07 Sep A Passive Shift Toward Energy Efficiency
As energy prices soar, home buyers and renters alike are finding a new appreciation for the benefits of energy-efficiency to reduce the cost of heating and cooling.
What this means for builders and trades is the market – particularly owner occupiers – are more likely to ask questions about how well a prospective home will perform.
Whilst much discussion can focus on the pros and cons of different technology deployed in a home – evaporative duct vs split systems, hydronic under-floor heating vs gas heating, for example – the construction itself and how it is designed and put together can have an enormous impact on warmth retention in the winter and its ability to stay cool in the summer.
Insulation, management of thermal bridges, optimal pitched roof angles, orienting for maximum natural light to living areas from the North in the winter all can contribute to a home’s ability to manage heating and cooling efficiently.
With the public becoming more articulate and passionate about energy efficiency each day, builders and trades need to keep pace with trends that are pushing the industry toward more eco-friendly construction.
The Seal of Approval
One of the most important features of a home that performs well is one that minimises air leaks. Quality workmanship for fenestration assemblies and installation; doors that fit properly with gaps and properly sealed penetrations for plumbing and other services all contribute to a well-sealed home. But demonstrating the quality of workmanship is critical to setting your skills apart for other businesses.
The Passive House standard is one of the most rigorous methodologies for designing and delivering a building that performs well with minimal energy use for heating and cooling. Its verification-based approach separates it from BASIX or NatHERS by requiring testing to demonstrate the building has been sealed tightly so there are minimal natural air changes.
Building wraps that manage condensation risks and reduce air leakage, insulation that goes above code minimum, with additional insulation for areas such as slab edges, pipe work, and inspection prior to internal and external linings are added to verify insulation has been installed with gaps, all contribute to a construction that reaches the Passive House standard.
To ensure air quality inside remains healthy, Passive House also incorporates energy-efficient ventilation systems that provide pre-conditioned and filtered outside air continuously into the building.
The workmanship of all these elements undergoes both visual testing and blower door testing, a technique that can scientifically validate the air tightness of the building. Smoke can also be used to identify any areas where there are defects requiring rectifying such as imperfectly sealed cornices or poor installation of skylights or clerestory windows.
Regulation Sparks Change
Hand-in-hand with energy efficiency issues of construction tightness is the shift from gas to an all-electric operations requirement on the horizon. Victoria has already signalled that gas connections for new construction are on the way out, and the ACT government has announced it will be switching off the mains gas network in the territory in just over 20 years (2045).
As the National Construction Code will be increasing the minimum compliance requirements for Class 1 and Class 2 buildings from October 2023 from 6 Star NatHERs to 7 Star NatHERS, understanding how to achieve the Passive House standard and the institution of all-electric construction will be an invaluable competitive advantage for builders and trades as these approaches will help meet the enhanced requirements.
While that might seem far away, ideally when a builder delivers a project it will have a lifespan of many decades, which means now is the time to start understanding and implementing these innovations in your projects. Indeed, if we are going to have whole estates, suburbs, towns and cities using all electric everything, unless we plan on massively increasing national grid power supplies, all new buildings and even existing ones need to be as smart with energy use as possible.
From a customer perspective, result of this additional effort is a much higher quality property with vastly reduced operating costs for heating and cooling as the internal environment generally stays around 19-20 degrees for most of the year with no additional heating or cooling operating.
Seeing this for what it is – a brilliant opportunity for both builders and trades to position themselves for a clear edge in the construction market – one that potential customers already are looking to find.
Visit our Built Environment Marketplace to learn more about Energy Efficiency and Passive House Standards.