If you are building a new home in NSW, you'll come across the energy rating certificate at some point in the process. Most owners come across it late, after the plans are already drawn. I'd rather you came across it now, while there's still time to design with it in mind.
Every new home, and most major renovations, need an energy rating that covers three things — water, thermal comfort, and energy use. The thermal performance side is assessed by feeding the design into a computer model and rating it. If the rating doesn't reach the minimum, the design has to change until it does. That can mean smaller windows, deeper eaves, different glazing, more insulation, or a different orientation altogether.
Now, you can let the certificate drive those changes after the fact. Or you can design with them in mind from the start. The difference is the difference between a home that scrapes through compliance and a home that is genuinely comfortable to live in year-round without the air conditioning running all day.
This is the part of the conversation where Sydney's climate really shows up. We're temperate and humid subtropical here — warm to hot summers, mild winters, and rain spread through the year. That means thermal comfort isn't only about keeping warmth in (the way you'd think about a home in the alps); it's also about getting heat out in summer, managing humidity, and shading the western and northern faces of the home properly.
A few things worth deciding early, not late:
Window sizes and positions on each elevation
Insulation specification for walls, ceiling and roof
Whether double glazing is worth it for your design (often, yes)
Eaves depth, especially to the north and west
Cross-ventilation through living areas
Decisions made on the plans cost nothing to change. The same decisions made on site cost a great deal.
If sustainability and comfort matter to you, talk to a builder who designs with them in mind from day one. You can start that conversation at inh.com.au/EnergySmart.
