NatHERS News - May 2023

Adoption of NCC 2022 begins 

The National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 commenced on 1 May 2023, with the new energy efficiency requirements optional until 1 October 2023. 

Please note the requirements and adoption dates will vary depending on your state or territory. Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and NSW (using enhanced BASIX) are currently expected to introduce the new 7-star minimum and Whole of Home energy budget from 1 October 2023. 

For more information on the adoption dates and requirements of each jurisdiction see the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) website.

 

Software tool accredited

The NatHERS Administrator is working closely with all software developers to finalise accreditation for NatHERS software tools.

AccuRate Home is now fully accredited and can be used to produce ratings and certificates for all new dwellings, compliant with NCC 2022 energy efficiency requirements.

AccuRate Home includes new features and data sets to align with the NCC 2022 changes. These include the thermal bridging changes for steel-framed dwellings and updated heating and cooling load limits.
 
Other commercial tools are progressing through conditional and full accreditation and are expected to be available soon.

Please note: AccuRate Home will be replacing AccuRate Sustainability. During the transition to NCC 2022 (until 1 October) both software tools can be used for regulatory purposes. After 1 October AccuRate Sustainability will be phased out.

NatHERS to include established homes

The Australian Government has announced funding to support the expansion of NatHERS to offer energy performance assessments for established homes.

 The new energy assessments for established homes will help millions of Australian households better understand their home’s energy performance, identify cost-effective upgrades to improve the comfort of their home, and help to reduce their energy bills.

The assessments will also give banks the confidence to lend more capital to Australians to upgrade the energy performance of their homes and help verify loans as green investments.

Read more about the measures the Government announced following the Investor Roundtable on Energy, including NatHERS for established homes, to ensure Australia maximises opportunities from our energy transformation and pathway to net zero. This forms part of the 2023-24 Budget Energy Savings Plan.
 

Want to shape the future of NatHERS?

Do you work in the building, construction, real estate or finance sector? Would you like to play a role in improving the energy efficiency of Australian homes?

We are looking for new members from diverse industries to join the NatHERS Stakeholder Consultative Group (SCG) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).

These groups are instrumental in guiding, improving and developing NatHERS and will be key in shaping a future NatHERS, including energy ratings for established homes.

If you are interested in joining one of these groups, please submit an ‘Expression of Interest’ to the NatHERS Administrator by COB Wednesday 31 May 2023.

Please nominate two representatives, (the second as a proxy) and include a:

  • One page statement highlighting the applicants’ skills, and why they wish to be a member
  • Short CV: with key details of previous experience (for both applicants)
  • Declaration of interests in line with the relevant Conflict of Interest Deed (SCG and TAC).

For more information contact us at: admin@nathers.gov.au

Join our Quality Assurance working group

We are changing the way Quality Assurance (QA) of accredited assessors is managed and developing a new standardised procedure.

A dedicated working group will guide the development of the new QA process in consultation with our Assessor Accrediting Organisations (AAOs).  

We are looking for professionals who are interested in QA and assessor compliance, and are highly experienced with one or more of the software tools HERO, BERS Pro, FirstRate5 or AccuRate.

Online meetings will be held between June and September, providing a platform for collaboration, networking, and knowledge sharing. Members can also have their names listed on public documents released by the group.

Please send an ‘Expression of Interest’ to the NatHERS Administrator by COB Friday 26 May 2023 including a short CV, and a paragraph detailing your experience and why you would like to be part of the working group.

To find out more, please reach out to the team at: admin@nathers.gov.au

Resources for NCC 2022

There are many resources available on our website to help with the NCC 2022 transition to new energy efficiency requirements, including:

Case studies on designing and building for 7-stars available through Your Home, which also includes videos featuring experts discussing key topics relating to energy efficiency.

ABCB webinars available online

In March the NatHERS team supported the ABCB with a successful series of webinars about the upcoming energy efficiency requirements included in NCC 2022.

Over 1,900 people attended the free NatHERS-ABCB joint online events to learn more about the key changes and new provisions, including the move to 7-stars and Whole of Home assessments.

See these and other videos from the series on the ABCB website.

Whole of Home training update

Free online training is being delivered for new Whole of Home assessments.
 
There are several new overview sessions now available, just visit the website to register. 

If you have already completed the overview session or have prior knowledge of the Whole of Home changes, sign up today for a technical session to become certified. Several technical sessions are available during May, June, July and August.

After the final sessions are completed in August, recordings of both types of sessions will be available on the NatHERS website and the NatHERS YouTube channel. Links to the videos will also be provided in future newsletters.

Thank you to participants who have already completed the sessions and provided feedback.

If you would like to make any suggestions about ways to improve future training, please email: admin@nathers.gov.au