Why Build a 7-Star NatHERS Home? The Benefits of Energy-Efficient Living

In Australia, there is a growing emphasis on ensuring the construction of a sustainable home owing to emerging trends such as new building regulations like NatHERS. For instance, a home that achieves a 7-star NatHERS rating is considered quite energy-efficient, with ten being the highest earned. 

In this post, we shall elaborate on what a 7-star rating is, when it matters and why you need it for your new house.

What is NatHERS and How Does it Work? 

Australia has joined the green revolution. They are aiming to make houses eco-friendly, whereby the heating and cooling costs you incur are minimized.

How do they evaluate the quality of a house? They have a standard rating system for houses, which is known as NatHERS, just as you have one for appliances. More stars mean less energy consumption.

What aspect makes a house energy-efficient? NatHERS assessment considers several factors such as the geographic orientation of the house, its elevation, its roofs and walls, windows, and climate conditions as well!

Benefits of Achieving a 7-Star NatHERS Energy Rating For Homes

For most consumers, a high energy-efficient home with a 7-star rating is associated with sustainability in the long run. And according to the new NCC regulation, all new residential dwellings will be constructed to attain at least a 7-star NatHERS rating rather than the previous 6-star rating.

7-star NatHERS homes are expected to have energy savings of almost 20 to 25% more than a similar 6-star rated house. This leads to lower heating and cooling costs and a lower carbon footprint.

The higher NatHERS rating comes not only from the choice of materials. NatHERS rating for homes is also influenced by the structure's orientation and the climatic region where it is situated. 

This reduces the requirement for heating and cooling, and as such, the use of cooling and heating equipment systems like air conditioners and heaters, which are a major energy consumer, is reduced.

Reasons That Will Make You Want to Construct a 7-Star House

Energy Savings

The construction of 7-star NatHERS-rated houses has enormous advantages as less energy is consumed to run the house, which, in turn, cuts the electricity costs. Every NatHERS-rated home gets a NatHERS Certificate.

It is expected that despite the high cost to consumers at the beginning, the low energy usage will, throughout the life of the housing, compensate for the expenditure on valuable structural materials and effective design aspects.

Comfort

A more advanced home is constructed with Sustainable Home Design Australia guidelines. In other words, ventilation, heating and cooling planning are done well. Hence comfort in the house throughout the year is enhanced.

Environmental Impact

As a conscious homeowner, you might want to know how much energy your home uses and how low your carbon footprint is. Constructing an energy-efficient home with a rating of 7 stars is the first step in attaining a sustainable living.

Regulatory Compliance

The updated NatHERS compliance 2024 will set an obligation on new homes within Australia to achieve a minimum of 7-star energy rating. Therefore, to construct a residential structure, you'll need to have a NatHERS certificate. 

Increased Property Value

Given that energy efficiency is frequently seen as a priority for homeowners, there is a good probability that the resale value of a 7-star home will be high due to lower running costs as well as meeting future regulations.

Final Thoughts

Approaching home construction with a 7-star NatHERS energy rating for homes is the first step to making homes that are environment-friendly and, at the same time, cut down on energy bills. Good design, suitable orientation and sufficient use of quality building materials enable one to construct an energy-efficient and cost-effective house. Get in touch with an accredited NatHERS assessor and begin your transition towards a greener home.