What Does A BCA Section J Report Cover?

 

All non-residential buildings (from Class 2-9) require Section J Compliance in all states of Australia.

With the BCA section J report, local councils and building authorities verify that the proposed building fulfils the energy efficiency provision standards of the BCA Volume 1 before they issue Construction Certificate (CC).

The BCA Section J assessment and reporting needs to be drafted by a qualified and experienced energy efficiency consultant.

There are two methods for demonstrating BCA Section J Compliance for a building:

• BCA Section J Compliance- DTS (Deemed-to-Satisfy) 
• BCA Section J Compliance: JV3 (Verification uses a reference building)

BCA Section J Reporting Structure

Part J0 Energy Efficiency Requirements

This part of the BCA Section J describes the energy performance standards of class 2 to 9 buildings. 

• Single occupancy of class 2 building units or class 4 buildings, parts of each unit must achieve a minimum 5 stars NatHERS rating
• In a multi-unit development, the average of all units must be at least 6 stars.
• Besides single-occupancy addressed before, for class 2 to 9 buildings, BCA Section J performance requirements of Parts 1 to 8 shall be satisfied.
• Also, this part of the BCA Section J requires that ceiling fans addressed in NatHERS thermal simulation of sole occupancy units fulfil certain specifications.

Part J1 Building Fabric Requirements

Part J1 of the BCA Section J report applies to construction elements that form the envelope of class 2-9 buildings, excluding certain exceptions.

• Regardless of insulation place utilization, several general criteria need to be followed for thermal insulation selection and installation.
• Part J1 determines the minimum R-Value performance (for each climate zone) of insulation components for Roof and Ceilings construction, Walls, and Floors.

Part J2 Glazing Requirements

BCA Section J Part J2 sets the glazing elements' minimum energy efficiency performance requirements. This part also determines the shading element requirements for addressing in the BCA Section J report compilation.

Part J3 Building Sealing Requirements

Part J3 of the BCA Section J 2010 determines the requirements for building sealing elements for preventing unwanted air infiltration, which constitutes one of the significant energy loss sources in buildings.

• Part J3 addresses sealing requirements for chimneys and flues, windows, doors, roof lights, exhaust fans, and evaporative coolers.
• Construction of roof, floors, and wall for airtightness should also adhere to this part's requirements.

Part J4 is Blank

 From 2010 till the latest version, this part of the BCA Section J is left blank.

Part J5 Air Conditioning and Ventilation Systems Requirements:

This part of BCA Section J determines the energy efficiency provisions for HVAC systems and their peripheral systems.

Also Read: Build Energy Sufficient Buildings With BCA Section J Report

Part J6 Artificial Lighting and Power Requirements

• For sole occupancy class 2 building units and class 4 parts of the buildings, a fixed W/m² allowed for illumination power density.
• Other classes of buildings have different values specified for each functional space of the building.
• Except for sole occupancy units, each space in the building is assigned a specific maximum illumination power density which differs for each functional area. The sum of all spaces design illumination power shouldn't exceed the maximum allowed. 
• Also, this part of BCA Section J determines comprehensive provisions for interior decorative and display lighting, power supply to chilled water and boiling water storage units and artificial lighting around the perimeter of a building.

Part J7 Hot Water Supply, Swimming Pool, and Spa Plant Requirement

This part of BCA Section J 2010 considers the energy efficiency of spas and swimming pools.

Part J8 Access for Maintenance and Monitoring Facilities Requirements

This part of section J defines the requirements for providing energy consumption monitoring meters and access and maintenance.

• A building having a floor area over 500 sq. meters now require installation of gas and electricity meters 
• A building having a floor area of over 2500 sq. meters must have separate meters for energy consumption measurements of building systems like lighting, air conditioning, etc.

Specifications Section

The Specifications parts of BCA Section J extensively elaborates on the technical properties and requirements of various construction elements of a building and must be addressed in a BCA Section J report whenever relevant.