Getting NatHERS Right Before It Goes to the Assessor

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Price

A$99.00

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Course Content

I. Introduction (2 minutes)
II. Learning Objectives (2 minutes)
IV. Module 2: The Design Levers That Move the Star Rating (13 minutes)
VII. Summary & Key Takeaways (2 minutes)
Final Quiz – Getting NatHERS Right Before It Goes to the Assessor

★★★★★

This course provides building designers and architects with practical strategies to improve NatHERS outcomes before a project reaches the assessor, reducing costly redesigns and approval delays. Participants will learn how key design decisions, including orientation, glazing, shading, zoning, insulation, and thermal bridging, influence both the NatHERS thermal star rating and the Whole-of-Home energy assessment. The course also explains how services such as hot water, heating, cooling, and solar PV contribute to compliance and why early specification is critical to avoiding re-rates. It explores the documentation and communication practices that enable assessors to complete accurate first-time assessments with minimal clarification requests. By the end of the session, participants will understand how to design for energy compliance from the outset, creating more efficient homes while streamlining the approval process.

This CPD provides general guidance on professional responsibilities and documentation practices. It does not constitute legal advice or replace project-specific contractual or statutory obligations.

  • CPD Points: 1 Formal CPD Point
  • Duration: 1 hour
  • Certificate Upon Completion
  • Difficulty Level: Intermediate
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This session is designed for

Architects
Building Designers
NatHERS Energy Assessors
Residential
Builders
Building Surveyors

By the end of this course, you will understand how NatHERS assessments work and how early design decisions influence both the thermal star rating and the Whole-of-Home result. You will recognise the key design strategies that improve energy performance, including orientation, glazing, shading, insulation, zoning, and services selection. You will also understand how accurate documentation and effective collaboration with NatHERS assessors can reduce clarification requests, re-rates, and project delays. Most importantly, you will gain the knowledge to incorporate energy efficiency into your design process from the outset, helping deliver compliant, high-performing homes with greater confidence.

  • Explain how NatHERS assessments work and distinguish between the thermal star rating and the Whole-of-Home energy assessment.
  • Apply practical design strategies that improve NatHERS performance before formal assessment begins.
  • Evaluate how orientation, glazing, shading, zoning, insulation, and thermal bridging influence residential energy performance.
  • Prepare complete and accurate documentation that enables efficient NatHERS assessments and reduces clarification requests.
  • Assess how heating, cooling, hot water, and solar PV system selections affect Whole-of-Home compliance outcomes.
  • Identify design and specification changes that can trigger re-rates and implement processes to minimise rework and approval delays.

This ensures that CPD efforts align with professional regulatory requirements.

Framework/Body

Relevant Sections

Focus Areas

National Construction Code (NCC 2022)

Volume Two – Housing Provisions; Energy Efficiency; Seven-Star Thermal Performance; Whole-of-Home requirements

Designing to achieve NCC energy efficiency compliance, fabric-first design, glazing, orientation, insulation, services integration, documentation supporting compliance.

NatHERS Protocols

Accredited Assessment Process; Thermal Performance; Whole-of-Home Rating; Climate Zones; Assessor documentation

Early design decisions influencing ratings, assessor collaboration, modelling inputs, glazing performance, zoning, shading, documentation quality, avoiding re-rates.

ABSA CPD Competency Area

Building Fabric; Thermal Performance; Whole-of-Home; Documentation Quality; Client & Industry Collaboration

Understanding rating methodology, improving design outcomes before assessment, reducing assessment revisions, interpreting design impacts on energy performance.

Building Designers

Residential design; passive solar design; documentation; energy efficiency integration

Orientation, glazing, shading, insulation, zoning, detailing, specification development and preparing assessor-ready documentation.

NSCA 2021 (Architects)

PC20, PC28, PC31, PC33, PC47

PC28 The course is fundamentally centred on building science, thermal performance, glazing, insulation, air-sealing, thermal bridging, shading, and passive design strategies that optimise building performance during conceptual design. This aligns directly with PC28 (building sciences, environmental sciences and design performance).
PC31 A major focus is improving NatHERS outcomes through energy efficiency, Whole-of-Home performance, thermal ratings, operational energy use, and environmentally sustainable design decisions. This directly supports PC31 (integration of environmental sustainability, energy, carbon and lifecycle considerations).
PC33 The course examines how thermal performance, building fabric, glazing, shading, ventilation and building services integrate into an energy-efficient design. It also explains Whole-of-Home services including heating, cooling, hot water, solar PV and batteries, which aligns closely with PC33 (integration of sustainable environmental systems including thermal performance).
PC20 Participants learn how to consider NatHERS compliance, NCC requirements, Whole-of-Home targets and project constraints early in the design process to avoid costly redesigns. This reflects PC20 (balancing project requirements, legislation, building codes and project objectives during conceptual design).
PC47 The final module focuses extensively on documentation quality, preparing accurate information for assessors, reducing clarification requests, and preventing costly rework through complete documentation. This aligns well with PC47 (accurate, coordinated and fit-for-purpose project documentation).

Licensed Builders (State CPD)

Residential construction; building fabric; insulation; air sealing; thermal bridging; construction quality

Constructing buildings consistent with NatHERS assumptions, understanding documentation requirements, reducing compliance issues during construction.

Building Surveyors

NCC energy efficiency compliance; residential approvals; documentation review

Reviewing documentation supporting NatHERS compliance, identifying documentation deficiencies, understanding Whole-of-Home compliance pathway.

What’s Included

This course examines how energy performance is shaped throughout the residential design process, from early concept planning through to assessor handover. It explores the relationship between building fabric, fixed services, and NatHERS compliance, highlighting the practical decisions that have the greatest impact on project outcomes. Participants will also examine common documentation issues, design changes, and coordination challenges that lead to delays, rework, and reassessment. The course concludes with practical workflows and quality assurance strategies that help designers achieve smoother approvals and more predictable energy compliance outcomes.

  • A 1-hour video session covering NCC-aligned strategies and real-world case studies.
  • An interactive quiz to test and reinforce knowledge.
  • An audio summary version via NotebookLM for flexible, on-the-go learning.
  • A downloadable certificate of completion for CPD compliance reporting.
  • Centralised CPD tracking dashboard to support audits and personal recordkeeping.
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Why Take This CPD Session?

Learn practical design strategies that improve NatHERS outcomes before formal assessment begins.

Reduce costly redesigns, clarification requests, and approval delays through better documentation and coordination.

Deliver more energy-efficient, compliant residential designs with greater confidence and fewer re-rates.

Professional development is an investment in career growth and regulatory compliance. Take the next step today.

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