Australians are finally building energy efficiency into our homes, new research shows.
In fact, analysis from CoreLogic shows that the typical home built in 2010 or later is twice as energy efficient as homes built before 2010.
The analysis, part of the new report ‘Amped Up: How energy efficient are Australian homes?’, uses metrics generated from CSIRO’s RapidRate™ product and CoreLogic data inputs, to show that homes built after 2010 achieved an estimated median star rating* of 5.9 out of 10, compared with a median of just 2.8 stars for homes built prior to 2010.
The best-performing areas are concentrated in regions with newly-built housing, with certain areas showing median star ratings above 6 across all dwellings.
The ACT is over-represented on the national top 30 league table with the highest median star rating. The region of Molonglo in ACT nabbed top spot as the nation’s most energy efficient area, with the highest median star rating at 6.1 – the only region nationally with median star rating of 6 or higher across all dwellings.
Sydney and Hobart were notably absent from the Top 30 list of highest median star ratings by SA3 sub-region, the only capitals not to appear, demonstrating the variability of construction nationally.
CoreLogic’s Head of Banking & Finance Solutions Tom Coad suggested that the report’s findings demonstrate the importance of minimum standards in the National Construction Code*.
“The significant difference in energy-efficiency between relatively modern homes and older homes can largely be attributed to changes in the National Construction Code (NCC) which has progressively placed more emphasis on energy efficiency requirements for newly built homes,” he said.
Residential buildings make up 24% of overall electricity use and more than 10% of total carbon emissions in Australia.
“The Coalition’s recent push to pause the national construction code for 10 years flies in the face of Australia’s commitments to reduce carbon emissions”, Coad said, adding that “policymakers should be incentivising the construction of energy efficient buildings, not slamming the breaks.”
Across the broad regions of Australia, the median star rating for homes built prior to 2010 ranged from 2.3 in Hobart and Regional NT, to 3.6 in Regional Victoria.
In contrast, the lowest median star rating for homes built from 2010 or later was 5.3 in Sydney and Regional NSW and as high as 6.4 in Darwin.
*The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) provides reliable energy performance ratings for new homes and major renovations. The star ratings referenced in this report are estimates of NatHERS ratings only.
**This analysis is of detached and semi-detached dwellings (including townhouses), however does not include apartments.
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