NatHERS Assessor Toolkit

To become a NatHERS accredited assessor you must hold a Certificate IV in Home Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (CPP41119). 

Search the course code CPP41119 on the MySkills website for course details and current training providers. (Note: CPP41212 is no longer available but accreditations achieved through this course are still valid.)

Once you become a NatHERS accredited Assessor, to maintain accreditation you must:

• accrue at least 12 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points annually by undertaking CPD activities offered by your Assessor Accrediting Organisation
• undertake a minimum of 3 NatHERS assessments per year in each of the software tools that you wish to remain accredited in.

You can learn more about becoming accredited, and how you maintain your accreditation in Section 3.2 of the Protocol for Assessor Accrediting Organisations.   

Software training

The Certificate IV (CPP41119) course includes basic training in at least one of the four NatHERS accredited software tools. You can learn more about training for various tools by contacting the software providers below:

• Hero 
• BERS Pro 
• FirstRate5

AccuRate is not recommended for beginners, but training for experienced assessors is offered by Graham Energy.

Accreditation in more than one software tool

Once you have some experience as an assessor you may choose to use different, or additional software to what you have trained in for your Certificate IV course.

You must complete training in the desired software and provide a copy of the certificate to your AAO as proof. NatHERS endorsed trainers are listed below:

• Graham Energy provides training for all 4 NatHERS software including AccuRate
• Hero also provides endorsed training in its software.

For Whole of Home specific training that can be applied across all tools, see the separate drop-down section on this page: 'Whole of Home training and certification'.

Other related training and information

• The Net Zero Energy Builder training portal offers free online sessions focused on helping industry professionals create more sustainable and energy efficient buildings.
• See the Australian Building Codes Board's National Construction Code 101 Training.

There are a range of benefits to becoming an accredited assessor. To become one, you must complete the relevant training and be accredited by one of the three Assessor Accrediting Organisations (AAOs) listed below. Contact AAOs to find out about their training and accreditation requirements: 

• Australia Building Sustainability Association
• Design Matters National
• House Energy Raters Association

Learn about the Protocol for Assessor Accrediting Organisations.

You may have additional requirements for your jurisdiction, contact your local regulator to find out more:

• Australian Capital Territory Government
• NSW Government
• Northern Territory Government
• Queensland Government
• South Australian Government  
• Tasmanian Government
• Victorian Government
• West Australian Government

AccuRate Home, BERS Pro, Hero and FirstRate5 are accredited NatHERS software providers. They all work closely with our technical team to ensure their tools are accurate and up to date. 

Transitioning to NCC 2022

Changes to the National Construction Code (NCC 2022) mean NatHERS tools have had to make updates and be reaccredited.

AccuRate Home can be used for both thermal and Whole of Home assessments. The other providers are all accredited for thermal assessments but are at various stages of accreditation for Whole of Home.

During the transition to NCC 2022, there will be a blanket, coordinated approach permitting the use of older software versions for NatHERS assessments as required.

For state and territory government contacts, or to learn more about the software arrangements see our NCC 2022 Software Transitional Arrangements page.

Read about the requirements and processes for the accreditation of software tools in the NatHERS Software Accreditation Protocol (SAP). 

To support new energy efficiency requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022, NatHERS now incorporates a new Whole of Home annual energy use budget. 

Whole of Home training has been delivered via a series of two webinars: an overview and a technical module during the first half of 2023. Below are links to the recorded online training modules.

NatHERS Whole of Home - Introductory Overview Module 

• Overview Webinar
• Presentation Slides
• Overview Quiz (for Continued Professional Development Points).

NatHERS Whole of Home - Technical Module 

• Technical Webinar
• Presentation Slides
• Technical Quiz (To become certified for Whole of Home assessments you must provide your Technical Module pass certificate to your AAO).

Becoming Whole of Home certified 

The online technical module which focuses on updates to the NatHERS Technical Note is mandatory for all professionals who want to become certified for Whole of Home assessments. Follow the steps below to become certified:

1. Access the recorded NatHERS Whole of Home technical training session (see above). 
2. Complete the session (this will take approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes).
3. Take the quiz at the end of the session. Once you pass this; you will receive a certificate.
4. Email your certificate to your AAO.
5. Your AAO will register you as a certified Whole of Home assessor and credit you CPD points for completing this training. 

Software provider training for NCC 2022 

All software providers are currently offering training covering the recent changes being introduced in NCC 2022:

• Hero training covers certificate creation, the new thermal bridging feature and thermal comfort ratings, as well as the optimisation feature that adds batch simulation capabilities.
• BERS Pro training includes thermal bridging, new interface features and Whole of Home (including artificial heating and cooling, hot water system, lighting, cooking and pool overview, plus solar PV).
• You can find training videos for FirstRate5 on their website covering thermal bridging, new features, and using the optimisation feature.
• Training in AccuRate is available from Graham Energy. AccuRate is not recommended for beginner assessors.

Below are some quick links to important information on conducting NatHERS assessments:  

• You must follow the NatHERS Technical Note when undertaking NatHERS regulatory assessments.
• The Assessor Handbook will help you navigate through a NatHERS home energy assessment.
• The NatHERS Whole of Home Guidance Note features information for undertaking a Whole of Home assessment. It should be read in conjunction with the most recent NatHERS Technical Note.
• Read the Thermal Bridging Guidance Note. 
• See the NatHERS FAQs here on the website.

If the above documents are not what you're looking for, contact your AAO for assistance or email the team at: admin@nathers.gov.au to suggest other documents to include on this page. 

Below are reports and other detailed technical information regarding recent changes to NatHERS: 

• Thermally bridged metal framed dwellings must now achieve a similar performance to thermally bridged timber framed dwellings. See Thermal Bridging, NCC 2022 to learn more.
• The climate files used to calculate NatHERS star ratings have been updated for NCC 2022 with more recent and accurate weather data. 
• To minimise the potential impacts of the new climate files on NatHERS star ratings, new starbands have been implemented, adjusted so no particular home/design will be overly impacted. 
• Learn more about how the ABCB has updated its Heating and Cooling Load Limits to support the changes to NCC 2022.
• NatHERS calculations methods underpin the NatHERS Whole of Home modules and rating in the benchmark tool (AccuRate Home).

Below is a collection of sample certificates (from 2019 and 2022) as well as an updated user guide for the new NatHERS certificate.    

• The updated NatHERS Certificate Guide 2022 explores the new features included in the NatHERS certificate.
• The NatHERS Certificate sample 2022 is an example of the new NatHERS certificate which features the Whole of Home rating.    
• Changes to the 2022 certificate & non-accredited report summarises the updates to the 2022 certificate and non-accredited report.
• Guide to the 2019 certificates & non-accredited certificates is a guide to the 2019 NatHERS certificate and its features.
• 2019 NatHERS Certificate sample (superseded) is an example of the 2019 NatHERS certificate.    

If you're assessing a new home in New South Wales, or renovations of $50,000 or more, or your client is installing a pool or spa of more than 40,000 litres, you will need a BASIX certificate. NatHERS-accredited software is one of the valid pathways to complete the thermal performance section of BASIX.

Below are some important links for assessors who are using BASIX for NCC 2022 regulatory ratings in New South Wales.   

• Read the latest updates and see support materials for the BASIX tool 
• Learn which BASIX standards apply in different circumstances and the current transitional arrangements.
• See this BASIX Support Materials for links to guides that help BASIX users (applicants) navigate the BASIX tool. 
• The Increase to BASIX standards resource provides information on the new materials index. Users can also download a walls and glazing calculator to help with BASIX assessments.
• See BASIX FAQ for answer to other questions you may have regarding the BASIX tool.  

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) updated the National Construction Code (NCC) in 2022. Changes included increasing the minimum thermal performance for new homes to the equivalent of 7 stars (under NatHERS). NCC 2022 also includes a new Whole of Home annual energy use budget.

States and territories are transitioning to NCC 2022 at various times. This table outlines key dates for the changeover to the new energy efficiency requirements.

During the transition, there will be a blanket, coordinated approach permitting the use of older software versions for NatHERS assessments as required. For state and territory government contacts, or to learn more about the software arrangements see our NCC 2022 Software Transitional Arrangements page for further details.

Below are more links to information on the NCC and the ABCB: 

• Read the complete collection of NCC volumes in the ABCB National Construction Code 2022 
• See the ABCB's website for the NCC 2022 calculators
• Check out the ABCB NCC 2022 webinar series including key changes and new provisions for energy efficiency and condensation management.