CSIRO Launches Australian Housing Data Portal to Track Energy Efficiency Progress

CSIRO has launched the Australian Housing Data portal, an innovative online resource designed to provide homeowners, builders and policymakers with insight into Australia's energy efficiency performance across new dwellings and suburbs.

The dashboards utilise data gathered from the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme's (NatHERS) Universal Certificates, which represent the assessment pathway used by the majority of new dwellings in Australia to comply with energy efficiency requirements in the National Construction Code.

Comprehensive Data Collection

Approximately 130,000 Universal Certificates are added to the CSIRO database each year, with the dashboards updated monthly to provide the most current information available. This continuous data stream enables stakeholders to monitor progress towards achieving energy-efficient, low-emission homes across the country.

State-by-State Insights

The portal allows users to select their state or territory and dwelling type to view average results for the previous 12 months. Data is broken down by common construction systems and includes dwelling internal area measurements, excluding garages.

Current data shows variation in energy performance across Australia:

• Houses achieve an average 7.0-star rating nationally, with Western Australia leading at 7.3 stars
• Apartments average 7.3 stars nationally, with Western Australia achieving 8.0 stars
• The Northern Territory records the lowest house rating at 6.4 stars
• Average house sizes range from 121 square metres in Tasmania to 188 square metres in the Australian Capital Territory

Source: This article is based on information from the Australian Housing Data portal, developed by CSIRO to track progress towards energy-efficient Australian dwellings.