Improving Residential Energy Efficiency International Conference Energy efficiency within mid-rise residential buildings: A critical review of regulations in Australia Dr Emma Heffernan Research Fellow, SBRC, University of Wollongong Mr Scott Beazley Prof Tim McCarthy Dr Mohammed Imroz Sohel
Mid-rise residential (M. Shoory (2016) The Growth of Apartment Construction in Australia Reserve Bank Australia Bulletin, no.2, pp. 19-26) 2
NSW focus Distinct regulatory framework for residential energy efficiency Greatest level of building work Most populous state 3
Australian regulations for energy efficiency in buildings National Construction Code (NCC) Mid-rise residential buildings are Class 2 Section J: Energy efficiency Building fabric Glazing Airtightness Air-conditioning and ventilation Assessment using a NatHERS accredited tool 4
Energy efficiency regulations: States & territories Jurisdiction Climate zones Design Quality Regulations Energy Efficiency Commonwealth of Australia - - NatHERS 6* average, 5* min. New South Wales (NSW) 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 SEPP 65 Apartment Design Guide BASIX Queensland 1, 2, 3 - NatHERS 5* average, 4* min. South Australia (SA) 4, 5, 6 - NatHERS 6* average, 5* min. Tasmania 7, 8 - NatHERS 6* average, 5* min. Victoria 4, 6, 7, 8 Better Apartments NatHERS 6* average, 5* min. Western Australia (WA) 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 - NatHERS 6* average, 5* min. Australian Capital Territory (ACT) 7 - NatHERS 6* average, 5* min. Northern Territory (NT) 1, 3 - NatHERS 3.5* average, 3* min. 5
BASIX per capita baseline GHGe 3,292 Kg per annum 90,340 litres per annum Target percentage improvements 5% to 40% dependent on zone and building type Maximum heating and cooling loads (MJ/m 2 /yr) for each postcode area 6
7 BASIX maximum loads Multi-dwelling developments
BASIX energy target zones BASIX climate zones NatHERS climate zones 8
Mandatory disclosure ACT since 1999 At point of sale or lease NatHERS House price increase of 1.91% for each 0.5* increase (Allen Consulting Group, 2011) NSW currently consulting on 2018 voluntary introduction, becoming mandatory from 2020 9
SEPP 65, ADG & Better Apartments State Environmental Planning Policy No.65 (NSW) Multi-residential buildings, 3+ storeys & 4+ dwellings 9 design quality principles Apartment Design Guide (ADG) (NSW) Supplementary document to SEPP 65 Solar & daylight access, natural ventilation Better Apartments (VIC) Energy efficiency, natural ventilation, windows, room depths Maximum cooling loads 10
Archetype building design 7 storeys Single basement 60 apartments 1,2 & 3 bed Notional site in Sydney Building cross section Architectural BIM 11
Archetype building design N Level 1-4 floor plan 12
NatHERS/ BASIX assessment of archetype Unit no. Descriptive information Level Area (m 2 ) Orientation Aspect NatHERS rating Heating load (MJ/m 2 /yr) Energy performance Cooling load (MJ/m 2 /yr) 2 G 79.5 S & W Dual, corner 3.5 66.0 36.5 Additional measures required Stairwell & subfloor ins. 38 3 78.6 S & W Dual, corner 3.4 65.5 39.3-48 4 78.6 S & W Dual, corner 3.4 65.9 43.2 Stairwell insulation 13 1 81.4 E & W Dual, cross 6.6 30.8 13.1-23 2 81.4 E & W Dual, cross 6.6 30.4 14.0-49 5 99.7 N & E Dual, corner 6.6 25.4 18.6 - Ave. - 76.0 - - 5.0 46.6 23.1 - N 13
Conclusions Vast geographical nature presents complex context BASIX results in large variance within apartment developments Within the exemplar, NatHERS would result in significantly less energy consumption The ADG fails to challenge designers to use passive design principles throughout 14
Thank you Any questions? Acknowledgments: This research is funded through the Steel Research Hub (Project no. IH130100017) which is jointly funded by the Australian Research Council and industry. The authors would like to thank the industry partners, BlueScope, Cox Architecture and Stockland, for their support of the project eheffern@uow.edu.au 15