JV3 - Section J Reports

Section J - JV3 Report FAQ's

• What is a Section J - JV3 Report?

  A Section J Report summarises the requirements of Section J in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) in relation to your project. At Certified Energy, we prepare Section J Compliance reports using both Deemed to Satisfy (DtS) Provisions and verification using a reference building (JV3). Our consultants consider your project's design in line with the requirements of Section J of the BCA to ensure that your project meets these requirements and generate a personalised report for you.

• How much does a JV3 Report cost?

  The cost of the overall assessment of a building is dependant on its size and complexity and therefore requires a specific quote to be made. JV3 reports range from $2500 for small projects, through to $6000 for larger commercial / mixed use office buildings. Based on the set of plans that you send through, we will respond with an accurate fee and time frame. 

   

   

• What is JV3 Exactly?

  JV3 is the alternative assessment method for non-residential buildings which uses a reference building to compare the overall assumed energy consumption of new buildings with respect to their location and climate. There are a number of reasons why a JV3 alternative assessment should be part of your new design. In our world there are no identical buildings when we assess energy consumption. A building with the exact same design, layout, and building materials, can have a different energy use than its twin that may be xx kilometres away. Due to factors like its location and specific weather conditions the annual energy consumption can be significantly different.

• What is involved with a JV3?

  A JV3 assessment requires an accurate 3D model of the proposed building with the correct location, orientation and climate information imputed into the software. Lighting, occupancy and external heat loads are also required to assess the overall operational usage of the building, which is then assessed for every hour throughout the year and compared against a reference building.

   

  The JV3 Verification Method uses a thermal model of the building’s design. There are three main facets involved in the JV3 process, these being the inputs, outputs and calculations:

   

  INPUTS

  • The design documentation of the Development Application (DA) that is used to conduct the preliminary assessment.

  OUTPUTS

  • The preliminary DtS assessment of Section J
  • The preliminary JV3 Report
  • Feedback with the client and the designers
  • The final JV3 Report

  CALCULATIONS

  • Reference building model
  • Proposed building model
  • Simulation of the thermal model
  • Revise the model after analysis results

   

   

  

   

  

   

• How is JV3 assessed?

  This process involves the comparison of a proposed design with a Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) reference building whilst also taking into account the specific location and weather data of the proposed building. The proposed building must not exceed the annual energy consumption of the DtS building, this allowing much more flexibility when designing, with building elements being able to be chosen as long as the sum of the whole building does not exceed the maximum annual consumption. The JV3 alternative assessment can be used to attain certain flexibility when designing, such as glazed elements (e.g. the amount, orientation and quality), the building fabric (e.g. the envelope, facades, floors, walls, and roof) and when planning the services (e.g. air conditioning, lighting and heating) as opposed to just a DtS Section J report.

   

  JV3 Verification Method

  The proposed building’s annual energy consumption is not to be greater than the annual energy consumption allowance.

  The subject building’s annual energy consumption is assessed in:

  • MJ/m² per annum or
  • kWh/m² per annum

  The energy consumption is compared with a reference building’s theoretical annual energy consumption. The reference building assumes that it complies with the Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) requirements

   

  Steps in using the JV3 Verification Method

  1. Determine the consumption of annual energy allowance by using a reference building with DtS provisions to model the criteria in JV3.
  2. Calculate the theoretical amount of annual energy consumption of the proposed Performance Solution through the building criteria of the subject or the criteria in Specification JV.
  3. Calculate the theoretical amount of annual energy consumption of the proposed Performance Solution by modelling the services with that of the reference building.
  4. Compare the output of steps 2 and 3 (theoretical annual energy consumption) to the output of step 1 (annual energy consumption allowance). This ensures that the annual energy consumption is not greater than the allowance 

• What are the steps in using the JV3 Verification Method?

  1. Determine the consumption of annual energy allowance by using a reference building with DtS provisions to model the criteria in JV3.
  2. Calculate the theoretical amount of annual energy consumption of the proposed Performance Solution through the building criteria of the subject or the criteria in Specification JV.
  3. Calculate the theoretical amount of annual energy consumption of the proposed Performance Solution by modelling the services with that of the reference building.
  4. Compare the output of steps 2 and 3 (theoretical annual energy consumption) to the output of step 1 (annual energy consumption allowance). This ensures that the annual energy consumption is not greater than the allowance 

   

  

   

• What are some benefits of a JV3?

  • Provides greater design flexibility
  • Can allow for designs that are unattainable with DtS requirements to be implemented
  • Supersedes the requirement of floor insulation and the glazing calculator.  
  • Results in a more rational design that costs less to construct
  • Design improvements include increased energy performance, aesthetics, and reduced complexity in design.