BASIX Certificate
House Energy Rating 
Section J Report
ESD Consulting
End of Year Closure 2019
November 9, 2019
Gradwell Consulting's last business day this year will be Friday 20 December. We will open again on Monday 6 January 2020. December can be a busy month, however our team of assessors can deal with even large projects. Give us a call to discuss you
Read More
New NatHERS thermal performance software approved
A new version of the CSIRO Chenath modelling engine has been released. This engine is used by all NatHERS assessment software. Gradwell Consulting uses BERS Pro to prepare NatHERS assessments for BASIX and EERs. The new version of BERS Pro (calle
Read More
BASIX announces alternative assessment process for large boarding houses
NSW Planning has developed an alternative assessment process for large boarding houses. The new process allows the thermal comfort of large boarding houses including student accommodation to be assessed at a later stage (i.e. the construction certifi
Read More
NCC 2019 Section J becomes mandatory from 1 May 2020
NCC 2019 Volume One allows the requirements of NCC 2016 Section J to be used until 1 May 2020 as part of a transitional arrangement. In practice, the new requirements need to be applied earlier than 1 May 2020 for many projects. In NSW the applica
Read More
Major Section J Changes Expected in 2019
November 6, 2018
According to AIRAH (Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heating), industry is being warned to brace itself for much stricter energy-efficiency standards in the new Section J of Volume 1 of the National Construction Code (NCC).
Read More
Energy Smart Housing Manual
November 4, 2018
Sustainability Victoria has released an Energy Smart Housing Manual to help home owners, builders and designers construct homes that have great thermal performance. The manual explains how a home’s design and construction impacts its energy efficie
Read More
End of Year Closure
November 3, 2018
Gradwell Consulting's last business day this year will be Friday 21 December. We will open again on Monday 7 January 2019. December is typically a very busy month so please send requests for fee proposals as soon as possible. Give us a call to dis
Read More
Gradwell Consulting Launches New Website
November 2, 2018
We have recently introduced a new website containing the latest industry news and project information. Please let us know what you think by email at info@gradwellconsulting.com or by calling 1800 11
Read More
The secret to achieving 6 stars
March 30, 2018
A study prepared for the Australian Government (Department of the Environment) has shown that modifying the design of popular homes is a better approach than increasing building specifications. The study was able to use good design to achieve an aver
Read More
CSR House keeps its cool
April 12, 2017
CSR's 8 star house in Western Sydney is a live demonstration of the benefits of good design. The benefits of the 8 star rating have been seen in both extreme heat and cold. According to CSR, during testing conducted on a cold winter morning with t
Read More
CSIRO finds that 5 star houses cost less
August 8, 2016
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) set a 5 star energy efficiency standard in 2006. The results of the CSIRO evaluation has recently been released. The key finding is that compliant houses cost less to run and less to build, which is co
Read More
New BASIX Guide
June 18, 2015
A recent audit conducted for the NSW Department of Planning found shortcomings in BASIX documentation. To address this concern, a guide has been prepared to assist councils and certifiers to understand the thermal comfort requirements when using the
Read More