department of Planning and Environment state the purpose of this new SEPP is to-
- Minimise consumption of energy and potable water
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy use
- Monitor the embodied emissions of building materials
- Deliver buildings that are comfortable in summer and winter
These changes will advisedly ensure the homes we live in are cooler in summer and warmer in winter while being less costly to run, all while providing great benefit to the planet as well.
The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is administered by the ‘Department of Climate Change, the Environment, Energy and Water’ on behalf of the states and territories in Australia. NatHERS to date has focussed on assessing the building shell (the construction materials used in walls, insulation, windows, and roofs) that are used to build a house. NatHERS has done this by providing software tools that can assess and rate a home’s energy efficiency performance, where minimum performance requirements will specify the building components to be used in construction to satisfy these requirements. NatHERS is changing now too, with focus broadening to include assessment and rating on the energy use for the whole home including major appliances such as heating and cooling systems, hot water heaters, cooking appliances, lighting, pool pumps, solar panels and batteries etc. These changes to NatHERS will be applied to achieve a streamlined pathway to meet or beat the new National Construction Code 2022 Energy Efficiency requirements. This change is coming with further detail on the implications and dates for commencement still to be confirmed.