Choosing to build a new home is an exciting and rewarding process — being able to decide how your home will look and function offers a unique opportunity to tailor every aspect to your needs and preferences.

Most homebuilders, however, are unaware of a critical component of building a home — the home energy rating. Tied closely to the energy efficiency of the final build, the home energy rating is often left out of the conversation in favour of home aspects such as layout and design.

To provide clarity on the importance and impact of energy ratings, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about what it means to have a good home energy rating, how it’s measured, and why it’s an important consideration for future living. 

What are home energy ratings?

A home energy rating is a measure of a home’s energy efficiency — put simply, it’s an indication of how comfortable a home is to live in, without the use of external heating or cooling appliances.

Created by the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), home energy ratings are measured on a scale of 0 to 10 stars, with a full 10-star rating representing the highest level of energy efficiency for a home.

This star rating will take the building design, materials used on construction and insulation, and orientation of the home into account, assessing against a set of standards to determine how efficient a home will be in terms of energy consumption to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.

What does a ‘good’ home energy rating mean? 

A ‘good’ home energy rating may seem rather subjective from the outset, but it’s not. The star rating system is designed to ensure a consistent standard between different types and sizes of home builds.

The recent update to the National Construction Code (NCC) sets a clear example for what is defined as a good home energy rating — new home builds in Australia are required to have a minimum 7-star energy rating as part of the nationwide initiative to increase the quality of future home builds. 

For potential homeowners and builders, this means making an intentional effort to design home builds that will be more sustainable, cheaper, and comfortable to live in.

Contributing factors for home energy ratings 

Accredited NatHERS assessors look at a list of factors to determine a home’s energy efficiency and corresponding energy rating, including: 

• The orientation of the home in relation to the sun.
• The use and quality of window glazing and shading.
• The inclusion of high thermal performance materials in the build.
• The suitability of the building design for the specific climate zone where the home is located.

Home energy rating assessments are conducted using predictive modelling tools to project the heating and cooling requirements of a property before it is actually built. 

Why you should consider home energy rating in your build

Building an energy-efficient home offers significant advantages beyond environmental benefits; these advantages directly impact how comfortable the house is to live in, as well as financial savings for homeowners. Here are some key benefits of building a home with a good energy rating: 

• Lower operating energy costs for the home due to the reduced need for heating and cooling from appliances.
• A more comfortable living environment all year round, regardless of seasonality.
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to environmental sustainability.

By focusing on energy efficiency, homeowners not only support environmental sustainability but also enjoy immediate and ongoing advantages in comfort and cost savings.

As Townsville's most awarded home builder, Keir Constructions offers home designs that meet the 7-star energy rating with additional options for increasing the energy efficiency of our home builds.