BCA Compliance

Whilst energy efficiency is good for the environment and makes a building more sustainable; it also has many other benefits that make it eminently worthwhile. It:

• reduces the cost of energy bills
• guards against future price rises
• increases the value of a property
• improves comfort levels.

This applies equally to domestic users, who can reduce emissions and save money without adversely affecting their quality of life and commercial users who can also achieve corporate goals and increase staff productivity. Clearly, improvements can be made by simple changes to habits, such as turning off lights and appliances when not needed, closing doors to retain heat or coolness and adjusting thermostats. However, even greater and more permanent differences can be achieved by ensuring a house or commercial property is truly energy efficient.

Elements and Principles of Energy Efficiency

Achieving a truly energy efficient house design, either for a new build or a renovation, requires involvement from very early in the process. This enables design decisions to be made without having to compromise due to many elements of the structure already being in place.

For an energy efficient house design, various factors need to be taken into consideration. These include:

• the location of the building and its orientation on the site, to take advantage of natural breezes for cooling, the movement of the sun to provide light and shade, and the contours of the land for shelter
• the climate of the area since this will influence the amount of cooling needed in summer and any heating required for winter nights
• local knowledge of weather conditions that affect the layout of the property
• residents’ lifestyles, which will determine the overall design and have an impact on energy saving considerations.

The aim will be to achieve the maximum energy efficiency through natural means, such as by making the maximum use of natural light, passive heating and the cooling effect of breeze and shade. That’s often achieved by the way the building and the rooms within it are oriented in order to achieve maximum cross-flow ventilation, the best light through window placement and greatest energy efficiency through heat conservation or avoidance.

Energy Saving Features

Besides utilising the characteristics of the site and the building for energy efficiency, we can build in various other features. These include:

• solar panels for energy generation and water heating
• energy efficient appliances that are evidenced by their Energy Rating labels
• LED lighting that can significantly reduce energy usage (lighting accounts for 8-15% of the average electricity bill) and also need replacing much less frequently
• ceiling and wall insulation as well as double glazed windows that reduce heat loss on cold nights, keep the building cool in summer and also reduce noise from outside.

At Section J Reports Australia, we specialise in energy efficiency and know about the design principles by which it is enabled. With an energy efficient house design, you’ll live more sustainably and save money while still having the comfort and lifestyle you enjoy. In fact, you’re likely to increase your levels of comfort and will have more money to spend on the lifestyle you want.

You’ll find that all our reports are very competitively priced and, as we do all our work via email wherever possible, we can produce a timely BCA Section J report for you, no matter where your new development happens to be in Australia, whether that’s in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Geelong, Wollongong, Canberra or Gold Coast.

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