Part J1 Energy efficiency performance requirements

The Objective of this Section is to—

1. reduce energy consumption and energy peak demand; and
2. reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
3. improve occupant health and amenity.

A building must—

1. reduce the energy consumption and energy peak demand of key energy using equipment; and
2. reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that occur as a result of a building’s energy consumption and energy source; and
3. for a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building, improve occupant health and amenity by mitigating the impact of extreme hot and cold weather events and energy blackouts; and
4. for other than in a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building, protect occupant health and amenity by ensuring the building envelope assists in the maintenance of acceptable internal conditions while the building is occupied; and
5. be able to accommodate the future installation of distributed energy resources.

A building, other than a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building, including its services, must have features that facilitate the efficient use of energy appropriate to—

1. the function and use of the building; and
2. the level of human comfort required for the building use; and
3. solar radiation being—
   1. utilised for heating; and
   2. controlled to minimise energy for cooling; and
4. the energy source of the services; and
5. the sealing of the building envelope against air leakage; and
6. for a conditioned space, achieving an hourly regulated energy consumption, averaged over the annual hours of operation, of not more than—
   1. for a Class 6 building, 80 kJ/m².hr; and
   2. for a Class 5, 7b, 8 or 9a building other than a ward area, or a Class 9b school, 43 kJ/m².hr; and
   3. for all other building classifications, 15 kJ/m².hr.

(1) The total heating load of the habitable rooms and conditioned spaces in a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building must not exceed the heating load limit in Specification 44.

(2) The total cooling load of the habitable rooms and conditioned spaces in a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building must not exceed the cooling load limit in Specification 44.

(3) The total thermal energy load of the habitable rooms and conditioned spaces in a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building must not exceed the thermal energy load limit in Specification 44.

(1) The energy value of the domestic services of a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or Class 4 part of a building must not exceed the energy value with—

1. a 3-star ducted heat pump, rated under the 2019 GEMS determination, heating all spaces that are provided with heating; and
2. a 3-star ducted heat pump, rated under the 2019 GEMS determination, cooling all spaces that are provided with cooling; and
3. a 5-star instantaneous gas water heater, rated under the 2017 GEMS determination, providing all domestic hot water; and
4. a lighting power density of 4 W/m² serving all internal spaces that are provided with artificial lighting.

(2) Domestic services, including any associated distribution system and components must, to the degree necessary, have features that facilitate the efficient use of energy appropriate to—

1. the domestic service and its usage; and
2. the geographic location of the building; and
3. the location of the domestic service; and
4. the energy source.

A building must have features that facilitate the future installation of on-site renewable energy generation and storage and electric vehicle charging equipment.

(1) For a Class 5 building, compliance with J1P1 is verified when—

1. a minimum 5.5-star NABERS Energy base building Commitment Agreement is obtained; and
2. the energy model required for (a) demonstrates—
   1. the base building’s greenhouse gas emissions are not more than 67% of the 5.5-star level when excluding—
      1. tenant supplementary heating and cooling systems; and
      2. external lighting; and
      3. carparkservices; and
   2. a thermal comfort level of between a Predicted Mean Vote of -1 to +1 is achieved across not less than 95% of the floor area of all occupied zones for not less than 98% of the annual hours of operation of the building; and
3. the building complies with the additional requirements in Specification 33.

(2) For a Class 2 building, other than sole-occupancy units, compliance with J1P1 is verified when—

1. a minimum 4-star NABERS Energy for Apartment Buildings Commitment Agreement is obtained; and
2. air-conditioning, which operates not less than 18 hours per day, is provided to all enclosed common lift lobbies and corridors; and
3. the energy model required for (a) demonstrates—
   1. the greenhouse gas emissions of the services are less than 90% of the 5-star level; and
   2. a thermal comfort level of between a Predicted Mean Vote of -1 to +1 is achieved across not less than 95% of the floor area of the air-conditioned common area occupied zones, excluding indoor swimming pool chambers, for not less than 98% of the annual hours of operation of the building; and
   3. the space temperature in any indoor swimming pool chamber is maintained at 2°C above the pool temperature during occupied hours of not less than 12 hours per day; and
4. the building complies with the additional requirements in Specification 33.

(3) For a Class 3 building, compliance with J1P1 is verified when—

1. a minimum 4-star NABERS Energy for Hotels Commitment Agreement is obtained; and
2. the operating hours of the services are not less than 12 hours per day in bedrooms, dining rooms and conference facilities, 24 hours per day in corridors and foyers and 18 hours per day in back-of-house areas; and
3. the energy model required for (a) demonstrates that—
   1. the greenhouse gas emissions of the services are less than 70% of the 5-star level; and
   2. a thermal comfort level of between a Predicted Mean Vote of -1 to +1 is achieved across not less than 95% of the floor area of occupied zones, excluding indoor swimming pool chambers, for not less than 98% of the annual hours of operation of the building; and
   3. the space temperature in any indoor swimming pool chamber is maintained at 2°C above the pool temperature during occupied hours of not less than 12 hours per day; and
4. the building complies with the additional requirements in Specification 33.

(4) For a Class 6 shopping centre, compliance with J1P1 is verified when—

1. a minimum 4.5-stars NABERS Energy for Shopping Centres Commitment Agreement is obtained; and
2. the building has:
   1. an air-conditioned common area of not less than 20% of the gross lettable area; and
   2. a gross lettable area greater than 15 000 m²; and
3. the energy model required for (a) demonstrates—
   1. the greenhouse gas emissions of the services covered within the scope of NABERS Energy for Shopping Centres ratings are less than 80% of the 4.5-star level; and
   2. a thermal comfort level of between a Predicted Mean Vote of -1 to +1 is achieved across not less than 95% of the floor area of air-conditioned spaces within the scope of the rating for not less than 98% of the annual hours of operation the building; and
4. the building complies with the additional requirements in Specification 33.

(5) The calculation method for (1), (2), (3) and (4) must comply with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140.

(1) For a Class 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building, or common area of a Class 2 building, compliance with J1P1 is verified when—

1. the building complies with the simulation requirements, and is registered, for a Green Star – Design & As-Built or Green Star Buildings rating; and
2. the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the proposed building are less than 90% of the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the reference building; and
3. in the proposed building, a thermal comfort level of between a Predicted Mean Vote of -1 to +1 is achieved across not less than 95% of the floor area of all occupied zones for not less than 98% of the annual hours of operation of the building; and
4. the building complies with the additional requirements in Specification 33.

(2) The calculation method used for (1) must comply with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140.

(1) For a Class 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building or common area of a Class 2 building, compliance with J1P1 is verified when—

1. it is determined that the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the proposed building are not more than the annual greenhouse gas emissions of a reference building when—
   1. the proposed building is modelled with the proposed services; and
   2. the proposed building is modelled with the same services as the reference building; and
2. in the proposed building, a thermal comfort level of between a Predicted Mean Vote of -1 to +1 is achieved across not less than 95% of the floor area of all occupied zones for not less than 98% of the annual hours of operation of the building; and
3. the building complies with the additional requirements in Specification 33.

(2) The annual greenhouse gas emissions of the proposed building may be offset by—

1. renewable energy generated and used on site; and
2. another process such as reclaimed energy, used on site.

(3) The calculation method used for (1) and (2) must comply with—

1. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140; and
2. Specification 34.

(1) Compliance with J1P1(e) and J1P2 is verified for building envelope sealing when the envelope is sealed at an air permeability rate, tested in accordance with Method 1 of AS/NZS ISO 9972, of not more than—

1. for a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building, 10 m³/hr.m² at 50 Pa reference pressure; or
2. for a Class 5, 6, 8 or 9a or 9b building, other than a ward area, in climate zones 1, 7 and 8, 5 m³/hr.m² at 50 Pa reference pressure; or
3. for a Class 3 or 9c building, or a Class 9a ward area in climate zones 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, 5 m³/hr.m² at 50 Pa reference pressure.

(2) In a sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 building or a Class 4 part of a building, where an air permeability rate of not more than 5 m³/hr.m² at 50 Pa reference pressure is achieved—

1. a mechanical ventilation system must be provided that—
   1. can be manually overridden; and
   2. provides outdoor air, either—
      1. continuously; or
      2. intermittently, where the system has controls that enable operation for not less than 25 per cent of each 4 hour segment; and
   3. provides a flow rate not less than that achieved with the following formula:

      $Q=(0.05\times A+3.5\times (N+1))/p$

      , where—

      1. $Q$

         = the required air flow rate (L/s); and

      2. $A$

         = the total area of the sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 or Class 4 part of a building (m²); and

      3. $N$

         = the number of bedrooms in the sole-occupancy unit of a Class 2 or Class 4 part of a building; and

      4. $p$

         = the fraction of time within each 4 hour segment that the system is operational; and
2. any space with a solid-fuel burning combustion appliance must be ventilated with permanent openings directly to outside with a free area of not less than half of the cross-sectional area of the appliance’s flue; and
3. any space with a gas-fueled combustion appliance must be ventilated in accordance with—
   1. clause 6.4 of AS/NZS 5601.1; and
   2. clause 6.4.5 of AS/NZS 5601.1.

(3) For the purposes of (2)(c), the volume of the space is considered to be 1 m³ for determining ventilation requirements.

(1) Compliance with J1P2 is verified when each Class 2 sole-occupancy unit of a proposed building—

1. in climate zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, has a heating load less than or equal to—
   1. that of a reference building; and
   2. 120% of J1P2(1); and
2. in climate zones 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, has a cooling load less than or equal to—
   1. that of a reference building; and
   2. 120% of J1P2(2); and
3. complies with the additional requirements in Specifications 33 and 45 as applicable.

(2) Compliance with J1P3 is determined when the energy value of the domestic services, including all centralised domestic services infrastructure, of a proposed building is less than that of a reference building when—

1. each sole-occupancy unit of a reference building has—
   1. a 3-star ducted air-to-air heat pump, rated under the 2019 GEMS determination, heating all spaces that are provided with heating; and
   2. a 3-star ducted heat pump, rated under the 2019 GEMS determination, cooling all spaces that are provided with cooling; and
   3. a 5-star instantaneous gas water heater, rated under the 2017 GEMS determination, providing all domestic heated water; and
   4. a lighting power density of 4 W/m² serving all internal spaces that are provided with artificial lighting; and
2. the proposed building and a reference building comply with the additional requirements in Specifications 33 and 45 as applicable.

(3) The calculation method used for (1) and (2) must—

1. comply with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140; and
2. not be house energy rating software.