Zero Net Carbon Homes

Sustainability Victoria research project

Best Environments was engaged by Sustainability Victoria, in collaboration with Filter ESD, to conduct a research project on Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) homes. The research was completed in 2020 to 2021.

Overview

The Victorian Government legislated a target of a Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) Emission economy by 2050 in the Climate Change Act (2017). An integral part of reaching that target is the transition to high efficiency, low emission buildings as set out in the climate change framework and the energy efficiency and productivity strategy.

Sustainability Victoria’s Zero Net Carbon Homes Pilot Program delivered 39 homes. These homes had improved thermal performance and improved fixed appliance efficiency to reduce energy consumption, and Solar PV systems installed to offset emissions generated by the home.

This research project involved detailed modelling of 15 of the ZNC pilot program homes in order to better understand the program costs, benefits and outcomes, and to test a range of scenarios.

Key findings for ZNC homes

What’s in the report?

The report outlines the process and results of modelling using Sustainability Victoria’s ZNC Homes tool and analysis by Best Environments on ZNC Homes for Sustainability Victoria.

Context

Project objectives

The research project had two key objectives:

1. to analyse the impact of building ZNC homes compared to current building standards

2. to inform decisions related to building design and construction towards ZNC homes e.g. relating to cost and benefit.

The homes

The homes are all Class 1 residential buildings and represent a mix of typology, size, fixed appliance types and fuel mix (all electric and mixed fuel – natural gas and electric).

In the study, for each home, a 6 star NatHERS ‘business as usual’ version of the home with market average fixed appliances was compared to a 7 Star thermally improved version of the home with more efficient fixed appliances, and Solar PV sized to meet ZNC.

The program delivered 39 ZNC homes. These homes were designed and modelled to produce enough renewable energy to off-set the annual greenhouse gas emissions of their estimated energy use.