NatHERS Expansion

NatHERS Whole-of-Home

Diagram displaying the benefits of whole of home expansion

Work is underway to expand NatHERS to assess and rate the energy performance of the whole home.

NatHERS Whole-of-Home will continue to provide information and a star rating of a home’s thermal performance, but it will also provide information about the energy performance of the following appliances:

  • heating and cooling appliances
  • hot water systems
  • lighting
  • pool/spa pumps
  • on-site energy generation
  • cooking and plug-in appliances (optional)

NatHERS Whole-of-Home will also provide information about the overall energy performance of the home (thermal performance combined with appliances).

Expanding NatHERS to assess and rate the energy performance of the whole home will:

  • Help consumers to have lower energy bills, and a home that is more comfortable and resilient
  • Support industry and consumers to design beyond minimum standards and achieve a zero energy (and carbon) ready home (as outlined in the Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings, and its Addendum)
  • Support a range of different initiatives, such as the finance sector being able to use NatHERS to underpin their products
  • Cater for potential future energy efficiency requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC 2022 energy efficiency provisions)

Work is underway to identify what changes may be required to the current NatHERS processes to enable them to support NatHERS Whole-of-Home. This includes reviewing the NatHERS Software Accreditation Protocol, the NatHERS Technical Note and Assessor Handbook, the Assessor Accrediting Organisations Protocol and the NatHERS Certificate. More information about these updates will be provided shortly.

 

Benefits of expanding NatHERS

Diagram displaying the benefits of expanding NatHERS

NatHERS sets the requirements and accredits energy rating tools and assessors, which can be used to deliver NatHERS ratings and Certificates.

The benefits of expanding NatHERS is it:

  • Allows a choice of tools to be accredited that can suit different users
  • Supports a variety of programs, such as verifying compliance with the National Construction Code, or underpinning green loan products offered by finance institutions
  • Delivers harmonised outputs by requiring tools to be accredited and to produce consistent outputs in the form of a NatHERS Certificate
  • Uses science and Australian data, and requires assessors use the tools in consistent ways, to ensure the tools deliver robust and credible information
  • Ensures consistent data by having a centralised data collection process, which is then made available at https://ahd.csiro.au
  • Has national administrative processes combined with delivery by both government and commercial entities, which is an efficient use of resources
  • Has national governance with representatives from the Commonwealth and all State and Territory Governments.