NatHERS Cost Guide
The cost of a NatHERS certificate depends on the type of residential project, the complexity of the design, the quality of the documentation and whether design changes are needed to reach the required rating.
Commercial Sustainability
Resilient housing is becoming one of the most important ideas in Australian residential design. A future ready home should not only meet today’s minimum requirements. It should be able to remain comfortable, efficient, healthy and practical as climate, energy, water and living conditions continue to change.
Sustainable materials and waste reduction are important parts of better residential design. A home can be energy efficient and comfortable, but if it relies on high impact materials, short lived finishes or wasteful construction practices, its sustainability story is incomplete.
Water efficiency is an important part of sustainable housing in Australia. A home may be energy efficient and comfortable, but if it uses water carelessly or relies on a high water landscape, it may not be as resilient or future ready as it could be.
Operational energy is the energy a home uses once people are living in it. It includes the energy used for heating, cooling, hot water, cooking, lighting, appliances, pool equipment, plug in loads and sometimes electric vehicle charging. In sustainable housing, operational energy matters because it affects running costs, greenhouse gas emissions, comfort and long term residential performance.
All electric homes are becoming central to the future of sustainable housing in Australia. Instead of using gas for cooking, hot water or heating, an all electric home uses efficient electric systems that can increasingly be powered by renewable energy.
Indoor air quality is one of the most important parts of a healthier home. A home may look sustainable from the outside, but if the indoor air is stale, damp, polluted or poorly ventilated, it may not support the people living inside it as well as it should.
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.
