CSIRO Launches Australian Housing Data Portal to Track Energy Efficiency Progress
The CSIRO has unveiled a new Australian Housing Data portal providing detailed insights into the energy efficiency of new dwellings across Australia. The dashboards reveal significant variations in NatHERS star ratings between states and dwelling types.
The CSIRO has developed a comprehensive Australian Housing Data portal to help stakeholders monitor progress towards more energy efficient and low-emission homes across the country. The dashboards provide detailed breakdowns of energy performance by state, territory, and dwelling type, offering homeowners and industry professionals valuable insights into current building practices.
How the Data is Collected
The portal primarily utilises data from the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme's Universal Certificates, which is the assessment pathway used by the majority of new dwellings in Australia to comply with energy efficiency requirements in the National Construction Code. According to the CSIRO, approximately 130,000 certificates are added to the database each year, with dashboards updated monthly to reflect the latest trends.
Key Findings Across Australia
The data reveals distinct patterns in energy efficiency across different regions. Nationally, houses achieve an average rating of 7.1 out of 10 stars, while apartments perform slightly better at 7.4 stars. However, there is considerable variation between states:
- Western Australia leads in apartment energy efficiency with an 8.1-star rating, whilst houses achieve 7.3 stars
- Houses in the Northern Territory rate lowest at 6.5 stars, with apartments at 6.6 stars
- Queensland houses achieve 7.1 stars with an average area of 144 square metres
- New South Wales has the largest houses on average at 177 square metres, rating 7.1 stars
- Australian Capital Territory apartments achieve 7.7 stars, the second-highest rating nationally
Construction Methods Vary by Region
The data also highlights the dominant construction systems used across Australia. Metal roofs with brick veneer walls are the most common construction method for houses nationally, whilst concrete construction predominates for apartments. These construction choices significantly influence the energy ratings of dwellings.
Source: https://ahd.csiro.au