“If the NatHERS Star Rating scale goes to 10 Stars, how can someone design a 10 Star house?”.

Although the National Construction Code requires houses to have a minimum 6 Star rating using NatHERS, there are still demands for a higher performing house. NCC2022 has increased the house Star Rating stringency to 7 Stars NatHERS.

So we decided to accept the challenge with a difficult climate (Brisbane). Additionally, we wanted to see if it was possible to design a 10 Star house, using standard construction materials and techniques (representing the lower construction cost options).

Note: all modelling was done using an older version of BERS, where “10 Stars” was a theoretical limit. Results will vary with the NCC2022 version of NatHERS software. The star bands have been adjusted to make it easier to get 10 Stars. In NCC2022 the “10 Stars” total energy level was found by thermally-modelling a real building (with high thermal performance).

Can you get a 10 Star house?

The simple answer is: yes. We present our rough floor plan (image from BERS Pro) with the following design features:

• 4 Bedrooms (blue), 2 Bathrooms (green), 2 Garages (brown)
• Large Bedrooms flanking the small Kitchen/Dining/Living area (pink)
• Garages and Bathrooms on the East and West short axis (10m)

The floor plan needs more work to make the design practical, but as it stands this is just a design concept for discussion. We are not building designers, we are professional Energy Efficiency consultants.

Floor plan concept for 10 Star house in Brisbane – (Road & North are up; heavy grid-lines are one metre)

The climate we selected was Brisbane – this is one of three climates (out of 69) with the lowest NatHERS total energy that achieves 6 Stars. The mild climate in Brisbane is accounted for and less artificial heating and cooling is expected for other climates using the same design.

To achieve 10 Stars in Brisbane, you need a total energy usage less than 10MJ/m², compared to a 6 Star home which requires total energy usage less than 43MJ/m². A 6 star house with 200m² of conditioned floor area would have an annual electricity consumption of about 185kWh to run air-conditioning for a whole year. This is according to NatHERS thermostat and occupancy (24/7) settings, and with an air-conditioner Energy Efficiency Ratio of 3.0. You can check the energy rating of an air conditioner here.

Specifications

Summary technical specifications for the 10 star house were:

The areas in the brackets are adjusted for wall thickness

The specifications of construction materials, insulation and glazing were modest. This included the ratio of total glazing area to floor area of 18.4%.

In order to achieve 10 Stars other design features were:

• North and South eaves 1.0m, 0.0m offset to glazing head height
• 1200mm ceiling fans to each Bedroom and two in Dining/Living
• Roof medium colour, Solar Absorptance 0.5
• External Walls medium colour, Solar Absorptance 0.5

Results

Using BERS Version 4.4 and the NatHERS Technical Note procedure produced the following results:

Colours represent different rooms

Most of the following changes would make the energy rating lower. By how much—depends on how far you deviate from the 10 Star design:

• Floor area is smaller
• Smaller Bedrooms and larger Living area
• Two stories, or split-level
• Different orientation (e.g. road to East or West)
• Larger glazing
• Less cross ventilation
• Carpet on floor
• Suspended, lightweight floor
• No ceiling fans

These changes may not make a much of a difference:

• Floor area is larger
• Tiles on floor
• Darker or lighter external walls
• Modest overshadowing from adjacent structures
• Darker or lighter roof
• Lower or higher roof pitch
• Skillion or gable roof
• Roof tiles

Sharing external walls (as seen in duplexes, townhouses or units) can improve the Energy Rating because there is less surface area for unwanted heat transfer. Adding shade or overshadowing will reduce summer overheating (increasing cooling energy) but will increase winter over-cooling (increasing heating energy).

The Energy Rating can be improved with attention to glazing sizes, orientation, glazing Uw-value and SHGCw (w = glass + frame), and some shade. Therefore, it should be possible to vary the design somewhat and adjust the glazing in order to retain 10 Stars.

Conclusion

It is possible to achieve a 10 Star house in Brisbane and have a fairly “normal” looking house (from the outside) using standard construction materials and techniques, but it calls for an unconventional floor plan. This design was only assessed in one climate zone, compared to 69 climates zones across Australia, so this design may not work in a cooler climate.

Ultimately, the design and the arrangement of the rooms is what determines if a house made from conventional construction materials will be energy efficient.

If you would like to know what works in different climates, or if you would like to discuss the design further, feel free to contact us to have a chat, or if you’re looking for a NatHERS Star Rating for your house, you can shoot us an email at info@andersonenergy.com.au.

The post How to get a 10 Star house in Brisbane appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

A client came to us with a difficult challenge, their house had the maximum glazing. Roughly 90% of the external façade of their house was composed of double glazed glass. Despite being double glazed, the Solar Hear Gain Co-efficient value of the glazing was high. This meant that large amounts of solar heat was being radiated into the building from each orientation. Hence, large amounts of cooling energy was required in order to maintain thermal comfort.

The client wanted us to achieve a 6 Star Rating for their house (without using credits such as solar panels, complying outdoor living area etc.). Additionally, they did not wish to change or reduce the proposed glazing at all.

Energy efficiency may appear to be a straight forward process. However, there are times when one comes across a project that presents a healthy challenge, for even the most experienced professionals. Though the design faced several compliance challenges, with the help of our expertise, our client successfully overcame them all.

How did we help our client? Read the full case study:
The Maximum Glazing House

Anderson Energy Efficiency provided energy efficiency assessment & consulting for this “high glazing” project. Including issuing a From 15 and Universal certificate (mandatory) required for Building Approval. The assessment was carried out using the NatHERS Star Rating method, which allowed us to observe how the proposed building elements impact the thermal performance of the house.

The post The Maximum Glazing House – A Case Study appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

It may be easier to consider the way more Sustainable Buildings will become reality. We can only achieve Sustainable Buildings incrementally, with small “course correction” moves that can steer us closer.

Driving a car, you are constantly moving the steering wheel to stay on the road. We know that fixing the steering wheel is not safe, even on a straight road. With continuous course-correction we can reach our destination safely.

In the sustainable buildings space, there are many examples of doing “it” better. The annual ‘Sustainable House Day’ provides many examples in a more accessible fashion.

There are several obstacles to achieving “truly” sustainable buildings. What causes buildings to be less sustainable? Is it always cost? Do we give cost more importance than is eventually warranted? That is, over the whole time that a building is used, how does the total lifetime benefits of something compare with the incremental extra cost?

For elements of sustainable buildings this benefit-cost exercise can be calculated. How can we know if something is “worth it”? What do we include and exclude in the calculations? What assumptions and data do we use?

Is a solar PV system more sustainable?

For example, a potential component of sustainable buildings is solar PV. The first question to ask is: Does adding solar PV bring the building closer or further away from being sustainable?

Now we could try to define “sustainability”, but inherently the word implies the ability to “stay”, to keep doing something nearly forever, with neutral impact. Moreover, the question we can ask: is this topic clearly seen as part of a desirable future? With less of the “bad” things, and more of the “good” things (like clean air, clean and adequate water, adequate and durable building materials, etc.)? Is there a straightforward, ongoing process of upkeep and maintenance? At the end of it’s useful life, can the item be upgraded or recycled?

So back to solar PV, in many respects the ability to generate electricity from sunlight is “magical”. However the reality is: the process involves several complex parts to work together. If one of these parts stops working, then the PV system stops working. The only way for solar PV to be sustainable is by ongoing maintenance. So long as the spare or replacement parts and expertise remain available, the solar PV system should be able to last as long as the building.

What is the lifetime cost of solar PV? What is the lifetime benefit? kWh electricity generated, avoided grid power cost saving, reduced impact from generating mains electricity, and even shading of the roof by the solar panels. The answers depend on the situation. Is it a “no-brainer”, or is there more to consider?

Buildings are more sustainable now

Sustainable buildings may not include all the parts of current building design. But the good thing is that today we are building more sustainable buildings than in the past. This is partly due to Sustainable Buildings being part of the National Construction Code, and improved construction materials and practices.

We are already on the journey of Sustainable Buildings!

Anderson Energy Efficiency’s Vision Statement is:

Advancing Sustainable Buildings across Australia

In summary, this is the journey that we are on. If you think this goal is necessary and desirable, come and join us to help make this happen. The only way to achieve sustainable buildings is to stay on the journey, incrementally – by choosing better ways; one project at a time, and one decision at a time.

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What is NatHERS?

• The word itself is an acronym that stands for the “Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme”
• It’s a system that gives houses Star Ratings (from 0 to 10 Stars) for energy efficiency
• It’s overseen by the Federal Department of the Environment and Energy, on behalf of all Australian States and Territories
• It’s referenced in the National Construction Code, which is often abbreviated to the NCC
• If a dwelling has a Thermal Calculation method of energy assessment, then it must also have a Star Rating

What parts make up NatHERS?

NatHERS can be broken down into four main parts. If one component isn’t running effectively, then (using the car analogy) the wheel is not “on” the car. It may even have an accident and someone could suffer damages or financial losses. Any business or certifier worth their salt should be checking to make sure all four parts are functioning correctly.

The first part is using approved NatHERS Software

All valid assessments must be calculated using accredited software that correctly implements the CSIRO-developed Chenath calculation engine. There are three Accredited software packages available: AccuRate (which is also the reference benchmark implementation), BERS Pro, and FirstRate5. New versions are released regularly, and these are checked to make sure their results align with the benchmark software – only the current approved version should be used. However, similar to how just owning a car doesn’t mean you can drive it, there’s much more to it than just using the right software to produce a certificate!

The second part is ensuring trained & qualified Assessors are accurately entering data into the Software

Of course, there needs to be standard procedures to make sure Assessors know how to use the software correctly. The basis for these guidelines are called the NatHERS Technical Notes. To make sure Assessors properly understand these guidelines, there’s a national qualification for a Certificate IV in NatHERS Assessment (code CPP41212). If your Assessor doesn’t have this qualification, there’s a good chance they’re “unqualified”. Would you let an unqualified mechanic repair your car?

The third part of the this system is a means to make sure Assessors are doing their work consistently.

In addition to the Qualifications, your Assessor should be a member of an Assessor Accreditation Organisation. The largest one in Australia is the Australian Building Sustainability Association, better known as ABSA. These associations have necessary features that make sure Assessors are up to scratch, such as:

• Signed adherence to a Code of Conduct,
• Professional Indemnity Insurance,
• Independent Quality Assurance checks,
• Ongoing training with Continuing Professional Development to maintain competency.

If an Assessor is not a member of an organisation like this, they might not meet all these additional requirements and you might not be covered if things go wrong. Much like making sure your mechanic has business insurance in case their shop burns down while they’re working on your car because they left waste oil sitting around their shop in a dangerous manner, wouldn’t you like to know your Assessor has proper insurance and regular Quality Assurance checks to make sure they’re still following best practices?

The fourth part of the Scheme is the regulatory environment which helps to facilitate industry up-take and use.

Building designs usually change more than once from their first draft to their final construction. The NatHERS Universal Certificate provides Building Surveyors, Contractors, Certifiers & Owners with the specifications used in calculating the Energy Efficiency Assessment. This gives a level of accountability, so all parties can be sure that the building being constructed is the one that was simulated, to make sure the final constructed building still meets the Energy Efficiency Code requirements. Because there are so many parties involved, this extra accountability is important so that everyone can be on the same page. Because this accountability between different parties is so important, an assessment without a Universal Certificate does not comply with NatHERS, and should be returned to the assessor as “incomplete”. It’s similar to hiring a mechanic that gives an itemised receipt of the work done & the parts used, so you can verify they didn’t pull a dodgy one and use knock-off non-compliant parts on your car.

Does it really work?

In short, yes absolutely! When all parts are working correctly, NatHERS is world-class in helping to deliver thermally comfortable homes. It’s our advice that you should always insist on having a NatHERS Assessment for a Residential Energy Efficiency Assessment, in particular a Star Rating. Remember, using an unaccredited assessor may seem like a way to save some money for some ‘cheap’ consulting, but you aren’t getting a complete energy assessment.

Doesn’t your project deserve to be rolling “on all four wheels”?

The post Is your NatHERS Assessment a Potential Disaster? appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

Energy efficiency assessments are quite complex. The cost of finding a Building Solution is effected by many different variables. It’s a bit like getting a quote for a kitchen or bathroom – since designs and materials differ, the cost changes according to the design choices.

These design choices can include:

• building size or area,
• design complexity,
• the number of windows,
• the building’s orientation and location,
• lighting,
• air-conditioning.

Because of all these differences, each energy assessment quote needs to be individually calculated. If assessments were all charged at a flat rate, simple buildings would be charged the same high price as complex ones.

Knowing what kind of assessment method your project needs is incredibly important. It can make a huge difference to your overall building costs. For example; for a commercial building, a Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) Report is often less expensive than a  JV3 Assessment. However, the decision the make the extra investment for a JV3 Assessment has saved our clients thousands in building materials.

Recently, we provided a client with a verification method for their project. This allowed us to recommend alternative solutions which resulted in our client saving over $100,000 in construction costs. Furthermore, the project’s carbon footprint was improved because less materials were used.

How can paying more for an assessment save me money?

Compared to the overall cost of your building project, the price of an energy assessment is a rather small expense. Paying a little more for a quality, accurate and professional assessment can save you a lot money both in the cost of construction & long term running costs. The building will be more comfortable to live or work in. Additionally, there will be less heating and cooling energy consumption costs for the life of the building & therefore be more environmentally friendly.

The best way to get value from your Energy Assessment is to choose an assessor by their credentials & qualifications, not just by the price they offer. Let our team of qualified, professional engineers help you to save money and achieve an accurate energy assessment that your project deserves.

Anderson Energy Efficiency offers a range of building assessments, for any type or size of project. Renowned for accurate, professional Energy Consulting for over 18 years. Every project is assessed at our Brisbane office by our team of fully qualified Registered Professional Engineers & Accredited NatHERS Assessors. We have an ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System & are PQC Registered Level 3.

Contact us now for a free, no obligation quote.

The post How Much does an Energy Rating Cost? appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

Energy Efficiency isn’t just in our name, it’s what we strive for. We’d like to show you that going “green” is not only an achievable goal, but in many cases it can also have a positive impact on your wallet!

A few years ago we installed a Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panel system on our roof. It consists of 20 panels mounted on angled frames, with a peak capacity of 5kW. Solar panels also have the added benefit of shading your roof. And to show some hard numbers for the kind of benefits this system can provide, we’re releasing a copy of one of our own recent 12 month Electricity Consumption Reports, which includes Peak electricity, Hot Water (Tariff 31) and Renewable Energy generation (Solar PV).

The surplus electricity generated by the PV system means that our Mains meter reading was lower than average. In fact, over the last year we have actually generated more surplus electricity than we purchased! Because Tariff 31 is overnight (from 11pm to 7am), there was (of course) no solar contribution made during that time.
Here’s the technical breakdown:

Average export Net Solar = 10.9kWh/day
Compared to:
Average import Peak+Tariff 31 = 6.2kWh/day
Year-long average gross export = 4.7kWh/day

The average export during Winter was only 2.4kWh/day, but the average export in Summer was 6.7kWh/day.

Producing our own solar power wasn’t enough! We also made the business decision to purchase all our grid-supplied electricity as 100% Green Power (mostly wind-sourced). Talk to your supplier about making the switch to “Green” power. Therefore what grid power we do purchase is all 100% sustainable. Additionally, because we generate more renewable energy than we use, we export it back into the grid making us “Doubly Green” – we actually have negative Greenhouse Gas emissions!

The post Our Electricity Consumption creates Zero Emissions appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

• Increase the insulation?
• Increase the efficiency of the compressor motor fans & lights?
• Or reduce the amount of infiltration (air leakage)?

Dr Clyde Anderson and Certified Energy Efficiency Assessor Michael Anderson have written an in-depth report comparing the energy consumption between existing and proposed-design walk-in Coldrooms with various options applied.

Read the full report on Walk-In Coldroom energy efficiency now

It’s a great read, but if you’re short on time here’s a quick summary:

1. There is a proposal from the Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee (E3) of the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Council on Energy to regulate elemental parts of Walk-In Coldroom systems.
2. Rudimentary thermal modelling was included in the proposed 10 year strategic Draft proposal “In From the Cold… ”.
3. Manufacturers of insulation products — through the industry governing body “Expanded Polystyrene Panel Manufacturers Group” — are planning to make a submission to the Committee regarding the benefits of the proposed insulation increases.
4. Our Report addresses only the proposed changes in minimum R-value insulation of wall, ceiling and floor panels. It shows that increasing insulation R-value will only slightly reduce the energy consumed in Walk-In Coldrooms.
5. There are many transient heat loads that are part of operation of WICs that are difficult to include any energy efficiency regulation.
6. Compared to steady-state (closed box) heat transfer, one important factor in the calculation of total kWh energy is the loss of cold air due to door opening (infiltration).
7. Increasing only insulation will not achieve the expected overall benefits as the envelope heat transfer is only a small percentage of the total heat load.
8. Infiltration should be addressed before increasing the R-values of Walk-In Coldroom envelopes, as this would give a more cost-effective energy reduction.
9. A holistic, total system approach to efficiency certification of WICs is advocated since the incorrect application of efficient components can result in an inefficient design.
10. Performance-based assessment under a National regulatory body like the Australian Building Codes Board, is appropriate for WICs.

Disclaimer: whilst the data in this Report is provided with reference to calculations and computer simulations, it is only as good as the information provided plus the assumptions used in the simulations and is generic in its recommendations. Naturally, this may not reflect your specific building or simulation scenario. Alternative data & assumptions, different building designs & building fabric will produce different simulation results. If you’re interested in optimisation for your specific building, we offer full Commercial Energy Efficiency Assessments as well as thermal simulation consulting. Contact us for more information.

Read the full report on Walk-In Coldroom energy efficiency now

The post Refrigerated Walk-In Coldroom Comparisons Report appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” -Benjamin Franklin

Considering a low Fee Proposal for an Energy Efficiency assessment? Before choosing an assessor, you should know what potential ‘hidden costs’ you might face by selecting an inexperienced Energy Efficiency Consultant.

1. Inexperience may result in missing elements of the building that significantly affects the assessment result.

This could occur as a result of “cutting corners” in the assessment process. An omitted window or door can result in a calculated Energy Efficiency that is lower or higher than what it should be. Missing or incorrect data means the calculations are not for the proposed building.
You’re relying on the assessor to be accurate. While the result may be favourable, they are incorrect and not what the building deserves.
Anderson Energy Efficiency doesn’t take short cuts. Our staff are all properly trained in our rigorous checking procedures to deliver the correct results.

2. Inexperience may result in not using current procedures for assessments

For commercial projects assessor should strictly follow Verification Method JV3 conditions in their thermal modelling. For residential Energy Efficiency Assessments, the national standards are in the NatHERS Technical Notes (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme).
If the assessor does not state that they followed the NatHERS Technical Notes, then they probably didn’t. If in doubt, ask your assessor how the assessment was conducted. The assessor could have entered anything into the Star Rating software. The software doesn’t know if a “Zone” should be an “Other Daytime Zone” or a “Night-time Zone”. The assessor is responsible for following the NatHERS Zoning rules.
Have you heard “You can get a good result if you change the Zoning”? The Conditioned Floor Area on the Report should be the Total Floor Area of the building minus any outdoor living areas, porches, garages, unconditioned storerooms and wet areas (Bathroom, Toilet, Laundry).
Does your Energy Assessor know and follow the current NatHERS or Verification Method JV3 procedures? For more information on the NatHERS Technical Notes visit www.nathers.gov.au. In NSW the procedures are different: visit www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/planning-tools/basix and search for “thermal comfort protocol”.

3. Inexperience may result in not having an Assessment System

All Energy Efficiency assessments should be conducted in a very similar manner. The assessor then produces a consistent, accurate result and each job is assessed equivalently. Not having an Assessment System means the checking process may be less thorough, resulting in errors.
If an investigation discovered there was an error in the Energy Efficiency Assessment, someone will need robust Professional Indemnity Insurance!
Having an ISO9001-2015 certified Quality Management System for all consultants is good practice for a company dedicated to quality.

4. Inexperience may cost the building occupier thousands of dollars.

The reason Energy Efficiency exists in the Building Code is because the users of the buildings, who pay for the electricity, cannot easily improve the building envelope once construction is completed.
An inferior building envelope (one that genuinely does not comply with the Energy Efficiency Code) will cost much more to heat and cool.This could greatly affect the building’s owners or any future occupants. The building could receive a low NABERS Energy Rating in the future (NABERS is a measure of operational energy). A building with a low NABERS Energy Rating could be less attractive to prospective new tenants, or owners and potentially increase vacancies and reduce investment return for a landlord.

At Anderson Energy Efficiency, as a result of our expertise we assess residential buildings correctly, and therefore achieve optimum comfort and minimise heating and cooling costs. For commercial buildings we will work with you to optimise construction costs within your requirements.

It’s important to ask yourself, is the risk of accepting an unsatisfactory Energy Efficiency Report worth the potential expenses? Carefully consider the costs and the benefits of using a reputable consultant.

The post The Cost of an Inexperienced Assessor appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

Achieving 6 stars required expensive additions

The design has a 29% glass-to-floor ratio with tinting on half the glass. The building had good cross-flow ventilation, ceiling fans throughout, and good insulation to roof, ceiling & walls. With so many low-cost, energy efficiency features already in the design, getting a Building Solution using a Star Rating method of assessment was not going to be easy.
One option was to increase the star rating to 4½ and use credits of 1½ stars to reach 6 stars. This could only be achieved by adding 1kW capacity solar photovoltaic panels (not cost-effective with the roof pitch facing East-West). Additionally high performance glazing would need to be installed or they’d have to reduce the glazed area of the building. All expensive & undesirable options for the client.

Alternatives to Deemed-to-Satisfy gave a better result!

An alternative approach was to assess the building according to BCA2010 Volume 2 Verification Method V2.6.2.2. Listed as Acceptable Solution A1(1)(b) of the Queensland Development Code MP4.1 – Sustainable Buildings. This method is effectively three separate assessments:

• Perform the NatHERS assessment for the proposed building;
• Design the Reference Building insulation, ventilation and glazing to comply with BCA2010 Part 3.12 DTS; and
• Perform the thermal calculation for the Reference Building to determine the Cooling Energy Allowance.

By applying a method that assessed the building as a whole instead of individual segments, it achieved a calculated Cooling Energy allowance of 37.1MJ/m² compared with the Reference Building of 38.3MJ/m². So we had a Building Solution according to Verification Method V2.6.2.2. and the proposed building design needed no alterations to comply.

We achieved certification without expensive alterations!

With our solution, the client avoided alterations costing more than $27,000 and the anxiety of changing their dream design.

Our knowledge of Queensland Development and National Construction Codes and our experience with alternative energy efficiency assessment methods enabled us to deliver a 1500% Return On Investment for the client.

If you have any questions about how alternative assessment methods can be used to certify your design, contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any questions.

The post Want to save $27,000 in building alteration costs? appeared first on Anderson Energy Efficiency.

On Saturday 11^th of May 2013, Dr Clyde Anderson gave a technical presentation to the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) at their annual conference. Many topics were covered in this presentation and we will be expanding them into full articles in the future. Here’s a quick summary.

What is a competent person?
A brief survey of the audience revealed that every Building Surveyor present had seen at least one “junk” Energy Efficiency Report – one that was either unsatisfactory, inaccurate or just plain wrong. When confirming the abilities of an Energy Efficiency Assessor, you should check the following: Do they have a good reputation, are they known to be “tough” occasionally, do they abide by a code of conduct, do they have adequate experience, do they have adequate education that has been tested, do they participate in a CPD program, do they have a Quality Management System, and do they have Professional Indemnity Insurance?

Roof Energy vs Solar Absorptance
We have been researching the effects of Solar Absorptance on the amount of heat transferred through roofs. The results highly vary per building and is too much to summarise in a single paragraph, but there was a clear trend that an uninsulated concrete roof has less variance than an uninsulated metal roof. We also noticed there is little difference between an insulated concrete & an insulated metal roof.

Wall Energy vs Solar Absorptance
We also researched the effects of Solar Absorptance and the amount of heat transferred through the walls. These results are also too numerous to summarise in one paragraph but we noticed that for insulated walls there is little difference between FC Panel and Concrete Panel walls. We also noticed that for a maximum benefit, wall insulation is needed for hot & cold climates but less insulation is better for temperate warm/cool climates.

Floor Energy vs Solar Absorptance
Completing our research on the effects of Solar Absorptance, we investigated its effects on the amount of heat transferred through a suspended floor. This one’s results are surprising – the Solar Absorptance value did impact the heat transfer! This is likely due to the 20% ground reflection of sunlight and these results need more investigation before we can confirm them. However, we can say that for insulated floors there is little difference between Timber or Suspended Concrete. Also, no floor insulation is needed in hot or warm climates, but some insulation is beneficial for cold climates.

Roof Insulation Compression
Compression of roof insulation by any means – to fit into a tight space, underneath purlins or even by a safety mesh – compromises its performance. Calculating this decrease in R-value is difficult, which is why we have released a calculator to crunch the numbers for you. This calculator is as accurate as we could make it (regression coefficient of at least 0.9992). Best of all, it’s free! We are providing this as a service to the whole industry. Check it out.

Download slides of the presentation

If you are interested in an Energy Efficiency Rating performed by someone who knows the material so well they can teach others,
contact us for a competitive fee proposal. We deal in both Residential and Commercial work throughout Australia, from tiny 1-room house extensions to entire office complexes.

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