Insulation is one of the quiet foundations of a sustainable home. It is not always visible once a home is complete, but it has a major influence on comfort, heating and cooling demand, NatHERS performance and how well the home responds to Australian climate conditions.
Glazing and shading are two of the most important design decisions in a sustainable home. Windows bring light, views, ventilation and connection to outside, but they can also create heat gain, heat loss, glare and comfort problems if they are not designed carefully.
Thermal comfort is one of the most important parts of a sustainable home. A home may have efficient appliances, solar panels and water saving fixtures, but if it overheats in summer or feels cold in winter, it is not truly performing well for the people who live there.
A sustainable home in Australia is not defined by one product, appliance or rating alone. It is shaped by how the home responds to climate, how comfortable it feels, how much energy and water it uses, how healthy the indoor environment is and how well the home can adapt to future conditions.
Green Star Homes and Passive House both support better residential performance, but they are not the same system. Green Star Homes is a broad residential sustainability rating tool for new homes. Passive House is a high performance building design standard focused on comfort, airtightness, insulation, glazing, ventilation and very low heating and cooling demand.
Green Star Homes and NatHERS both relate to better home performance, but they are not the same system. NatHERS is an Australian home energy rating scheme that assesses the thermal performance of a home. Green Star Homes is a broader residential sustainability rating tool that considers healthy, efficient, resilient and future ready housing outcomes.
Green Star Homes and commercial Green Star tools are part of the same broader Australian sustainability rating system, but they are not used for the same kinds of projects. Green Star Homes is focused on new homes and residential housing outcomes. Commercial Green Star pathways are generally used for larger buildings, fitouts, communities, precincts and operational building performance.
Green Star Homes and BASIX both relate to sustainable residential design, but they are not the same system. BASIX is a NSW residential sustainability requirement used as part of the planning and approval pathway. Green Star Homes is a voluntary residential sustainability rating tool developed by the Green Building Council of Australia for new homes.
Green Star Homes is an Australian sustainability standard for new homes. It was developed by the Green Building Council of Australia to support homes that are efficient, fossil fuel free, powered by renewables, healthy and resilient.
Before lodging a Development Application or Complying Development Certificate in NSW, it is worth checking that the BASIX Certificate matches the plans, specifications and project details being submitted. BASIX is not just a form to attach at the end. It records the water, energy and thermal performance commitments that need to follow the project through approval, construction and final certification.
