Recent posts by Chloe Huang
2 min read
Promoting Sustainability in Indigenous Communities
The $500 million Indigenous Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIIF) allocated to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups can be used not only to increase their economic participation, but also promote sustainability in critical resources they have no or limited access to. In this article, we will dig deep into how the funding can be used to promote sustainability in Indigenous communities.
Topics: ESD BASIX NatHERS Sustainability Construction Energy Efficiency Residential Commercial
3 min read
Green Star Rating - How to improve your assessment
The building sector highly contributes in greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the rapid changes in climate, more and more companies are taking measures to have less to no negative environmental impacts. There is also an increase in businesses and even individuals keen on investing in sustainable designs and projects with certification from Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) Green Star Ratings.
Topics: Climate Cooling Suntuitive Green Star Rating Commercial
2 min read
The Evolution of Environmentally Friendly Windows
Windows have developed over time from single glazing, double glazing, and more recently self-tinting (Suntuitive) glazed windows. The improvement of glass window technology since the 17th century when glass windows started has resulted in improvements around energy consumption, noise reduction, and installation costs.
Topics: BASIX NatHERS Energy Efficiency Windows Thermal Performance Suntuitive Residential
2 min read
How the Australian Architects Climate Emergency will Affect Builders
A large proportion of Australian architects have followed suit with their English counterparts developing Declare Australia in an attempt to promote a self-sustaining and constantly regenerating environment for future generations. But, what impacts will this have for property developers and builders going forward?
Topics: Architecture Construction Energy Efficiency Climate Opinion Residential
6 min read
2019 Proposed NCC building fabric changes + how they affect you
The 2019 National Construction Code (NCC) is now imminent and if it seems like it’s been a while since the last major release, it has been a long but welcome 3 years since the Australian Building Codes Board shifted to triennial updates.
The proposed changes include a complete rewrite to the way the building fabric is assessed under Section J (Energy Efficiency). The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) committee working on this update claim to have “rewritten Section J in its entirety" [1] which is powerfully showcased through the 30% average increase to the energy efficiency stringency requirements.
So what does this mean to you, as a builder or an architect? How is this going to affect your project and does this mean an increased financial strain on your budget to comply with these new energy efficiency targets? In short it depends what climate zone you are building and to what extent how much renewable energy mix is within your local energy supply. The below table indicates the expected construction cost reduction or increased to comply with the new NCC based on your climate zone refer map below.
[1]Dr Paul Bannister – Reviewer for Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings DTS Modelling Report 2018 by Energy Action
Topics: Energy NCC ESD Section J Certification Update NCC Changes NABERS
9 min read
Is Double Glazing Worth It?
The Problem with Windows.
Windows can have a drastic effect on the thermal performance of a building. Up to 40% of a home’s heat can be lost through conduction or radiation at the window, and up to 87% of its heat can enter through solar gain. This unwanted heat flow can be devastating for the energy efficiency of any project.
