5 star rated houses in Victoria, Australia

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 +[[Image:Five star house logo.jpg|right]]
 +
In '''Victoria ''' all new homes built since July 2004 have been required to achieve a [[Building energy efficiency standards#State standards for building energy efficiency|5 star rating]]. In '''Victoria ''' all new homes built since July 2004 have been required to achieve a [[Building energy efficiency standards#State standards for building energy efficiency|5 star rating]].
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* the use of thermal mass is not optimised - for example large unshaded brick walls facing north are allowed. * the use of thermal mass is not optimised - for example large unshaded brick walls facing north are allowed.
* double glazing is not required - single glazing has a higher heat loss through windows. * double glazing is not required - single glazing has a higher heat loss through windows.
 +* rainwater tanks when fitted are very small (2,000 litre minimum)
 +* no greywater plumbing is mandated.
 +* the embodied energy of building materials is not considered.
A move to 7 star standards is required to reduce carbon emissions and energy use for residential housing. The final goal of reaching zero emissions housing needs to be set. A move to 7 star standards is required to reduce carbon emissions and energy use for residential housing. The final goal of reaching zero emissions housing needs to be set.
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The front of house 2 is reveals a large evaporative cooler on the roof, no eaves around the house, and extensive external brickwork. The front of house 2 is reveals a large evaporative cooler on the roof, no eaves around the house, and extensive external brickwork.
 +
 +These two houses house is newly built on a cleared block. They are on a main road. The price of the land for both would have exceeded $400,000.
 +
 +===Three north facing houses in Surrey Hills===
 +<Gallery>
 +Image:5 star house Surrey Hills 3 SANY0203.jpg|House 3
 +Image:5 star house Surrey Hills 4 SANY0205.jpg|House 4
 +Image:5 star house Surrey Hills 5 SANY0206.jpg|House 5
 +</Gallery>
 +
 +The front of these three houses are all north facing, and have the following shortcomings:
 +
 +* Little or no eaves or shading over masonry north walls or windows - both will transmit excessive heat into the house over summer months.
 +* No solar photovoltaic panels. A lot of solar potential is wasted here.
 +* No double glazing
 +
 +===Houses built at or near the Waverley Park site===
 +<Gallery>
 +Image:5 star house Waverley Park DSC 0970.jpg|House 6 - circa 1990
 +Image:5 star house Waverley Park DSC 0972.jpg|House 7 - circa 2006, some eaves
 +Image:5 star house Waverley Park DSC 0977.jpg|House 8 - circa 2006, some eaves
 +Image:5 star houses Waverley DSC 0960.jpg|Waverley estate houses - note evaporative coolers
 +</Gallery>
 +
 +These houses have the following shortcomings:
 +
 +* Small eaves over external masonry north walls or windows - both will transmit excessive heat into the house over summer months.
 +* No solar photovoltaic panels. A lot of solar potential is wasted here.
 +* No double glazing
 +* Many houses have evaporative cooling units
 +
 +===Cranbourne Estate 5 star houses===
 +<Gallery>
 +Image:5 star houses Cranbourne DSC 0958.jpg|Cranbourne estate houses - note evaporative coolers
 +</Gallery>
 +
 +These houses have similar shortcomings to those listed for the Waverley Park site houses.
 +
 +==Moving to 6 or 7 star ratings==
 +A Master Builders Association (MBA) survey has that showed Victoria's five-star minimum energy rating had added $7600 to the cost of a new house, and that six and seven-star ratings would add $10,000 and $14,000, respectively. The Victorian State Government is considering implementing a six-star minimum.
 +
 +However, the MBA, which lobbied in the past to minimise the cost and effectiveness of the 5 star rating, is lobbying against the introduction of a new 6 star rating, citing housing affordability and the housing crisis as reasons against upgrading the rating.
 +
 +However, some builders say that five-star compliance has only added only about $1000 to $2000 to the cost of a new house, and that six-star option has added about 1% to 2%, which equates to $4350 extra for a house priced at the Melbourne median of $435,000.
 +
 +THe Green Building Council has pointed out that increasing green star requirements from 5 to 6, while adding to housing costs, would reduce household costs in the long term, a factor which will become more important as the price of water and energy will be increasing in the future.<ref>[http://business.theage.com.au/business/sixstar-energy-rating-adds-10000-to-cost-of-new-house-mba-20081120-6cv8.html Six-star energy rating adds $10,000 to cost of new house: MBA], The Age, November 21, 2008</ref>
 +
 +Moving to 6 star, or preferable 7 star mandatory building ratings could see:
 +* Many houses becoming almost self sufficient for water
 +* Houses producing as much electricity as they consume
 +* Elimination of air conditioners - the main appliances causing peak power load on hot summer days
 +* Greatly reduced carbon emissions associated with domestic housing, reducing Australia's overall carbon emissions
 +* The use of much more energy and water efficient appliances.
==See also== ==See also==
* [[Building energy efficiency standards]] * [[Building energy efficiency standards]]
 +* [[Sustainable house design features checklist]]
 +
 +==References==
 +<references/>
-{{Reflist}}+==External links==
 +* [http://news.domain.com.au/domain/green/stars-in-a-galaxy-too-far-20110516-1ep00.html Stars in a galaxy too far], The Age, 16 May 2011
-{{stub}}+{{Greenprint}}
-[[Category:Greenprint]] 
[[Category:Standards]] [[Category:Standards]]
[[Category:Energy]] [[Category:Energy]]
[[Category:Building rating system]] [[Category:Building rating system]]
[[Category:Victoria]] [[Category:Victoria]]
 +[[Category:5 star house]]

Current revision

In Victoria all new homes built since July 2004 have been required to achieve a 5 star rating.

This means it is compulsory for new houses to have:

  • Star energy rating for the building fabric, and
  • A rainwater tank for toilet flushing or a solar hot water system, and
  • Water efficient shower heads and tap wear.

The average energy efficiency rating of houses in Victoria was only 2.2 stars before the introduction of 5 star standard. From 1 May 2008, the 5 Star standard will be extended to cover alterations to homes and relocations of existing homes.[1]

Contents

[edit] Why five stars is not enough

The five star rating system in place in Victoria is well below current standards in Europe. For example, it has the following shortcomings:

  • the efficiency of appliances (heating, cooling and electrical) are not assessed
  • the use of energy intensive appliances that can be avoided by good building design - such as evaporative coolers and air conditioners - is not assessed.
  • the use of thermal mass is not optimised - for example large unshaded brick walls facing north are allowed.
  • double glazing is not required - single glazing has a higher heat loss through windows.
  • rainwater tanks when fitted are very small (2,000 litre minimum)
  • no greywater plumbing is mandated.
  • the embodied energy of building materials is not considered.

A move to 7 star standards is required to reduce carbon emissions and energy use for residential housing. The final goal of reaching zero emissions housing needs to be set.

[edit] Examples of 5 star houses

[edit] Surrey Hills - 2 houses on a main road

These two houses house is newly built on a cleared block. They are on a main road. The price of the land for both would have exceeded $400,000.

House 1 front
House 1 rear
House 2 front
House 2 rear.

The front of the house 1 is unremarkable.

At the rear of both houses:

  • A single solar hotwater panel on the north facing roof, but no solar photovoltaic panels. A lot of solar potential is wasted here.
  • A swimming pool is installed - which is a waste of water and chemicals.
  • There are no eaves or other shading over the north facing rear windows - which will transmit excessive heat into the house over summer months.
  • Brick thermal mass is also exposed to north facing sunlight - rather than being insulated byh a facade or shaded. This will also store and transmit excessive heat into the house over summer months.
  • The rear windows are not double glazed

The front of house 2 is reveals a large evaporative cooler on the roof, no eaves around the house, and extensive external brickwork.

These two houses house is newly built on a cleared block. They are on a main road. The price of the land for both would have exceeded $400,000.

[edit] Three north facing houses in Surrey Hills

House 3
House 4
House 5

The front of these three houses are all north facing, and have the following shortcomings:

  • Little or no eaves or shading over masonry north walls or windows - both will transmit excessive heat into the house over summer months.
  • No solar photovoltaic panels. A lot of solar potential is wasted here.
  • No double glazing

[edit] Houses built at or near the Waverley Park site

House 6 - circa 1990
House 7 - circa 2006, some eaves
House 8 - circa 2006, some eaves
Waverley estate houses - note evaporative coolers

These houses have the following shortcomings:

  • Small eaves over external masonry north walls or windows - both will transmit excessive heat into the house over summer months.
  • No solar photovoltaic panels. A lot of solar potential is wasted here.
  • No double glazing
  • Many houses have evaporative cooling units

[edit] Cranbourne Estate 5 star houses

Cranbourne estate houses - note evaporative coolers

These houses have similar shortcomings to those listed for the Waverley Park site houses.

[edit] Moving to 6 or 7 star ratings

A Master Builders Association (MBA) survey has that showed Victoria's five-star minimum energy rating had added $7600 to the cost of a new house, and that six and seven-star ratings would add $10,000 and $14,000, respectively. The Victorian State Government is considering implementing a six-star minimum.

However, the MBA, which lobbied in the past to minimise the cost and effectiveness of the 5 star rating, is lobbying against the introduction of a new 6 star rating, citing housing affordability and the housing crisis as reasons against upgrading the rating.

However, some builders say that five-star compliance has only added only about $1000 to $2000 to the cost of a new house, and that six-star option has added about 1% to 2%, which equates to $4350 extra for a house priced at the Melbourne median of $435,000.

THe Green Building Council has pointed out that increasing green star requirements from 5 to 6, while adding to housing costs, would reduce household costs in the long term, a factor which will become more important as the price of water and energy will be increasing in the future.[2]

Moving to 6 star, or preferable 7 star mandatory building ratings could see:

  • Many houses becoming almost self sufficient for water
  • Houses producing as much electricity as they consume
  • Elimination of air conditioners - the main appliances causing peak power load on hot summer days
  • Greatly reduced carbon emissions associated with domestic housing, reducing Australia's overall carbon emissions
  • The use of much more energy and water efficient appliances.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ↑ 5 Star House, Victoria, Australia
  2. ↑ Six-star energy rating adds $10,000 to cost of new house: MBA, The Age, November 21, 2008

[edit] External links


This article is part of Greenprint that identifies strategies, actions and approaches for moving us towards a sustainable future.

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