DARREN BOWMAN DESIGN

The date that we must meet 6-star energy performance is fast approaching. From 1 May all new homes, additions and renovations must meet the Building Code of Australia 6-star requirement. Thermal performance assessment includes all of the elements that form the building envelope; walls, floor, roof, windows, etc. The Building Commission says that 6-star houses will use 25% less energy for heating and cooling than 5-star houses, equating to an average annual saving of $100.

We've had plenty of time to get used to this as Victoria is still working on BCA 2009 5-star energy regulations. Next month the state of Victoria will align with national energy measures. The Building Designers Association of Victoria (BDAV) has been running 6-star workshops around regional Victoria. Andreas Sederof from Sunpower Design and BDAV President Tim Adams of F2 Design presented the workshop in Ballarat recently. Although the format included the regulatory requirements, the day long workshop was anything but dry. Andreas and Tim are well respected in the industry and are gurus of sustainable design. Their presentation showed how easy and cost effective achieving 6-star thermal performance is and included examples of sustainable designs from both Tim and Andreas’ offices.

Until now it has been relatively easy to meet 5-star regulations by increasing insulation or by adding double-glazing. This next step demands that designers consider passive design features such as orientation, shading and mass. When passive solar design principles are prioritised achieving thermal performance ratings well above 6-stars is possible.