BASIX or Building Sustainability Index replaces the energy efficiency requirements of the Building Code of Australia for residential developments in New South Whales. NSW Department of Planning introduced the BASIX scheme in 2004 in response to increasing pressure on the Australian environmental resources due to un sustainable development practices in the residential building sector. Since that time BASIX has been thorough several stages of development and now is considered one of the most successful environmental initiatives which are being practiced by governments of different Australian states and territories.
BASIX goal is to reduce the Green House Gas emission, energy consumption and water consumption of the NSW residential developments by setting up certain performance benchmarks for these sustainability factors. These benchmarks are called BASIX indices and are being addressed in 3 different sections for energy efficiency, water efficiency and thermal comfort rating. The following is a brief overview of these sustainability metrics. To learn more the scheme visit
http://www.ecocertificates.com.au/basix/basix.html
BASIX Energy Efficiency
There are two major objectives which are being addressed by the BASIX energy efficiency index. First, more than 80 percent of all new and some refurbished residential building developments in NSW must meet the minimum BASIX energy efficiency targets and get a pass score from the online evaluation tool and second, all residential developments in NSW must produce 36 % less Green House Gas emissions compared to state average. The energy efficiency target of the BASIX changes based on two factors which help to create fair and equitable results for each development in NSW. These factors are the climate zone of the development and the development type. Although NSW have 21 different climate zones for thermal comfort simulations, they are being bundled in three main groups and there are four development types as detached dwellings, low rise, medium rise and high rise multi unit developments which creates a 3 by 4 matrix covering all climate areas and developments types state wide. !
For each development type in each climate zone a certain BASIX energy efficiency target is applicable which must be satisfied by the energy efficiency performance of the development design.
BASIX Water Efficiency
BASIX water efficiency target is defined so that the highest water efficiency target is applicable to at least 90 percent of new residential developments in the state of NSW. The target is changed in the BASIX online tool based on the climate zone of the development so that a development in a dry and hot climate will have less stringent targets to meet compared to developments in mild and humid climates. This will ensure fair comparison and rating of all the dwellings being assessed state wide.
BASIX Thermal Comfort
The thermal comfort section of the BASIX assessment tool is on a pass / fail basis rather than being based on performance scores. To get a pass mark a dwelling must have a certain thermal heating and cooling load for it to be comfortable throughout the year. In Rapid and DIY methods of BASIX thermal comfort assessment, cooling and heating loads are being calculated by the online BASIX assessment tool based on the characteristics of the building. In thermal simulation method these loads are calculated by a certified NatHERS thermal assessment software and the results are being inserted in the online assessment tool in form of a valid ABSA Certificate by an ABSA Accredited Assessor or HERS Assessor. Heating and cooling loads are being addressed separately in the BASIX and therefore a more informed approach is being followed compared to NatHERS star ratings which is the summation of heating and cooling loads.
Three factors determine the maximum heating and cooling loads; climate zone, floor construction type and development type. Three types of floor construction are recognized in BASIX tool, slab on the ground, suspended floor with open sub floor and suspended floor with enclosed sub floor. BASIX considers each dwelling in a multi unit apartment, the average of all units and a separate dwellings as three different types of construction with different BASIX maximum heating and cooling loads. Also there are 21 different climate zones in NSW and in each climate zone the thermal comfort loads are different for each combination of the previous two factors.
BASIX Certificate
To comply with this scheme a BASIX certificate must be submitted at the Development Application stage to local government area councils of NSW along with other necessary documents. BASIX online assessment tool generates this certificate by collecting all the development specifications and calculating the energy efficiency, water efficiency and thermal comfort scores of the development if they are above the minimum required performance indices. Visit
http://www.ecocertificates.com.au/basix/basix-certificate.html to learn more about BASIX Certificate. All the provisions nominated on the certificate become part of the development plans and specifications which must be deployed during actual construction and be verified by the building's principal certifying authority prior to issuance of an Occupation Certificate.