Green building in Australia
[1][2][3] As of April 2013, over 550 projects have been Green-Star certified, representing 8 million square metres of gross floor area and over 20% of Australia's CBD office space.
[4] EER: Energy Efficiency Rating launched in 1996 and in Australia is a system ranging from 0-10 stars and mandatory for buildings in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region The Green Star environmental rating tools for buildings benchmark the potential of buildings based on nine environmental impact categories: Management; Indoor Environment Quality; Energy; Transport; Water; Materials; Land Use & Ecology; Emissions and Innovation.
The NABERS ratings for office buildings include: Energy; Water; Waste and Indoor environment.
The Green Building Council of Australia has certified more than 600 buildings around Australia, among them the 6 Green Star certification of Trevor Pearcey House in Canberra, the refurbished facility of Australian Ethical Investment Ltd.[5] The total cost of the renovation was $1.7 million, and produced an estimated 75% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, 75% reduction in water usage, and used over 80% recycled materials.
The architects were Collard Clarke Jackson Canberra, architectural work done by Kevin Miller, interior design by Katy Mutton.
[6] As in 2022, Australia leads the way globally in rooftop solar power[7][8] In NSW, an on-line assessment system called BASIX (Building Sustainability Index) requires that all new residential developments to reduce water consumption by 40%, and CO2 emissions by 40% for detached dwellings and between 20 and 30% for multi unit dwellings compared to an average baseline.
The Queensland government has published some advice on state requirements, codes and laws for sustainable house design and construction.
It consists of three energy efficient designs, created by architects, with specifications for each Australian capital city, plus Cairns.
[46] Green: design, architecture, landscape, travel is a quarterly lifestyle magazine, which includes articles on sustainable houses.
[74][75] Passive houses, which use solar energy for space heating and cooling, were invented in Germany as Passivhaus are gaining in popularity.
[83] The National Construction Code has eight climate zones (as published by the Australian Building Codes Board)[84][85] The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)[66] It generates a star rating of a home's energy efficiency, out of maximum of ten.
After a long campaign, new houses are required to reach a star rating of seven under the National Construction Code.
[86][87][88][89] BASIX (Building Sustainability Index)[90] is a mandatory planning tool for new homes and renovations in New South Wales worth more than $50000.
BERS (Building Energy Rating Scheme) Pro is based on the same underlying CSIRO engine as NatHERS.
[96] This tool is far better for rating a home, unit or townhouse energy performance than the alternative prescriptive method.
