e n e r gy e f f i c i e n cy
THE VALUE OF ENERGY
KRISTIN BROOKFIELD
Senior Executive Director of Building Development and Environment, HIA
Over the last few years, the focus of governments, when talking about energy efficiency, has been on carbon prices, big industry and international agreements. Yet underneath these‘ big picture’ debates, the housing industry has been focused on delivering energy efficient homes to meet the six-star requirements in the National Construction Code( NCC) and their customers’ needs since 2003.
In December 2015, the federal government, along with the states and territories, signed onto a new energy agreement, the National Energy Productivity Plan( NEPP) which sets the scene for energy efficiency in new and existing homes over the next few years.
The NEPP takes the place of the 2009 National Strategy on Energy Efficiency and includes three key actions directed at the housing industry:
• Action 5. Improve residential building rating and disclosure.
• Action 31. Advance the NCC.
• Action 32. Improve compliance with building energy efficiency regulation.
DISCLOSURE – VOLUNTARY OR MANDATORY?
Action 5 in the NEPP opens the door again to the introduction of mandatory disclosure at the point of sale or lease of existing homes.
Under this strategy, it appears there may be more interest to start with a voluntary disclosure scheme, rather than a mandatory one.
The introduction of a disclosure scheme has been a recommendation in each energy policy statement since 2000 and the housing industry has expressed its support for this type of scheme for several years now.
The federal government has commenced research into a preferred scheme, picking up from where things left off in 2012 when a regulatory impact statement was released for a mandatory scheme. The Victorian government has been developing an online rating tool that is expected to be released in 2016 as a voluntary option. While the New South Wales government is also undertaking research into how they could establish a tool.
HIGHER BUILDING STANDARDS FOR NEW HOMES?
Action 31 sets the scene to increase the current six-star standard for new homes and new apartment buildings. This action also recommends an increase in the standards for commercial buildings.
Prior to the federal election, then Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia, Josh Frydenberg, wrote to the Australian Building Codes Board( ABCB) requesting they commence investigation into the options to increase the stringency of the energy efficiency requirements for both commercial and residential buildings.
Minister Frydenberg has retained responsibility for the energy portfolio post-election although it has been shifted into the Department of Environment.
The ABCB has now commenced work on this recommendation, including establishing:
• An ABCB Board steering committee with Jill Lee appointed as the industry representative, along with two state representatives.
• A Building Codes Committee working group with HIA nominated to be a member.
• An industry technical reference group with HIA nominated to be a member.
HIA attended the first meeting of the industry reference group in July 2016.
The ABCB has indicated that their intention for new homes is to investigate how to establish a new baseline for assessments which would use
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