Australian Zero Emission House

The ultimate goal is a ZEH as defined earlier. But the starting point is the here and now, so an important component of the project is to investigate various partial-solution options that progress current practice towards the full ZEH definition. As the IPCC Synthesis Report noted (Bernstein et al. 2007):

Low stabilisation levels require early investments and substantially more rapid diffusion and commercialisation of advanced low-emission technologies.

For rapid diffusion of ZEH concepts/ideas - including house envelope designs, renewables and storage and integrating technologies - we need a guide that anyone anywhere in Australia can follow to build their own partial or full ZEHs.

For example, one of the key strategies to achieve the UK government goal of zero carbon for all new homes in the UK by 2016 is the publication and enforcement of the Code for Sustainable Homes . There is a technical guide on target carbon-performance levels and typical configurations to meet a desired level. This is supported by a raft of publications and procedures for practical implementation. These allow developers and house builders to demonstrate their capability and credentials in providing different house designs and energy solutions at different carbon footprint-price points

In Australia, a Guide like this can initially be a voluntary guide, and potentially a companion/supplement to the Building Code of Australia (BCA). The Guide will assess/rate the GHG emissions of a home against design categories, rating the 'whole home' as a complete package using a star rating system. For example, a home can achieve a GHG rating from one to ten stars depending on the extent to which it has achieved the Guide's design categories - one star may be the entry level or minimum allowed, while ten stars may be the highest level (zero emissions). Apart from certain minimum requirements (e.g. those established elsewhere, such as by the BCA), the Guide will be completely flexible. Developers can choose which and how many features they implement to obtain 'points' under the Guide in order to achieve a higher GHG reduction rating.