Articles - Certified Energy

2 min read

How to Manage Rising Building Costs for new builds and renovations

By Team CE on Feb 21, 2023 3:39:43 PM

Why Are Building Costs Rising?

Topics: ESD Glazing Architecture Sustainability Changes Energy Efficiency Insulation Green Star Rating Residential Alterations & Additions

6 min read

2019 Proposed NCC building fabric changes + how they affect you

By Chloe Huang on Nov 19, 2018 2:07:31 PM

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

20 min read

NCC Section J Changes: What Changed in 2019, 2022 and 2025?

By Team CE on Apr 5, 2018 4:00:00 PM

Section J has changed substantially across recent editions of the National Construction Code.

NCC 2019 delivered a major uplift in commercial building energy efficiency. NCC 2022 reorganised the framework and introduced new requirements for energy monitoring and future distributed-energy infrastructure. NCC 2025 moves further towards lower operational energy use through stronger commercial building requirements, including on-site solar photovoltaic systems for relevant buildings.

These editions should not be treated as interchangeable.

A Section J assessment prepared under NCC 2019 may use different clause references, calculation methods and minimum requirements from an assessment prepared under NCC 2022 or NCC 2025. The applicable edition may also depend on the project location, approval date, transitional arrangements and jurisdictional variations.

This guide explains the broad direction of change and what it may mean for architects, builders, developers and commercial project teams.