New Home Energy Efficiency Compliance Inspections

Healthy Environs led a major project under the National Energy Efficient Buildings Project (NEEBP). With a consortium of partners (Sustain SA, dSquared and Leading-Edge Town Planners) we looked at the type of inspection regime that might be useful in making sure Australia's housing is performing in a truly energy efficient manner.

The NEEBP project highlights that there is significant opportunity to drive housing energy efficiency through achieving compliance with the energy provisions of the National Construction Code. In other words, the standards are already in place, but our housing is not always built to meet the energy standard. Our pilot with 9 different Councils across 5 states demonstrated different ways that the approved design of energy efficient homes is not being adhered to during construction. In some cases, there is simply not enough information provided to Councils for energy performance to be checked adequately. Through the NEEBP, compliance inspection tools have been developed for Councils and building authorities to check the ‘as built’ energy efficiency standards of new homes. 

The research also highlighted that an effective compliance inspection regime for energy efficiency, requires a framework that articulates a number of characteristics:

• Improved design assessment and documentation

• Verification of product performance through documentation.

• Professional development and training for Building Surveyors.

For more information go to:

Project 1 - New Home Energy Efficiency Compliance Inspections