NatHERS trial launched this week
The first home energy assessments for the NatHERS trial of existing homes are underway in partnership with CSIRO, banks and property valuers. The trial will test the processes and outputs for assessing existing homes and help ensure home energy ratings are accurate and ready ahead of a planned launch from mid-2025.
One stream of the trial launched this week, with ING Bank inviting select customers to take part. This will see valuers working with banks to collect data during home valuation visits. The information will then be passed to NatHERS accredited assessors who will generate trial ratings and certificates.
Another stream of the trial is due to start in the field in March, with over 1,000 households registering their interest to participate. This will test the core assessment model proposed for launch, where a trial assessor visits the home, collects data using an assessment tool and generates a trial rating and certificate. To support the trial, over 40 assessors are being trained to use the assessment tool developed by CSIRO. Households can still express interest in participating.
Learn more about the NatHERS trial.
Supporting households to reduce energy use
Once operational, NatHERS ratings for existing homes will help people access better information on how to reduce their energy use and make their home more comfortable. Improving a home’s rating from 3 to 5 stars could reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling by around 40 per cent.
Trial technical documents go live
Key technical documents to support trial assessors are now available on the NatHERS website.
The trial Existing Homes Technical Note outlines the data requirements which must be met during a trial assessment, covering both the thermal performance and home energy rating of a home.
The trial Existing Homes Guidance Note provides additional direction for trial assessors who are working on site. The easy reference guide helps users quickly identify the required inputs based on example images. Assessors should save the document to their device for quick reference to reduce time on site and ensure accuracy of assessments.
Assessors should regularly check for any changes to requirements for conducting trial assessments. As the trial is using energy rating software and assessment methods that are not final, there may be instances where temporary issues are identified or intended functionality is not available. In these cases, NatHERS and CSIRO may make temporary changes to assessment requirements to support assessors — these will be reviewed every 2 weeks throughout the trial.
If trial assessors have any questions or queries about the new documents, they should reach out to the team.