******* NEW DATE *******

******* NEW DATE *******

New energy efficiency standards for buildings are on the way! Energy efficient homes need less energy to stay comfortable all year round. They cut household energy bills and emissions, are more comfortable to live in, and provide better protection from extreme weather events like heatwaves.

The national standards will formally commence October 2023 and include a new requirement for a building to be minimum 7 stars out of 10 (vs the current 6 star standard). There is also a new Whole-of-Home annual energy use budget, which includes fixed appliances such as heating, cooling and hot water, and the ability to offset with solar. The new standard was made available for use this month and is voluntary to use now.

Jo Bidwell from DELWP and Sarah Feiss from Sustainability Victoria will explain the new changes, key benefits and what they mean for those who want to build a comfortable and energy efficient new home.

Putting the standards into practice, Paul Youngs, architect from Woodend Building Design, will present his team’s entry in the recent Design Matters National “True Zero Carbon Challenge”. This competition asked designers to go beyond 7 stars efficiency, accounting for “embodied energy” as well as operational energy requirements of the house. Teams were required to demonstrate that their designs would achieve net zero by 2050.

Join MRSG Sustainable Homes’ Building Ideas Group for a “potluck” dinner after the speakers. (Please bring food to share if you can).

RSVP to susthomes@mrsg.org.au by Monday 24th October please.