BCA 2010 Revised Energy Efficiency Provisions

On 22 January 2010 Senator Kim Carr, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science & Research and Senator Penny Wong, Acting Environment Minister announced that new provisions for greenhouse pollution reduction would be included in the national Building Code of Australia (BCA) for 2010. These new provisions have been developed at the request of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). They further enhance and expand the existing energy efficiency provisions in the BCA.

Summary of the key changes for 2010

Both Volumes

Revised Objective, Functional Statements and some Performance Requirements to recognise that the goal is greenhouse gas emission reduction rather than energy efficiency alone and in doing so, give further credit for renewable energy sources.
Solution for a dwelling based on a house energy rating has been relocated to the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions.
A general increase in stringency across all aspects.
A restructuring of tables and clauses as needed for the increased stringency, including more detailed provisions in some cases.
In increasing roof insulation performance; recognition is given for light coloured roofs.
New provisions for artificial lighting within dwellings and associated Class 10a buildings with the allowance for the dwelling able to be increased if control systems are installed.
Other specific lighting provisions such as separate switching for high and low efficiency lamps.
Insulation on duct and pipe services must be to AS/NZS 4859.1 and, as a result of an industry submission, are now specified in terms of material R-Value.

Volume One

A new Part 0 has been added as a pathway to the Deemed-to-Satisfy options including a house energy rating scheme approach for apartments (Class 2 sole-occupancy units and Class 4 parts). There is no Deemed-to-Satisfy solution for Class 2 sole-occupancy units and Class 4 parts.
Inclusion of a table for adjusting ceiling insulation if penetrations exceed 0.5%.
Insulating performance of internal envelope walls and envelope floors now a function of climate zone, whether a floor has an in-slab conditioning system, suspended or on ground, enclosed or mechanically ventilated.
Glazing method 1 in J2.3 has been removed because it was primarily for Class 2 sole occupancy units and Class 4 parts which now must use house energy rating software Class 3 and 9c aged care buildings are to use the glazing method in J2.4.
Glazing allowances in J2.4 are now base on three separate sets of indices, i.e. one set for Class 3 and Class 9c aged care buildings, another for display glazing in a shop or showroom and another for all other applications.
The air-conditioning of a Class 3 sole-occupancy unit must cease if an external door to a balcony, patio or courtyard is left open.
The over-supply permitted of outside air has been reduced from 150% to 120%.
As well as the current provisions for heating a space using a water heating system, there are now requirements for a heating system other than a water based one, eg electricity is not permitted and oil is limited to locations without reticulated gas.
Fixed space heating appliances installed outdoors must have automatic controls.
At the request of some industry stakeholders, the definitions of fan power and pump power have been revised.
Some illumination power density allowances have been increased while others reduced.
The adjustment formulae for the lighting of small rooms has been amended and relocated to directly under the illumination power density table.
Large single function spaces such as auditorium and sports stadiums have been exempted from the switching area limit provisions.
New provisions have been added for the heating and pumping plant of swimming pools and spa pools and also pool & spa covers in some circumstances.
New provisions have been added for the metering of energy usage.
Additional information has been added to the Guide to Volume One.

Volume Two

A new Performance Requirement and Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions for supply water heaters favouring heaters using an energy source that is renewable or of low greenhouse gas intensity.
New Part 3.12 as a pathway to the Deemed-to-Satisfy options.
Recognition of the benefit of an outdoor living area in climate zones 1 & 2.
A new requirement for at least half the required insulation to be laid on the ceiling.
New explanatory information warning about the need to consider the weight of insulation on plasterboard, its fixings and framing members.
Revision of the table for adjusting ceiling insulation if penetrations exceed 0.5% (now based on the R-Value required rather than the climate zone).
Inclusion of “worst case” advisory information on roof lights performance, with and without a ceiling diffuser.
Inclusion of a convection barrier in wall cavities.
Revision of the tables for floor performance so that floors and enclosures are now considered as a system and includes different values for different constructions and ground-to-floor heights.
The provision for an attached Class 10a building (garage) in climate zone 5 now has an option for reducing the glazing allowance of the Class 1 building.
The glazing formulae and allowances have been modified to allow for the benefit of passive winter solar heating (this means an additional table for winter exposure factors).
Habitable rooms in climate zone 5 are now to be sealed irrespective of whether the space is conditioned.
Where an external door is to be sealed, a draft protection device is now required on the bottom of the door.
Air movement opening sizes have been moderated because reduced glazing allowances may result in designers choosing smaller windows.
There are new provisions for the energy source and the performance of supply water heaters including a new Performance Requirement, Verification Method and reference Standards.
There are now limitations on the use of electric resistance space heating.
There are new provisions for supply water heaters that specify the performance of the heaters and also severely limit the use of electric resistance heaters.
There is additional explanatory information.

Although commissioning was proposed in the public comment draft proposals and generally supported as a necessity, it has been removed because of the application of building law. It has been argued that for the elements, components and plant for which the BCA has a required performance, commissioning is implicit in the required performance. For the broader system performance aspects such as balancing air and water reticulation systems and setting or outside air economy cycle dampers and other system good practices such as not running chillers and boilers when not needed, the BCA would first need to be specific in what is required and then commissioning would again be implicit.

Also proposed was the removal of a concession permitting open fronted shops to be conditioned. However, the ABCB decided to permit this concession for another year in order for industry to adjust practices and develop technologies.

Further Information

Numerous research reports are available on the ABCB web site www.abcb.gov.au. Also available on the ABCB website are two webcasts that discuss the proposals and the findings of the RISs. These webcasts form a part of the ABCB Communication Strategy. This Strategy was devised to streamline and facilitate consultation opportunities with industry stakeholders; to seek advice and feedback from industry; and to assist practitioner prepare for national adoption of the new provisions.

In March and April of 2010 the ABCB will undertake seminars in those States adopting the enhanced provisions for 2010.

The ABCB is in the process of updating all of its energy efficiency calculators, handbooks and its two energy efficiency education modules. The ABCB is also producing a handbook for electricians and plumbers to make them aware of matters in the BCA of which they should be aware.

Details of the dates and locations for the seminars and the availability of the handbooks and educational modules will be notified on the ABCB website and via subscriber alerts.

Adoption

Under the COAG agreement, all jurisdictions have undertaken to adopt the enhanced provisions in 2011. However, because of the policies of States and Territories and the different transitional arrangements in State and Territory law, not all jurisdictions will adopt the new provisions on 1 May 2010. The relevant State or Territory Administration should be contacted for details.

Date Published 22 Jan 10