ecoMaster: Beef up Building Code, enforce mandatory home tests

Instead of spending more on disaster response, energy efficiency expert ecoMaster says legislators must focus on enforcing laws that help homes and buildings withstand hostile climate conditions.

Tullamarine, Australia – June 1, 2019 /NewsNetwork/ —

Tullamarine, Melbourne – As climate change effects continue to cause havoc across the country, the government must roll up its sleeves and strengthen the Building Code of Australia (BCA) to ensure that houses across all regions are designed to withstand increasingly hostile weather conditions.

Along with improving the required energy rating for buildings, the testing of newly constructed homes must be made compulsory to ensure that these structures are compliant with the energy requirements.

Energy efficiency and home retrofit company ecoMaster believes that government action must take precedence in reducing the vulnerability of Australian homes against the risks of extreme temperatures. Enforcing new policies and regulations will prove instrumental in rallying stakeholders to compliance.

In Victoria, the energy rating discounts the summer performance of a home on the basis that summer is a shorter period than winter. Mr. Beinat says even six-star homes today can perform poorly in the summertime, putting occupants of new homes at extreme risk.

“The lead for change needs to be in the BCA. The States then need to take it forward and ensure the standards are met, (which is) not currently the case,” says ecoMaster Technical Director Maurice Beinat.

Installing shading structures and adjustable window shading can boost a home’s thermal comfort during searing temperatures.

“Bringing in mandatory testing of new homes is vital. Also bringing into play an increasing minimum star rating for rental properties would improve rental properties over time, but not unnecessarily overburden landlords,” the energy efficiency expert adds.

Poor star ratings

An August 2018 Senate committee hearing on the current and future impacts of climate change on housing, buildings, and infrastructure revealed that 86 percent of Victorian houses are at risk of extreme temperatures.

In particular, these houses were built before 2005 or years when houses were not required to have a minimum energy rating. These houses have an average efficiency rating of 1.81 stars. Currently, the standard rating for newly-built homes is six stars.

Mr. Beinat says that the housing stock constructed between 1940’s to the 1990’s has minimal to no insulation. These houses are also prone to air leakage.

“The consequence to this is that they are thermally inefficient. (They can get) extremely hot in the summer, extremely cold in the winter, and are almost impossible to heat and cool (in a cost effective manner),” Mr. Beinat explains.

Maurice Beinat, Technical Director of ecoMaster

An all-inclusive endeavour

The increasing effects of climate change must be countered with aggressive solutions from the government and the public.

Rather than spending millions on disaster response, the government must focus on bolstering the BCA. Mr. Beinat suggests widening the scope of the Energy Efficiency section of the building code to include the mandatory installation of shading structures.

“The BCA needs to specify important things like eaves on the north side of a building. External shading needs to be part of the BCA so that shading structures and adjustable window shading become a necessary part of building design and construction,” Mr. Beinat says.

In the case of old homes, Mr. Beinat underscores the need for doors and windows to be sealed against air leakage. Gaps and cracks around these areas account for a significant amount of heat loss and gain during summer and winter. Air tightness of homes, whether old or new, can vary enormously.

Home retrofit solutions are also available for homeowners and renters alike. Insulating the ceiling, walls, and floors are all cost-effective means in improving thermal efficiency all year round.

“When a home can hold in the heat for longer (as is the case with a well-insulated and draught-proofed home), then it needs less heating. That means lower energy bills and, not surprisingly, lower carbon emissions,” Mr. Beinat explains.

Although installing these solutions may entail a fair amount of upfront cost (depending on the size of the property), your investment will pay off over time in the form of lower annual energy bills.

Expert-led solutions to boost energy efficiency

“For people who don’t have any idea how to weatherproof their homes, ecoMaster is launching a program called 52 Ways to Live Better. Through this initiative, we will teach first-time homeowners, renters, families living with elderly relatives, and builders the best practices in making homes more thermally efficient and cheaper to run,” Mr Beinat says.

Mr. Beinat added they also conduct comprehensive energy assessments for homes and commercial establishments. In this method, the ecoMaster team assesses a building’s thermal efficiency performance. Once completed, they generate a report that points out the problematic areas of the building and suggest solutions to address the issues discovered.

One doesn’t need to have a full grasp of the gravity of the climate change problem to start making changes in his home. On the part of homeowners, pure self-interest and a desire for a more comfortable home life is enough to stir a person to act.

“You don’t have to be a greenie to help with climate change – Just be sick of freezing in your home in winter and being too hot in summer. Generally, people only need to understand that adding insulation to their ceiling, under their floors, and in their walls will make a big difference to their comfort levels, combine that with effective draught proofing and sensible glazing options, and you’ll be comfortable all year round!” Mr. Beinat says.###

Contact Info:
Name: Lyn Beinat
Email: Send Email
Organization: Eco Master
Address: 5-6 Commercial Court, Tullamarine, Victoria 3043, Australia
Phone: +61-1300-326-627
Website: http://www.ecomaster.com.au/

Source: NewsNetwork

Release ID: 519038