The global population is becoming more conscious of the environment and readily embracing eco-friendly solutions. With increasing awareness, the preference and demand for energy-efficient commercial and residential developments are on the rise.
However, customer demands alone are sometimes not enough for driving the development of sustainable properties. Therefore, the government introduced certain standards and policies to ensure that new residential and non-residential projects are energy-efficient.
And one such fundamental regulatory standard for commercial buildings is the Section J Report requirement and the BASIX certificate for residential buildings.
What Are The Methods To Achieve Section J Compliance?
The compliance with the Section J report can be demonstrated using two methods:
- Deemed To Satisfy (DtS)
- The alternative JV3 assessment
DtS Solution
DtS is the conventional and easiest method to calculate the sustainability factor and energy efficiency of a building. However, the method requires all elements in your construction model to individually meet the Section J standards.
The following components of your commercial building design are assessed individually, and minimum levels of insulation, tinting, wattage, etc. are determined by the Energy Assessor:
- Commercial building fabric, including roof and ceiling, walls, flooring, etc.
- Glazing
- Sealing of your building
- Air-conditioning facilities and provisions
- Artificial lighting systems
- Hot water supply
- Energy Monitoring
The DtS assessment doesn’t allow trade-offs between the building components, and therefore, the method is quick, easy, and cheap. However, with such restrictions, your actual construction cost for the commercial building will increase. Also, the energy efficiency of the building suffers when there’s no wiggle room.
JV3 Assessment Method
The JV3 assessment is an alternative method for Section J compliance. This method examines the compliance of the entire building with the NCC Objective rather than comparing each design component separately and independently.
In JV3 Modelling, the estimated annual energy consumption of the proposed commercial development is compared with the reference building’s annual energy consumption. The energy-efficiency measurements of the reference building must be obtained through the Deemed to Satisfy (DtS) technique.
If your proposed commercial development’s energy consumption (greenhouse gas production limit) is less than the DtS reference building, your project will be considered a pass.
Benefits of JV3 Assessment
JV3 Modelling has the following benefits:
You can plan and construct intricate building designs (which aren’t possible with DtS) while adhering to the Section J standards through JV3 assessment.
An adequately-optimised building with JV modelling will be cheaper to construct than a DTS-compliant development.
Since the annual energy usage measurements of a JV3 building needs to be less than the DTS-compliant reference commercial building, a JV3-compliant construction will always have higher energy efficiency than a DTS-compliant reference project.
Final Word
While JV3 assessments can be more complicated (required a 3D design and detailed simulation-based calculations), time-consuming and costly, the incredible savings in the construction costs are worth the investment.
For a smooth and streamlined building process, ensure to hire experienced building professionals for BASIX certificate, NABERS, JV3 modelling and other sustainability compliance documentation.
