Policy, regulation and energy efficiency assessments

Policy, regulation and energy efficiency assessments - an introduction to the current state of play and changes to the requirements for energy efficiency and what planners and the certifying authorities need to know - achieving compliance while reducing liability.

State and Federal Government is committed to a course of increasing the energy efficiency of commercial and residential buildings in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimise energy use.

Government programs and plans require the thermal performance of new buildings and alterations / additions to existing buildings be assessed, and is part of the documentation required by a certifying authority for building rules consent. The Building Code of Australia outlines measures which are implemented in various ways by different State planning and building regulatory bodies.

The change in the minimum Deemed to Satisfy requirements and ‘star rating’ for new residential dwellings (from 5 to 6 stars), already implemented in South Australia and Queensland in 2010, and fast approaching for Victoria in May 2011, is an example of this.

Many builders and developers are questioning how these changes will impact on current designs and material specification, and what techniques, materials, and of course costs, will be required to meet the more stringent specifications.

The role of planners, surveyors and land developers is also being questioned, particularly in the provision of block orientation which impacts significantly on overall energy efficiency.

As planners become more aware of these requirements, this should translate into a greater awareness of orientation and layout, and if appropriate, being able to give advice and inform decisions that will have a long term impact on the form and structure of our built environment.

Sustainability House believes that understanding energy efficient design is essential knowledge that is empowering across the building and development industry. Knowing how buildings perform and are assessed, and how to achieve effective compliance, will make the transition to higher energy efficiency requirements much easier for all stakeholders concerned.

That is why it is important for planners and certifiers to understand that certain designs may have energy efficiency compliance issues, and that advice given may incur significant costs as a design moves through planning to building rules consent. In addition, having an understanding of the common techniques used to assess building performance is useful, especially when dealing with multiple reporting methods and the difference between residential and commercial buildings.

For the builder or developer, implementing energy efficiency measures early in the design and development of a project life-cycle can be extremely cost effective, providing clients with buildings that are more thermally efficient, comfortable, and maintaining a more stable temperature range without the need for supplementary heating and cooling. However, leaving energy efficiency till late in a project (or as an after-thought), or viewing it as another regulatory hurdle placed in the way of profits, is fraught with danger. This approach often introduces nasty surprises for the client with ‘improvements’, usually to insulation and glazing, required to meet compliance. Sometimes these improvements can be in the order of thousands of dollars.

For a highly competitive building industry, engaging with energy efficiency regulation and compliance on these terms can be a problematic issue. Energy efficiency measures become cast as ones that affect not only profit, but housing affordability, becoming measures to be lobbied against (as some of the big players in the housing industry have done). While the implementation of policy is sometimes far from perfect, the knowledge required to meet, understand and work with energy efficiency regulations is easily accessible and straight-forward. What will be required for some builders is a greater emphasis on the design and development phase of a project and an understanding of designs that are appropriate for certain lot configurations, orientations and climate zones.

So what does all this mean for the practicing planner and certifying authority? Should the planner or certifier be concerned with building thermal performance, in the same way that he or she is concerned that the building meets development guidelines and regulations? Should he or she be concerned that the building energy rating be properly documented by an independent expert in the same way that engineering might be assessed, having certificates that clearly state the building complies with the various building rules, codes and regulations?

Sustainability House believes, as is the case with any professional building documentation, that the energy efficiency reporting should be undertaken by qualified independent technical expert. Reports should be prepared in a consistent way by assessors who have an accredited level of training and professional development, and who work within a recognised code of conduct. In an ideal world auditing of reports, assessors and construction would be undertaken by a third party, perhaps a government or industry body that is focused on compliance. All this is to ensure accuracy, and that buildings be verified ‘as constructed’ by the assessment performed.

In many ways the above scenario is not the case. The energy efficiency assessment industry is primarily one that is self-regulated with assessors subscribing to various codes of conduct and loose sets of regulations. It is also one that lacks consistency between State jurisdictions due to local regulations and exemptions.

Many involved in energy efficiency, including raters, builders and certification authorities, are crying out for an industry wide framework which is better regulated, audited and focused on the professional development, training and operational standards for those conducting assessments. Any subsequent industry changes resulting from this will most likely come from both a ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approach. Government policy, a ‘top down’ approach, will dictate change, driving the adoption of tighter standards in building construction and post construction audits, and as a relatively new industry – that of Energy Efficiency, will dictate a need for a ‘bottom up’ approach from within the industry. This approach would seek to cement a national code of conduct seeking to further evolve and mature the industry as a whole.

So what does all this mean for the future? Government policy and regulation is going to play an important role in facilitating change in the industry and tightening up on current practices. There will most probably be a corresponding change in auditing both assessments and post construction to certify what is built corresponds with the plans and assessment detail. This will no doubt become all the more important with the introduction of schemes such as Residential Building Mandatory Disclosure in the near future.

During this period of transition many planners and certifying authorities are likely to question what they need to know and the validity of the information that they are being given and expected to review. While in this article we have discussed the potential conflicts and need for improvement, it should be noted that the vast majority of energy assessors are trained professionals with a keen interest in improving the efficiency of the built form in Australia. If, however, when looking at a proposal there is a degree of concern over the assessment, there is nothing wrong with seeking a professional opinion from a organisation like Sustainability House.

For peace of mind Sustainability House are an independent energy assessment company subscribing to a code of conduct. As such Sustainability House will take on the limited liability for any assessment they do, meaning the certifying authority should not be concerned with liability or exposure to any potential conflict of interest.

For further information about the different forms of assessment available for residential and commercial please visit Sustainability House at http://www.sustainabilityhouse.com.au/

 

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