The Federal Government is now looking at introducing RBMD across all States and Territories. Possibly to commence from May 2012, in any of the following forms (as per previous post):
1. Full assessment: full thermal performance simulation and rating of the house to be conducted by a suitably accredited professional. It will assess building performance and potential upgrades and recommendations.
2. Simplified thermal assessment: will have less focus on thermal performance. It will provide potential upgrades and recommendations.
3. Online self-assessment: to use an online tool by making assumptions on a building’s performance based on data entered about the building’s components. This can be either completed by owner or a suitably accredited professional. This is less complex and general.
I recently read an interesting article by the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) which discussed RBMD. It was titled “Green Stars for Existing Homes”. The REIV commissioned a survey of 1000 people in 2007 and asked the question, ‘If you were looking for a property to purchase what would be your most important consideration?’ Number one was price, then location, then close proximity to amenities. “People were also asked a separate question about the importance of water and energy saving features. Reflecting natural concerns about the environment, a substantially high 93% said that those features were important to them.” Source: www.reiv.com.au
So if you are Designer, a Builder or an Owner, I encourage you to highly consider energy efficiency and sustainability in your designs, because the future buyer of that house may well ask for it.
Frequently Asked Question
Question: I have a dwelling with two toilets. Does the water tank need to be connected to one toilet or both? What is minimum water tank size?
Answer: In accordance with Practice Note 2011-55, the water tank needs to be connected to ALL toilet flushing in the dwelling. The minimum water tank size is 2000 litres for a dwelling. This applies to Class 1 buildings such as detached houses and attached units. However, it does not apply to Class 2 apartment developments.