Welcome to the final article of our shed house series!
In Article 1, we explored how shed homes have evolved from basic structures into modern, stylish living spaces.
Then in Article 2, we discussed the range of materials you can choose, cutting-edge steel products like SharpLine and Bondor, and how compliance standards have shaped these designs.
In this final article, we’ll dive into the all-important topic of the 7-Star energy efficiency for a shed home.
From insulation to airtightness, energy ratings are more crucial than ever in creating a comfortable and sustainable home.
Stick around as we unpack everything you need to know about building a modern shed home that’s not only stylish but also energy efficient!
Has the 7-Star Energy Rating Influenced the Design of Shed Houses?
Yes, absolutely.
The growing focus on sustainability has significantly influenced shed house design. Modern shed houses are now built with energy-efficient materials and systems to reduce their environmental footprint.
Solar panels, high-performance insulation, and energy-efficient windows are standard features.
Owner builders should also consider extras like water recycling, rainwater tanks, and greywater systems for a more eco-friendly home.
Shed houses now meet strict energy efficiency standards, like the 7-Star NatHERS rating, which ensures reduced energy consumption throughout the home, right down to appliances and climate control.
Older materials and systems no longer comply, so modern designs need thicker insulation, larger roof purlins, and wall girts to accommodate the bulk insulation required.
This isn’t just for engineering; it’s to meet insulation and sustainability needs.
A key change is the requirement for thermal breaks, preventing metal-on-metal contact, which would create thermal bridges, causing heat, cold, and moisture issues.
Traditional sheds with simple paper wraps don’t cut it anymore. Proper thermal wraps are now mandatory to ensure no steel-to-steel contact, improving sustainability and thermal performance.
These upgrades ensure shed houses are compliant with current standards and energy ratings.
Can you further elaborate on the 7-Star energy rating?
The main goal of the rating system is to ensure homes meet strict energy efficiency standards.
It pushes for high-performance insulation, energy-efficient glazing, and optimised design. This is key to remember as it allows us to measure thermal performance moving forward, especially as we aim for the 2050 net-zero target.
We’re at the beginning of this shift, and while no one knows exactly what that will look like, it's clear this is part of the long-term plan.
The idea is to achieve better energy ratings, which should lead to long-term savings for homeowners through reduced energy bills, and potentially increase a home’s value.
It’s also a good opportunity for people to think about sustainable and comfortable living, especially as the cost of power and other consumables is uncertain.
Maybe this is a sign that rebates won’t last forever and power might become unaffordable. With the number of homes that need to be built, our power grids won’t be able to handle it anyway, so reducing the strain on the grid is crucial.
How is “whole of home energy usage” different from the 7-Star rating?
It’s different because it takes a holistic approach, considering the entire energy consumption of the house.
Thermal performance focuses on the building itself, but it also includes home energy use – appliances, systems, lighting, and even hot water. Every detail is factored in, right down to dishwashers and each individual light.
They even calculate renewable energy integration, like solar systems and energy storage, which is pretty cool.
Picture this: in the future, homes will have systems that allow you to plug in your car to charge, but it won’t stop there. Your car will also generate power to feed back into your home. It’s a network where your house powers your car, and your car powers your house.
That’s the future of energy storage, homes with batteries that store and generate their own power, reducing their overall footprint. It’s an exciting concept, but with our current infrastructure, it may take a while to fully implement.
The whole system is a “whole of house” approach, considering everything from thermal mass on floors to the colors of your exterior. It’s a huge calculation. In fact, the modeling system runs a simulation for an entire year, calculating day by day, minute by minute, 24 hours a day for 365 days.
Pretty intense stuff!
How does glazing and insulation in Shed Houses vary based on local requirements?
Glazing is essential for shed houses and energy efficiency.
It controls heat transfer and the requirements vary by climate zones – like zones 1-4.
In colder areas, you'd use double or triple-glazed windows to retain heat, while in hotter climates, low-E glass helps block heat.
And then there's building orientation. If you can, position your house to take advantage of the sun, which makes a big difference for heating and cooling.
Insulation plays a huge role too – thicker in colder zones to trap heat, and reflective barriers in hotter zones to block it.
It’s not as simple as asking for a shed house price based on location as orientation, insulation, and glazing all impact energy performance.
Even with good planning, final energy analysis by a designer is necessary, but these are the best practices to keep in mind.
Who Manages the 7-Star Rating System
NatHERS controls the overall building regulations and standards, and below that, you have energy designers.
They’re professionals now, highly trained in using specialised software. I actually have some of that software on my desktop – it’s easily accessible.
It’s not something you couldn’t learn and perfect if you wanted to, but there are specialists whose job is to handle energy design now.
When Do You Get the Rating?
That’s what the building plans are for. Once they’re done, the energy designers check them, and that's where they either pass or fail.
Now, imagine how intense this process is. It's not just about the guy trying to figure out if he has enough money to build, but for the building designer who has to ask, “What dishwasher are you getting?” and the client’s like, “I don’t know.”
Things like that matter, changing one light in your selections could mean the whole thing needs reassessment. You go from a downlight to a hanging light, and suddenly, it could impact the calculation.
Builders are understandably nervous about this, and I don’t blame them.
These energy ratings are going to be tough to hit. Builders are worried about potential lawsuits down the line if they don’t get the house to seven stars, or if the client changes something, and it falls short.
The liability could come back to them, which in some cases is fair, but it’s a real concern in the industry right now.
It sounds like quite a challenging process?
I can tell you, being in the industry, this is becoming a real frustration. There’s such a hold-up now in the process.
Builders are waiting, but it has to go through the building designer, then the energy guy, and they’re all backlogged. If it doesn’t comply, you have to make changes, then the builder has to revise the price.
Meanwhile, the client’s been to the bank, got approval, and now the project could fall apart because they don’t have any more money.
This bottleneck is causing the whole industry to slow down because no one knows how to handle it. Builders and suppliers like us just need answers to keep things moving, but the delays at the design stage make that impossible.
We used to be able to do 7-Star designs manually – north, south, east, west, all pretty straightforward, until the new system came along.
It will probably improve as more energy assessors are trained, but right now, there are only a handful handling all of it, and they don’t work for free. Running those long calculations takes time, and their software is limited.
As technology improves, things should get faster, but for now, even the software is still making assumptions along the way.
To Conclude our Modern Shed Home Series
To wrap up our 3-part series, I think we can all agree that building a modern shed home is about so much more than just design and materials – it’s about embracing sustainability, energy efficiency and meeting some pretty rigorous standards.
In this final article, we highlighted the 7-Star energy rating and the concept of “whole of home” energy considerations. Looking to the future of net-zero homes, features like high-performance insulation, thermal breaks, and energy-efficient glazing aren’t just extras; they’re essentials that make a big difference.
I’ll admit, diving into the energy rating system felt overwhelming at times! But the payoff I guess is a home that’s not only eco-friendly but also budget-friendly over time (fingers crossed!).
Sure, the process can be a bit challenging, with delays and rising costs along the way, so here’s hoping the industry can adapt a little faster to make sustainable, energy-efficient living a smoother journey!
ABOUT PRECISION STEEL FRAMING
Precision Steel Framing (PSF) is a 100% Australian-owned company based in Toowoomba, supplying high-quality steel-framed sheds, carports, garages, shed houses and storage solutions. Starting locally, PSF now serves customers Australia wide with steel shed kits and shed homes.
With over 50 years of industry experience, PSF delivers high-quality, customised solutions for their clients.
