Why house rating?

Previously, designing a new house was often about two things.
What people wanted their house to look like and how big it could be.

Times have changed once again and sensible, sustainable living is a desired and important quality people want to bring to their lives. This factor is now strongly represented in new home designs across all budgets and purposes.
 

Energy Efficient Design

Whether you know it as Solar Passive design or Energy Efficient design or if you don't know it at all, there are many concepts, materials types and construction methods that come into play to make your home a positive functioning feature for you and your family.

It is important to understand the benefits and also the nature of these concepts such as thermal mass, solar gain, orientation and r- values, to name a few.  They are central to a well performing house.

However, it is easy to misuse these design features and create a poor performing house. How many times have you lived in a house that is too hot in summer or too cold in winter? These are classic symptoms of poor design and /or misuse of fundamental energy efficient design.
 

What is a Thermal Performance Assessor?

An accredited thermal performance assessor has attained a level of competency in House energy rating software and the Residential Building Thermal Performance National Accreditation Course over seen by ABSA (Association of Building Sustainability Assessors).

An assessor looks at the natural processes of how heat is gained and lost in your home across the year. A good design relevant to the climate type it exists in will allow these natural processes to occur at the right times of the year. A house that is naturally cool in summer and naturally warm in winter, is naturally lit and ventilated, encourages enjoyable living and cheaper running cost.

This qualification brings a unique perspective to building design so that material types, construction methods and energy efficient concepts can be refined to build homes that better suit their climates.

Service List

Computer software Analysis

A computer software analysis of your plans using  second generation house energy rating software.   

Firstrate 5 software generates a three page report giving you a star rating on your design. Most councils accept a 4 or 5 star energy efficiency report as documentation to progress your plans in accordance with new energy efficiency measures. This report also provides a breakdown on the expected heating and cooling energy loads the house is likely to require over the year. Different materials and concepts can be trialed to get a better understanding of their value to the designs performance.
 

B.C.A Deem to Satisfy Forms

Completion of a BCA Deem to satisfy form. These forms are found on line and usually accessible via a link from your councils' website. This is a  checklist style form that completes basic calculations on ventilation and glazing to floor area percentages. It by no means provides as detailed or analytical report on your design as Firstrate 5 software but it still requires an accredited assessor to complete it. It is generally applicable to more standard, generic designs.

Consultations — New designs

If you are about to design a new home you are embarking on one of the larger investments of your life, both financially and emotionally.  Early concept discussions are the best way to save time and money in the long run. The great freedom of a new design is that it allows you to involve relevant experts early in the build timeline without the pressure of existing perimeters.

Whether your plans are just a sketch on a table napkin or a concept drawing from an architect, it is important to be aware of the strengths and possible weaknesses early on in the design timeline to get the most performance out of your building budget and new home.

Consult with a thermal performance assessor in your own home. Discuss the energy efficient qualities and concepts of your proposed new design. You can choose to have other relevant members of your project team present as well such as your architect / designer or builder to help coordinate ideas .

Consultations — Retro Fit existing homes

Practical, cost effective advice on building materials and products, solar passive design concepts to optimise the existing house you live in.

Contact Us

Adam Cherry
Hilton
Perth, WA 6163

Mobile: 042 1177 680
Email: adam@cherryenergy.net
Web: www.cherryenergy.net
Fax: