Federal government launches free home plans

The federal government has released energy-efficient and climate-resilient home plans in a new Design For Place initiative on the Your Home website. Designed by an architect in collaboration with an energy assessor, the plans target up to a 40 percent reduction in energy required to heat and cool a typical new Australian home.

There are five house plans accompanied by sub-designs and specifications tailored for nine locations in different climate zones, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Each of the designs meets the new minimum 7-star NatHERS energy-efficiency requirement of the current 2022 National Construction Code. In calculating a home's energy-efficiency, this rating also includes the annual energy consumed by its major or fixed appliances - including heating, cooling and hot water systems - offset by the energy provided by, and stored in, household solar batteries.

Assistant minister for climate change and energy Josh Wilson noted that many of the Design For Place houses in fact exceed this minimum, with ratings up to ten stars. "The cheapest energy is the energy you don't use in the first place. Providing free, practical and thorough design examples through Design for Place is about making new homes cheaper to run and more comfortable at the same time."

"A home built to the new Design For Place specifications will reduce household energy bills and put downward pressure on the cost-of-living, while reducing emissions," Wilson said.

In their media communique, the federal government suggest that Australian households "work with a builder to construct a Design For Place home, or work with a designer or architect to refine the plan to meet their needs and preferences."

The free plans can be accessed from the Your Home website.