According to the latest citations within the residential sphere, New South Wales (NSW) has reportedly upgraded its energy standards to a seven-star rating for new houses and high-rise towers.
However, this regulation would not imply to small residential blocks and shopping centres in the vicinity. Large office buildings, on the other hand, will have to showcase the ability to be electrically powered.
As per sources, the state government confirmed that all renovations beyond USD 50,000 would be subject to adherence to the new policy.
Confirming his support, the planning minister, Anthony Roberts claimed that the main motive for going ahead with this regulation was to ensure more comfort in places where people live, work and play while cutting down on bills in order to be in tandem with the government’s net-zero targets.
Apparently, the seven-star rating would play a crucial role in reducing emissions by approximately 7-11% in the coming years.
The government has also claimed that people living in high-rise buildings would witness a drastic fall of close to USD 265 per year on energy bills, while Western Sydney houses could save up to USD 1070, respectively.
It is worth noting that the new Sustainable Buildings State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) would not cover the regulations for homes within the north coast climate zone as well as buildings that are lower than six floors. These amendments were made as the new policy’s energy bill savings could not sustain the growing construction costs in the area.
Another key objective of the SEPP would be to aid large commercial developments within the state such as hospitals, prisons, and schools in sourcing their energy needs from renewables by the end of 2035.
For the unversed, the Nature Conservation Council of the NSW welcomed the new policy wholeheartedly, while claiming that stringent standards would be required to ensure quality, comfort, health, and energy efficiency in existing homes.
Source Credits: - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/29/nsw-introduces-seven-star-energy-standards-for-new-homes