Aussies looking to build their dream home can now reduce the energy required to heat and cool by up to 40 per cent thanks to free designs released by the federal government.
Under this updated Design For Place initiative, prospective buyers and builders can access off-the-plan ‘climate resilient’ homes designed by architects and energy assessors to be as energy-efficient as possible straight from the homes website.
While these five bog standard Aussie homes won’t win any architectural awards, they do come complete with sub deisgns and specification tailored for nine popular construction hot zones in nine different climates, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
And better still, these Design For Place plans were conceived to meet the current National Construction Code standards to alleviate some of the cost pressures builders felt as they were forced to make move to a 7star NatHERS energy efficient builds earlier this year.
This rating system is designed take into account the total annual energy used by major fixed appliances — like heating, cooling, hot water systems, lighting and cooking appliances, offset by energy provided by solar panels and batteries — to provide an overall rating of energy use.
Basically, the higher the star rating, the cheaper your energy bills will be.
Some plans even beat out the nation’s minimum, with plans going all the way up to a 10-star rating, albeit for a high construction price tag, to offer Aussies maximum savings over the long run.
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson said the government hopes these plans would help Aussies enter the inflated housing market without breaking the bank by easing the cost-of-living throughout the homes life cycle.
“The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use in the first place,” he said.
“Providing free, practical and thorough design examples through Design for Place is about making new homes cheaper to run and more comfortable at the same time
“Energy efficiency requirements under the National Construction Code have lifted the minimum NatHERS star rating of Australian homes from 6 to 7 stars. Many Design For Place houses far exceed this minimum requirement, with ratings up to 10 stars.
Wilson also added that the climate-friendly plans could go a long way to reducing emissions from the residential building sector, which accounts for 11 per cent of the nation’s total emissions, as the country continues its push toward net zero.
How can you use these plans?
Whether your a buyer, builder or budding architect, and Aussie can access these home plans completely free from the Your Home website.
From there, Aussies have two choices. If you are still in the planning phase of your build, buyers can work directly with builders to lift the home directly off the page and onto site while meeting all of the exact energy-saving specifications.
But for those who have already locked in a home build, Aussies who want to implement the energy-saving features will need to work alongside a designer or architect to refine their current plan to meet their needs a preferences.
For more information on how to get started, visit the Design For Place government portal or discuss with your builder on the feasability of implementing the energy efficient design features.
