BASIX targets are the minimum performance outcomes a residential project must satisfy for water use, operational energy and thermal performance in New South Wales.
The term “target” is widely used by project teams, although NSW planning requirements formally refer to BASIX standards. The BASIX Tool compares the proposed development against the applicable standards and produces separate water and energy scores, together with heating and cooling performance results.
There is no single statewide BASIX score that applies to every project. The required outcomes vary according to factors such as location, dwelling type and development configuration. Each applicable assessment area must satisfy its own requirement before the BASIX Certificate can be generated.
In Brief
What Are BASIX Targets?
BASIX targets are the required water, energy and thermal-performance outcomes assigned to a residential project. Water and energy are displayed as scores, where a higher result represents a greater estimated reduction against the relevant benchmark. Thermal performance is assessed through heating and cooling limits, where lower modelled loads are generally better. A project must satisfy each applicable requirement separately; a strong result in one area does not compensate for a failure in another.
Knowledge Navigation
How BASIX Performance Is Measured
Terminology
Scores and Standards
The difference between the required standard and the project result.
Water
Water Score
How estimated potable-water demand is compared with the benchmark.
Energy
Energy Score
How operational greenhouse-gas performance is assessed.
Thermal Performance
Heating and Cooling Limits
Why thermal performance is not expressed as another BASIX percentage.
BASIX Scores, Targets and Standards
Several related terms are commonly used when discussing BASIX results. They do not all mean the same thing.
| Term | Meaning | How It Is Used |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | The regulatory performance requirement prescribed for the project. | The project result must meet or exceed the applicable water and energy standards and remain within the thermal-performance limits. |
| Target | A common project-industry term for the result that must be achieved. | Often used interchangeably with “required standard”, particularly for water and energy scores. |
| Score | The calculated result produced by the BASIX Tool for water or energy. | A higher score indicates a larger estimated improvement against the applicable benchmark. |
| Thermal load | The modelled heating or cooling demand associated with maintaining suitable indoor conditions. | The load must remain within the relevant heating, cooling and combined limits. Lower is generally better. |
The required standard is determined by the regulatory framework. The score or modelled load is the project result. Design changes affect the result, but they do not normally change the standard against which the project is being assessed.
Reading the Assessment
Higher Is Better for Scores. Lower Is Better for Loads.
| Assessment Area | Tool Output | Direction | Passing Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Percentage score | Higher is better | The score meets or exceeds the applicable water standard. |
| Energy | Percentage score | Higher is better | The score meets or exceeds the applicable energy standard. |
| Thermal performance | Heating, cooling and combined loads | Lower is better | All applicable load limits and project-level requirements are satisfied. |
| Materials | Embodied-emissions calculation and reporting | Reported separately | There is currently no separate BASIX materials pass/fail limit. |
The BASIX Water Target
The BASIX water score represents the estimated reduction in potable-water use compared with a similar benchmark dwelling from before BASIX was introduced.
For example, a water score of 40 indicates that the BASIX Tool estimates the proposed development will use 40 per cent less potable water than the relevant benchmark. It does not mean that the project uses only 40 per cent of its water allowance or that every individual fixture is 40 per cent more efficient.
The calculated result can reflect a combination of inputs such as:
- showerhead, toilet and tapware efficiency
- rainwater-tank capacity
- the roof area connected to the tank
- toilet, laundry and outdoor-tap connections
- alternative or recycled water supplies
- garden and lawn areas
- swimming pools and spas
- shared systems in multi-dwelling developments
The required water standard depends principally on the project location. A design that meets the standard in one part of NSW should not automatically be assumed to satisfy the requirement at another site.
The BASIX Energy Target
The BASIX energy score represents the estimated reduction in operational greenhouse-gas emissions compared with the relevant pre-BASIX benchmark.
The energy calculation may include:
- hot-water systems and their energy source
- space-heating and cooling systems
- modelled heating and cooling demand
- bathroom, kitchen and laundry ventilation
- lighting
- cooking systems
- photovoltaic generation
- pool and spa equipment
- lifts and shared services where applicable
The applicable energy standard can vary according to location and development type. Houses and different categories of apartment buildings do not necessarily use the same required score or calculation structure.
The energy score is also connected to thermal performance. A dwelling with lower heating and cooling loads generally requires less operational energy to maintain suitable indoor conditions. However, the thermal assessment and the energy score remain separate BASIX requirements.
The BASIX Thermal-Performance Standard
Thermal performance is not expressed as another BASIX percentage score. Instead, the assessment considers the modelled heating and cooling required to maintain suitable indoor conditions.
Depending on the project, the thermal standard can include:
- a maximum heating load
- a maximum cooling load
- a maximum combined heating and cooling load
- individual-dwelling requirements
- whole-development average requirements for applicable multi-dwelling projects
- NatHERS star requirements where the Simulation Method applies
Higher modelled loads indicate that the dwelling is expected to require more artificial heating or cooling. To pass, the project must remain within all applicable thermal limits rather than merely achieving a favourable combined result.
Current higher standards are commonly associated with 7 Star NatHERS outcomes for many new residential developments. However, the applicable requirement is not a single universal statewide star rating. Location, dwelling type, project configuration and any relevant exceptions must still be checked.
A Separate Reporting Layer
Is There a BASIX Materials Target?
The BASIX Materials Index calculates and records the embodied emissions associated with construction materials entered for the proposed development.
Unlike water, energy and thermal performance, the Materials Index does not currently apply a separate emissions limit that the project must pass. Its present role is calculation and reporting.
This distinction is important. A project may be required to provide accurate materials information even though the reported embodied-emissions result does not currently determine whether the BASIX assessment passes.
Why Do BASIX Targets Vary Between Projects?
BASIX requirements are not applied as one fixed percentage to every residential project in NSW. The regulatory standard is selected according to the characteristics of the development.
Factor 01
Location and Climate
Water availability, heating demand, cooling demand and energy performance differ across NSW. The relevant site location helps determine the applicable standards.
Factor 02
Dwelling Type
Detached houses, attached dwellings and apartment buildings can be assessed against different energy and thermal-performance structures.
Factor 03
Development Scale
Larger and multi-dwelling developments may include shared services, common systems and project-level average requirements that do not arise for a single house.
Factor 04
Project Pathway
New dwellings, alterations and additions, and pool or spa applications use different BASIX project structures and do not necessarily contain the same assessment sections.
What Changes the Target, and What Changes the Score?
The distinction between the required standard and the calculated project result is central to understanding BASIX.
Required Outcome
What Determines the Standard?
- project location
- dwelling type
- building and development category
- applicable BASIX standards
- project structure within the BASIX Tool
Calculated Outcome
What Determines the Result?
- water fixtures and alternative water systems
- building geometry and thermal design
- glazing, shading and insulation
- hot-water, heating and cooling systems
- ventilation, lighting and renewable energy
Changing a window, hot-water system or rainwater connection may alter the project result. It does not usually lower the regulatory requirement that the project must meet.
Separate Compliance Tests
Can a Strong Result in One Area Offset a Failure in Another?
No. BASIX does not use one combined sustainability score that allows excess performance in one area to cancel a failure elsewhere.
A project must meet or exceed its water standard, meet or exceed its energy standard and satisfy every applicable thermal-performance requirement. A high water score cannot compensate for an energy failure, and additional photovoltaic capacity cannot automatically resolve excessive heating or cooling loads.
The assessment areas interact, but they remain separate compliance tests. Project changes should therefore be directed toward the part of the assessment that is not passing.
What Happens If a BASIX Target Is Not Met?
The BASIX Certificate cannot be finalised until the project satisfies each applicable water, energy and thermal-performance requirement.
The appropriate response depends on which part of the assessment is failing. A water shortfall may require changes to fixtures, rainwater use or landscape assumptions. An energy shortfall may relate to building services, fuel selections or renewable generation. A thermal-performance failure generally requires review of the building envelope or thermal model.
This page does not prescribe one universal solution because the most practical response is project-specific. The purpose of the target is to identify the required outcome; design optimisation determines how that outcome can be achieved.
Where Are the BASIX Results Recorded?
The project results and commitments are recorded through the BASIX application and Certificate documentation.
The Certificate identifies whether the applicable project requirements have been satisfied and lists the measures relied upon by the assessment. These can include water systems, construction specifications, glazing, insulation, hot-water systems, heating and cooling systems and renewable-energy commitments.
The numerical result should not be read without the commitments. Two projects may achieve the same score using different combinations of design measures and building systems. The commitments explain what the approved project must actually deliver.
Common Misunderstandings About BASIX Targets
There is one BASIX target for all NSW homes
The applicable standards vary according to location, dwelling type and development configuration.
A higher thermal load is a better result
The opposite is generally true. Higher loads indicate greater modelled heating or cooling demand.
One strong score can make the whole project pass
Water, energy and thermal performance must each meet their own applicable requirements.
A 7 Star NatHERS rating automatically means BASIX passes
The thermal result is only one part of BASIX. Water and energy requirements must also be satisfied, and project-specific heating and cooling limits may still apply.
The Materials Index is another percentage target
The Materials Index currently calculates and reports embodied emissions but does not apply a separate pass/fail percentage.
The score alone describes what must be built
The Certificate commitments and coordinated plans define the measures that the project must deliver.
Frequently Asked Questions
BASIX Targets FAQs
What are BASIX targets?
BASIX targets are the required water, energy and thermal-performance outcomes assigned to a residential project. NSW planning documents formally describe these requirements as BASIX standards.
Is there one BASIX score?
No. BASIX provides separate water and energy scores. Thermal performance is assessed using heating and cooling results rather than being combined into one overall percentage.
What is a good BASIX score?
A passing score is one that meets or exceeds the standard assigned to the project. Because the required standards vary, a score should be assessed against the project-specific BASIX requirement rather than a universal statewide number.
Is a higher BASIX score better?
For water and energy scores, higher is better. For heating and cooling loads, lower is generally better because it indicates less modelled demand for artificial heating or cooling.
Do BASIX targets vary across NSW?
Yes. The applicable standards can vary according to location, climate and development type. Houses and different categories of apartment buildings may also have different energy and thermal-performance requirements.
Can a water surplus offset an energy shortfall?
No. The project must independently satisfy the applicable water, energy and thermal-performance standards.
Is the NatHERS star rating the BASIX thermal target?
Not by itself. NatHERS can be used to assess thermal performance through the BASIX Simulation Method, but project-specific heating, cooling and combined-load requirements may also apply.
Does BASIX have an embodied-carbon target?
The BASIX Materials Index calculates and reports embodied emissions associated with entered construction materials. There is currently no separate materials emissions limit that determines whether the project passes BASIX.
Related Knowledge
Continue Exploring BASIX Performance
Assessment note: The BASIX standards assigned to a project depend on its location, dwelling type, development configuration and applicable regulatory settings. The results shown within the BASIX Tool and Certificate should always be interpreted against the project-specific required standards.
For regulatory information, refer to the NSW Planning Portal guidance on assessment against BASIX requirements.
Last reviewed: July 2026.
BASIX Project Review
Not Sure Which BASIX Result the Project Needs to Meet?
Certified Energy can review the residential design, confirm the applicable assessment pathway and prepare coordinated BASIX and NatHERS documentation for the project.
Send Your Plans for Review →
