KIT HOMES - PREFABRICATED & MANUFACTURED HOUSES

House Energy Rating - Building Thermal Assessment

As the manufacture of RAL Kit homes involves the use of mostly plantation grown timber and other renewable or recyclable components , the energy used for production is comparitively low to other dwellings of similar dimensions.
But overall the Building Industry has an environmental impact on our resources of energy , raw material , timber harvest , water use and land fill.
Therefore , because of commitments to a sustainable building policy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , recent changes to Building regulations in most states of Australia have occurred.

RAL Kit Homes can be designed to achieve "6 Star ratings" ; our resident rater Brett Loeliger , can supply FirstRate 5 "House Energy Ratings - Building Thermal Assessments" if required.

As an accredited FirstRate 5 house energy rater - building thermal assessor , I am highly proficient with energy efficient design concepts for all housing ; (the RAL Building System is a specialty!) and I participate in an ongoing quality assurance program.
All clients can be provided with "Star Rating" certificates as well as feedback and cost-effective advice prior to building approval. Building Thermal Assessment reports can also be compiled at the planning stage which would be helpful to achieve an energy efficient design.
The energy needed to heat the home in winter and cool it in summer can be most economical when the combination of design features such as Insulation , Window area , Draught proofing , Thermal mass and Site Orientation are at optimum.

Our RAL Energy Efficiency page is essential reading!

1.	Most new homes will require a "House Energy Rating - Building Thermal Assessment" prior to the issue of a building permit.
2.	In Victoria , from May 1 , 2011 , a "6 Star Energy Rating" is required for the building fabric plus water saving measures , including a rain water tank or a solar hot water service for homes with timber floor construction and for homes built on a concrete slab. Please see Kit Homes 6 Star for a summary.
3.	The "Star Rating" is is a measure of the energy efficiency of a building and can be achieved in most areas using the Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria "FirstRate" software by an accredited "House Energy Rater/Thermal Building Assessor". Second generation FirstRate 5 software is valid in Victoria and may be recognized in other States and Territories of Australia. (Please check with your local Building Authority)
4.	Please note: In ACT , the ACTHERS is used , Click Here New South Wales uses the online tool BASIX , Click here Queensland has BERS , Click Here (Both Qld & NSW utilise AccuRate based on NatHERS developed by the CSIRO.)

The RAL Building System has demonstrated to achieve in excess of R4.0 for the shell structure (walls & ceiling as one). In addition , up to R3.25 for a timber sub-floor as assessed by Bradford Insulation.

VIC/BDAV/10/0333

Insulation