Knowing Key Changes Introduced to NCC BCA Section J for Commercial Buildings

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The NCC, or National Construction Code, is the backbone of Australian construction industry regulations. For those involved in commercial building projects, adherence to the 2022 NCC BCA Section J is mandatory.

This section focuses on energy efficiency requirements for commercial establishments, aiming to reduce their environmental impact while enhancing their energy performance.

The 2022 NCC energy efficiency legislation for commercial establishments is the NCC’s latest edition for Australia. It superseded the previous version, i.e., the NCC 2019, and introduced a series of updates and changes.

In this article, you will learn four fundamental changes introduced to the NCC BCA Section J for commercial buildings.

Slab-on-Ground Insulation is Not Needed

The old NCC 2016 required buildings to have insulation underneath the ground slab. However, in most cases, this requirement has been removed for Deemed to Satisfy (DTS) section J assessments in the NCC.

It was good news for many building owners who had impeded using the simpler, faster, and cheaper DTS method to comply with Section J for their projects, even for complex buildings.

You should know that some commercial buildings in Climate Zone 7 and all buildings in Climate Zone 8 still need insulation under a slab-on-ground.

Requirement for Class 2 SOUs and Class 4 Buildings has Gone Through a Major Change

Class 2 SOUs (single-occupancy units) and Class 4 are the ‘residential’ building classes assessed under the latest commercial legislation.

To keep up with the significant revision to residential energy efficiency requirements (NCC 2022 volume 2), many new and changed requirements have been introduced in commercial legislation for these two building classes.

The new NCC BCA Section J Report specifies two new performance requirements (J1P2 and J1P3) for these buildings’ thermal performance and energy use. Class 2 assessment in terms of the NCC 2022 energy efficiency changes requires energy efficiency compliance following a DTS pathway.

Future Proofing Buildings for Solar, Batteries, and Car Charging

The updated NCC 2022 requires commercial buildings to include an allowance for solar panels and battery systems (new performance requirement J1P4) and car charging (electric vehicle charging infrastructure). The requirement is only updated to support electrical infrastructure, not renewable energy installation.

New commercial building designs must induce the following features as of 1 October 2023 to satisfy the 2022 NCC:
  • Carparks with ten or more spaces per storey must have dedicated distribution boards to charge cars.
  • The main electrical switchboard installed for the building must have circuit breakers or DINs. It will allow these buildings to install solar panels and battery systems in the future.
  • Buildings with a roof larger than 55 m2 must leave at least 20% of their roof clear for (optional) solar panels. However, there are exceptions for car parks, roof terraces, etc.

Updated NABERS Ratings Performance Requirements for NCC 2022

Some buildings in classes 2, 3, and 6 now have specific, mostly lower NABERS Energy star requirements. This change is introduced in the NCC 2022 to give projects more flexibility to use NABERS as a method for verification.

To Sum Up It All!

Some significant updates in the NCC BCA 2022 Section J for commercial buildings revolve around thermal performance and integration of renewable energy sources. These changes are introduced to help Australia achieve its net zero emission goal.

The updated NCC 2022 Section J has introduced more stringent standards and the certification process, making it crucial for building owners to work closely with up-to-date architects and engineers throughout their project lifecycle.

You can also opt for the NABERS Energy rating to evaluate the energy efficiency of commercial buildings.

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