BASIX REPORTS
If you are building in NSW, a Building Sustainability Index Report is required by the NSW Government
What is BASIX?
The term BASIX refers to a Building Sustainability Index, which is a residential rating system used by the New South Wales government. The BASIX framework requires new properties to be assessed and issued with a BASIX Certificate, which SeedHaus™ is well-versed in.
The purpose of the BASIX system is to ensure that residential buildings have their energy efficiency assessed and held to a minimum standard across the state. With an overall aim of increasing the energy efficiency of residential dwellings, the BASIX system also works to reduce greenhouse gases and water consumption while increasing the resiliency of these properties.
How do we obtain a BASIX Certificate?
BASIX is an online assessment tool and rates the expected performance of any residential development in terms of water efficiency, thermal comfort, and energy usage. At SeedHaus™ we are committed to providing you with a BASIX Certificate, based on the building plans you provide, within 3 business days. We will discuss your build with you to gather all the information we require to make the completion of your BASIX Report as straight forward as possible.
Why do we need a BASIX Certificate?
If you are building in New South Wales, it is a requirement that you obtain a BASIX Certificate to form part of your development application. This applies to all new residential development applications, and SeedHaus™ has extensive experience in preparing and delivering these assessments for a range of properties. Meeting the BASIX targets can benefit homeowners financially, as the framework can result in the property using 40% less water and emitting up to 25% less greenhouse gases.
If you are building any of the below, you will need a BASIX Certificate:
- a house
- new townhouses or villas
- new apartments or units
- new granny flats, or converting a property to dual occupancy
- renovations that are over $50,000 in value to your existing property
- installing a swimming pool or a spa that is over 40,000 litres in capacity
- converting a non-residential building to a residential dwelling
What are the criteria included in the BASIX assessment?
The BASIX framework considers a wide range of criteria that work in unison to determine how energy efficient a property is. Every property is different and as such SeedHaus™ takes the exact property into consideration and provides an assessment.
These criteria can include:
- where the property is located;
- how the property is orientated;
- the construction of the property and type of materials used;
- the size and types of windows that the property has;
- any landscaping around the property;
- the appliances installed within the property; and
- thermal comfort levels that determine the amount of energy required to heat or cool the property.
What are the BASIX insulation requirements?
The BASIX scheme specifies requirements for the insulation to be installed in each home to ensure optimal temperature management and comfort – when the property is insulated from outside conditions, it is less reliant on artificial sources of heating and cooling. SeedHaus™ calculates these using details of the property including its floors, walls, ceiling and type of roof, and the climate zone that it is built in.
The BASIX insulation requirements can include:
- the installation of glazing on windows to compensate for less insulation within the walls, ceiling and floor;
- the installation of additional insulation to increase the property’s heat management; or
- managing the insulation between the walls, ceiling and floor to compensate for less insulation in other areas.
Apart from the insulation rating of various insulation products such as bulk insulation products or reflective insulation products, BASIX also outlines the direction of heat flow in the property’s ceilings or floor.
