Using Design Builder to Prepare for a NatHERS Assessment and Satisfy Your Assessor in Sydney
Australia takes a robust and considered approach to environmentalism, which is why several national policies prioritise the issue of constructing sustainable buildings. Rigorous standards outline the criteria for achieving energy efficiency in various building types, from commercial and industrial to community and residential developments. New residential buildings in the Class 1a category are required to earn a 6 Star Energy Rating to comply with the National Construction Code (or NCC). To do so, they must first undergo a NatHERS assessment carried out by a qualified NatHERS assessor.
The NatHERS system awards a building a star rating on a scale from 1 to 10. Higher star ratings correspond to higher levels of energy efficiency. A building with a NatHERS score of 9 will require less energy to remain cool during hot weather and help it stay warm in colder conditions. To achieve a high NatHERS assessment in Sydney, developers may want to partner with an ESD consultant. Ecologically Sustainable Development consultants can provide you with a NatHERS assessor who uses cutting edge technology to help identify areas where your building’s energy efficiency can be improved, thereby allowing you to boost your rating.
How Design Builder Can Contribute to Energy Efficient Properties
One of the best tools for designing energy efficient residential buildings is Design Builder. Combining a seamless interface with state of the art modelling tools, Design Builder makes it easy to adjust existing designs to accommodate new features. Newer versions also come with features that provide customised energy simulations, providing the tool with significant ESD applications. Hiring a consultant trained in the use of Design Builder can provide you with a fast and reliable way to maximise energy efficiency in your project and qualify for a better star rating on your NatHERS assessment.
Work with Certified Energy and Ensure that Your Property Can be Made Efficient
Certified Energy is a consulting company that can provide an accredited NatHERS assessor for your Sydney project so that you can see precisely what needs to be done to achieve a higher rating. Our members are skilled in the use of programs like Design Builder, and can also undertake detailed thermal modelling of each room in a building to gain information about current heating and cooling loads. We then use a thermal comfort index to determine its rating and make actionable suggestions on how to improve it. These respective techniques can allow you to easily raise the likely NatHERS rating for a building that you are designing, or determine the rating for an existing building so that it can be upgraded accordingly.
Achieving energy efficiency is vital for designers, builders, and property owners alike, and hiring an ESD consultant is a viable solution for all of them. Consider Certified Energy when you want to achieve a desirable NatHERS assessment for your Sydney property, and call us to learn more about what we can do to help.