Living sustainably

Buildings

Voluntary building industry initiatives

The Voluntary Building Industry Initiatives Programme is designed to assist the building industry to encourage best greenhouse practice from building and construction practitioners.

Projects developed with the support of the Australian Government include:

WERS - Window Energy Rating Scheme

WERS is a window rating scheme being implemented by the Australasian Window Council with the support of the Australian Government.

It is estimated that up to 40% of energy is lost through windows in a typical Australian home. Improving the performance of windows reduces the energy costs to heat and cool a home.

WERS rates the window on a scale of one to five stars, assessing the product for cooling in summer and heating in winter. The rating is displayed on a label attached to the window at the point of sale. WERS is independent of any one manufacturer.

More information:
Website: www.wers.net

EDG - Environmental Design Guides

The Australian Council of Building Design Professions Ltd (BDP) is the peak body for architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, landscape architects and planners.

The BDP has produced an on-going series titled the BDP Environmental Design Guide, which brings together the environmental design guides and best practice of BDP members for distribution to as wide an audience as possible. The BDP Environmental Design Guide aims to facilitate cooperation between building design professionals when addressing built environment and environment issues.

The Australian Government assisted BDP to prepare a series specifically for greenhouse emission minimisation, consisting of five design notes and one case study.

More information:
Contact: BDP National and Victorian Offices:
Phone: 03 9650 4011
Fax: 03 9650 3364.

BDAA Marketing Sustainable Design Workshops

The Building Design Association of Australia (BDAA) is Australia's peak body for building designers. The Australian Government funded a series of workshops for BDAA members entitled Building Sustainability Seminars, throughout Australia.

Building designers are at the beginning of the building supply chain, and, as such, are particularly influential in promoting the uptake of good environmental design principles. The Building Sustainability Seminars cover a number of areas including Energy Services, Materials & Waste, Thermal Performance and Water Management.

More information:
Phone: 02 4926-4855
Email: execsec@bdansw.com.au
Website: www.absa.net.au/training/courses.aspx

BDP Making Energy Pay

The Australian Council of Building Design Professions Ltd (BDP) is the peak body for architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, landscape architects and planners.

The Australian Government funded a series of BDP seminars on designing for sustainability and greenhouse reduction. Entitled Making Energy Pay, the series was presented in all capital cities as well as some regional cities. The seminars focussed on implementing energy saving strategies by taking advantage of new technologies and developing an integrated design and planning process for energy efficiency.

More information:
Phone: 03 9650 4011
Fax: 03 9650 3364.

HIA Greensmart Professional Accreditation Course

The Housing Industry Association Limited (HIA) is Australia's peak building, renovating and development industry association.

As part of the Partnership Advancing the Housing Environment (PATHE) national environment initiative, the Australian Government provided funding for the HIA's GreenSmart Training and Accreditation program.

More information:
Phone: your local HIA office on 1300 650 620
Email: greensmart@hia.com.au
Website: www.greensmart.com.au

MBA Energy Wise-Dollar Wise Training Course

Master Builders Australia (MBA) is Australia's peak body for commercial and industrial builders.

With financial assistance from the Australian Government, MBA is providing an energy efficiency training and accreditation scheme for commercial building contractors. Entitled Energy Wise - Dollar Wise, the scheme seeks to provide training to over 1000 commercial and industrial builders from all Sates and territories on the implementation of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

More information:
Contact: Denis Wilson
Phone: 02 6249 1433
Email: deniswilson@masterbuilders.com.au

Lighting Best Practice Project

Lighting was identified by the study Australian Commercial Building Sector Greenhouse Gas Emission 1990-2010 as "the most significant area of application for greenhouse gas emissions abatement initiatives", and noted the potential emission reduction of 70%.

The Lighting Best Practice Programme aims to increase the use of daylight and the demand for energy efficient lighting in Australian Buildings, with consequential reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The Programme will also document and communicate international research into lighting related improvements in productivity and occupant health.

The programme is designed to help industry professionals identify solutions that will improve lighting related building performance examined by rating tools such as NABERS and Green Star.

WELS - Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards

The growing need to reduce water consumption across Australia has resulted in a collaboration between state, territory and the Australian Government to introduce a Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme.

Established on 1 July 2006, the WELS Scheme requires certain water-using products to be labelled for water efficiency, helping Australian households to save water and money. The scheme also allows industry to showcase its most water-efficient products.

Under the scheme, product suppliers are required to provide water efficiency information, and star-ratings to consumers for clothes washers, dishwashers, showers, taps, toilets, urinals and flow controllers. Industry must register these products with the WELS Regulator (the Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts).

More information:
Website: www.waterrating.gov.au

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