How to Understand Your Energy Efficiency Report

Our Energy Efficiency Reports are written to provide an accurate & concise summary of how your building compares to the National Construction Code Performance Requirement and they include the Design Compliance Certificate (Form 15 in Queensland). They’re created with the Building Certifier (Construction Regulation Authority) in mind to help them in their certifying task. We issue different types of reports depending on the building class & assessment method. It can be a little daunting to some people if they’re not used to seeing these types of reports, especially with some of the words involved. So, in this article we go through a brief run-down explaining how to understand your Energy Efficiency Report.

Confused about the meaning of some of the words & complicated jargon in our reports? We’ve also compiled a handy list of terms used in the Energy Efficiency Industry with definitions of the more common phrases — from α (greek alpha, the Solar Absorptance of a surface which is based on its colour) to U-value (the Thermal Conductance of a material). It’s a great reference to jog your memory.

We issue four main types of Energy Efficiency Reports:

• Star Rating for Houses & Residential Units
• DTS Compliance Report for Houses & Residential Units
• DTS Compliance Report for Commercial & Industrial Buildings
• Verification Method JV3 Report for Commercial & Industrial Buildings

Residential Star Rating Report Format (Class 1, 2 & 4)

Page 1:

• Project address & drawing details are listed at the top.
• A statement that the software used in the thermal calculation complies with the relevant Protocol.
• In the summary section, we list the assumptions made for the Proposed building based on the information provided in the Energy Efficiency Check List, Drawings & Specifications. Where an element of the proposed building has been changed (with client approval) in order to achieve compliance, the change is highlighted in Italic. For multi-residential projects, this information may be provided in a table.
• Finally, a Statement of the Requirement & the result of the assessment that shows it complies to the relevant Performance Requirement. This is signed by the assessor.

Page 2:

• The certificate generated by the software displaying the Star Rating is shown. There is also a table showing the individual Star Rating per Zone in the building, or per Unit in a multi-residential project.

Page 3:

• Form 15 Design Compliance Certificate, with our secure hologram sticker showing this is an original Report.

Residential DTS Report / Commercial DTS Report Format

Page 1:

• Project address & drawing details are listed at the top.
• There is a table listing each assessable element, the requirement, the proposed properties of the building & whether or not it complies. The proposed insulation is noted below the table.
• A Statement of the Requirement & the result of the assessment that shows it complies to the relevant Performance Requirement. This is signed by the assessor.

Page 2:

• Form 15 Design Compliance Certificate, with our secure hologram sticker showing this is an original Report.

Commercial JV3 Report Format (all Classes, excluding residential)

Page 1:

• Project address and drawing details are listed at the top.
• A statement that the software used in the thermal calculation complies with the relevant Protocol.
• We may include the type of activity schedule used in building modelling e.g. “The building was modelled as a Restaurant/Motel/Office”, etc.
• We state the number of zones in the building & which zones were included or excluded.
• In the summary section, we list the assumptions made for the proposed building based on the information provided in the Energy Efficiency Check List, Drawings & Specifications. In the square brackets are the Reference Building properties that follow the JV3 conditions. Where an element of the proposed building has been changed (with client approval) in order to achieve compliance, the change is highlighted in Italics. Where an element of the proposed building does not meet Deemed-to-Satisfy requirements, they are highlighted in bold.

Page 2:

• A table shows monthly & annual elemental heat transfer totals – positive figures are heat (energy) flow in or energy consumed, while negative figures are heat (energy) flow out. The Annual Energy Consumption is listed in the last column.
• Below the table is a statement of Annual Energy consumption comparison between the proposed & the Reference Building. The calculated lighting Allowances for the proposed building is given, or where a lighting plan is supplied the percentage of the Allowance is listed.

Page 3:

• Form 15 Design Compliance Certificate, with our secure hologram sticker showing this is an original Report.

A combination of using the approved software, with the correct procedures by competent persons means the building gets the assessment result it deserves (whether good or bad). It also means that any problem areas are genuine so trouble-shooting is accurate & effective. There is no substitute for experience & knowledge in providing quality consulting on building energy efficiency. This is included in our fee at no extra cost.

We guarantee to always find a Building Solution. If any changes are needed, the lowest-cost options are suggested for client approval & inclusion in the Report. If you have any questions about your report, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any queries.

If you’re looking for an Energy Efficiency Assessment performed by someone reliable, with a report presented in a simple way to make your job easier, contact us for a competitive fee proposal.