Energy efficiency requirements of commercial buildings have been significantly modified in the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019. Given the considerable share of the national energy consumption taking place in the residential sector, there is a strong likelihood that additional energy efficiency provisions for residential buildings will be incorporated into NCC 2022.
Section J of Volume One of the NCC covers energy efficiency. It is important to note that NSW has its own state-specific Variations. The differences are reflected in the use of NABERS in the National Code vs BASIX in NSW. For the purpose of this assignment you are allowed to use either the National BCA provisions or NSW specified requirements.
Instruction
Select one Section J Clause (other than JPs or JVs) and explain its meaning using an example. The explanation is provided in the form of an academic poster. Please familiarise yourself with a typical structure of an academic poster. Please check the marking standard provided at the end of the assignment brief to identify the required components. You may want to search online or WSU Library for the term “Academic Poster” to find out more about how they are prepared.
It is essential to use graphics, pictures, sketches or the like to elaborate on your selected clause. You can use a visual representation that you may create yourself or from an existing source (make sure to reference accordingly). The poster is to be in electronic form on whatever platform you choose. There is no word limit for the Poster. The expected study load to be spent on this assessment is equivalent to a 1,500-word assignment.
Picking an appropriate Clause
You may wish to choose a subclause (i.e. J1.2(a)(ii) or a broader one like J1.2(a)). You need to decide a level that will give you enough material to include in your poster.
How to tackle this assignment
Let’s assume one has picked Section J1.2(a)(ii). This Clause reads:
J1.2 Thermal construction — general
- Where required, insulation must comply with AS/NZS 4859.1 and be installed so that it—
- forms a continuous barrier with ceilings, walls, bulkheads, floors or the like that inherently contribute to the thermal barrier;
The question of why this provision was required by the BCA can be answered by reflecting on the physics that governs operation of thermal barrier. To apply the clause, one needs to know the meaning of the building elements named in the clause such as ceilings, walls, bulkheads, floors or the like and the procedure of installing thermal barrier on them. The procedure is likely to be explained in light of AS 4859.1. The keyword ‘continuous’ is then used to produce a graphical representation of a continuous thermal barrier. The illustration shows that the student knows that continuity here means creation of a continuous insulation envelope to separate the space that requires thermal insulation from the outside or the rest of the building. Continuity here also means that the installed insulation is required to be intact over the building element. But this reading is of less significance because the required overlap between insulation pieces is covered in J1.2(a)(i).
Marking Standard
- An informative and easy to understand Title for the Poster (5%);
- An abstract to outline the purpose of the Poster and its findings (10%);
- Converge of the science required for understanding of the selected Clause (20%);
- The interpretation of the selected Clause (15%);
- Application of the selected Clause using a specific example (25%);
- Proper use of elements other than text to convey information (15%); and
- Structure and Presentation (10%).
