NatHERS News - 29 September 2023
Transition to NCC 2022
Most states and territories are choosing to extend the transition period for NCC 2022 adoption, which was due to commence on 1 October.
The New South Wales enhanced BASIX will require a 7-star minimum from 1 October. All other jurisdictions are extending their introduction of 7-stars and the new Whole of Home annual energy use budget.
The first to adopt the complete suite of new energy efficiency requirements will be the Australian Capital Territory on 15 January 2024. This will be closely followed by Queensland and Victoria on 1 May 2024. Other jurisdictions will allow the use of the NCC 2022 compliant software during their transition periods.
Refer to the map below and see the ABCB website table for more information on NCC 2022 adoption dates.
For complete information and any conditions assigned to adoption dates please visit the relevant jurisdiction's websites.
Using older software
With extended transition periods now confirmed, a blanket approach to the use of older NatHERS software has been agreed with states and territories.
Both the CSIRO and software providers have confirmed they can provide and operate two different software versions at the same time.
If provided by their jurisdiction, Assessors will be able to include a written statement permitting the continued use of NCC 2019 from their respective local building regulator with their assessments.
The statements will be available from local authorities responsible for administering building regulations.
For links to local regulators and more on the use of software, see the Software Transitional Arrangements page and the Software updates page on the NatHERS website.
Updated technical advice for assessors
An updated Technical Note and a new Thermal Bridging Guidance Note are available on the NatHERS website.
The NatHERS Assessor Handbook is being revised and will be available by early January 2024. In the interim, the current Assessor Handbook and Whole of Home guidance note provide advice on transitioning to 7-star minimum thermal ratings and the introduction of the Whole of Home annual energy use budget.
Software accreditation update
All commercial tools (AccuRate Home, BERS Pro, FirstRate5 and Hero) are now accredited for thermal performance ratings and certificates.
This means they can be used for regulatory purposes to demonstrate compliance with the 7 star requirement under the National Construction Code 2022.
Software applications for Whole of Home accreditation are being processed and it is anticipated the accreditation process will be completed during October.
For the most current information on the software accreditation, see the software updates page.
Commercial tools training
Hero, BERS Pro and Sustainability Victoria (providers of FirstRate5) are currently running independent training covering various aspects of their updated tools. The training is free for registered users. Additional software specific training will become available as tools are accredited.
Hero training covers NatHERS 2022 certification, the new thermal bridging feature and thermal comfort ratings, as well as the optimisation feature that adds batch simulation capabilities.
BERS Pro training will include thermal bridging, new interface features and Whole of Home (including artificial heating and cooling, hot water system, lighting, cooking and pool overview plus solar PV).
FirstRate5 training videos covering thermal bridging, the new features, and using the optimisation feature will be released with the software on 28 September 2023. All FirstRate5 instructional videos are posted under the Frequently Asked Questions on the FirstRate5 website.
Contact Hero, BERS Pro or FirstRate5 for more information on release dates and tool specific training.
Note: The NatHERS Administrator has no control over software release dates once software is accredited.
Whole of Home training
Recorded webinars from the Whole of Home training sessions and associated documents are now available on the NatHERS training page.
The technical training module is mandatory for professionals who want to become Whole of Home assessors. After completing the training, you must pass the compulsory technical quiz to become eligible to conduct Whole of Home assessments.
Assessors must share their certificate with their Assessor Accrediting Organisations (AAOs) to claim Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, and their AAO will register them as a certified Whole of Home assessor.
A series of NatHERS Whole of Home training sessions ran from March through to August. As of 20 September, 502 registrants had passed the technical module and are eligible to be certified Whole of Home assessors, with 459 passing the overview module to gain CPD points.
New builders learning hub goes live!
A new Learning Hub has been launched to support building professionals to create more sustainable and energy efficient Australian homes.
The Learning Hub for Energy Efficient Construction is a one-stop-shop for building professionals. It includes key government links and free learning resources, industry and community networks and links to a broad range of relevant industry training.
The site also hosts the new six-module webinar series, ‘Net Zero Homes’ and a dedicated site for case studies from around Australia.
The training has been developed to support the transition of residential builders to 7-star, Whole of Home and Net Zero Energy homes of the future.
Each of the six modules is FREE until 2024 and can be completed and assessed in about an hour to achieve a Certificate of Completion (1 CPD equivalent).
The project has been developed by the South Australian Government with contributions from MBA, HIA, GBCA, Design Matters National, Pointsbuild and Renew. It’s also been supported by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.
Renewable energy consultation ending soon
There are a few days left to contribute your views to help shape the future of community engagement on renewable energy and transmission infrastructure.
It’s easy to take part in the public consultation. Complete this survey or write a submission in the review’s online consultation hub before Sunday 1 October 2023.
The consultation aims to improve community engagement on planning, developing and operating renewable energy infrastructure projects. A final report will be provided to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy in December.
Resources for NCC 2022
Check out the many resources available to help with the transition to the new NCC 2022 energy efficiency requirements:
- See the latest on software updates and details about current accreditation on the NatHERS software page.
- Read about Building for 7-stars, and other information for assessors on the NatHERS fact sheet page.
- Review webinars covering new energy efficiency and other requirements on the ABCB website.
- See transition dates for states and territories.
- View the NatHERS Explainer and NatHERS Whole of Home videos.
- Learn from video case studies on designing and building for 7-stars on Your Home.