6 Star Energy Ratings and Artificial Lighting Requirements

Mayrn1st 2012 is when the minimum star rating required for residentialrnprojects will be increased to 6 stars.

Therernhas been a lot of work going into investigating the effects this willrnhave on the building industry ,to ensure the changes required tornbuilding processes can be met without disruption or excessive cost.

Howeverrnthere is more to complying with the new energy efficiency regulationsrnthan just getting a 6 star rating from the HousernEnergy Rating Software. ThernBCA has included other clauses which must be complied with,rnin addition to the assessment performed by your energy ratingrnassessor.

In this article we will look atrncomplying with the Artificial Lighting regulation - BCA Vol 2rn3.12.5.5

In essence this regulation statesrnthat there is a maximum amount of lighting allowed for any specificrnarea.

Maximum Lighting Allowances

The maximum wattage allowed forrneach area are:

5W/m² in a Class 1 Building

4W/m² on a verandah orrnbalcony attached to a class 1 building

3W/m² in a class 10 Building.

Example:

These totals are not able to bernaveraged over the house. So if you took a 50w light fitting you wouldrnonly be able to have 19 fittings for inside the house. 2 Fittings forrnthe Alfresco, 2 for the garage and a single 20w fitting for thernBalcony.

Advice is still being sought fromrnThe Building Commission to clarify that the wattage of the globe canrnbe used as opposed to the maximum rating of the fitting.

When an EnergyrnRating is done for you ensure the lighting calculations arernincluded in the process.

This can be done by providing yournwith a compliance report that nominates the maximum wattage allowablernand removes the need to provide an electrical plan which may vary.rnThis compliance report can be carried through to Pre-start meetingsrnwith a calculation section included to ensure that the maximums arernnot exceeded during the selection process.

Thernnew 6 star energy rating regulations will mean a change to the wayrnbuilders, architects and building designers conduct their business.rnTo ensure a smooth transition, the integration of energy ratings intornyour system needs to be thought out before it is mandatory.

Tornhelp you do that, make sure you are in contact with a competentrnenergy rating assessor to help you with your approval process.