Ever wanted to be an accredited home energy assessor? Here’s an opportunity for some to get on the path while making a few bucks – and no previous experience required.
Australia’s Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is an initiative that was established in the 1990’s to assess thermal performance and encourage improvements in the energy efficiency of residential buildings. In 2003 NatHERS was integrated into the Building Code of Australia (BCA), which is part of the National Construction Code (NCC).
Initially, new homes were required to achieve a minimum 4-star energy rating under NatHERS to comply with the BCA. Today, the minimum energy efficiency rating for new homes is 7 stars. Among other things, NatHERS is increasingly being used by the finance sector to underpin green loans.
The Scheme is expanding from just assessing the energy performance of new homes and major renovations to also providing energy ratings for existing homes.
“Ratings for existing homes will help Australian households better understand their home’s energy performance, identify cost-effective upgrades, and reduce their energy bills,” says NatHERS.
40+ Participants Needed
A trial of the expansion will kick off next year – and that’s where the opportunity lies.
NatHERS is looking for more than 40 participants to help ensure the ratings systems developed for existing homes and related processes are up to scratch. Successful applicants will receive fully subsidised training and real-world experience (up to 20 trial home energy assessments), providing a streamlined pathway to becoming an accredited NatHERS assessor for existing homes.
To occur across Australia, including regional areas, the trial is being run by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) in partnership with the CSIRO on behalf of all states and territories.
While individuals with property or construction sector experience and experienced assessors are encouraged to apply, applications from those totally new to the field will also be welcomed. Participants will be split into three cohorts depending on which experience category they fall within.
Participants will need to be able to commit between 15 to 40 full-time business days, which will vary depending on the level of training required. The trial will run from late 2024 into 2025. If you’re interested in putting your hand up, you’ll need to register your interest to participate by 10pm (AEDT), Wednesday 27 November 2024.
What’s The Pay – And Costs?
Staged payments will range between $6,000 and $15,000 and the level will depend on the training required.
There are a couple of costs for participants involved. One is in relation to obtaining a National Police Check for those invited to participate, which is $56 at the time of writing. A certificate of currency for Public Liability Insurance (minimum cover of 10 million dollars) is required too – this will be needed before commencing the assessment phase of the trial.
Participants will also need a smartphone or tablet compatible with magicplan, which enables the creation of floor plans using a device’s camera. The cost of subscription to magicplan is covered by the training. Other software to be used is CSIRO’s AccuRate Enterprise, which can import data from magicplan.
Experienced assessors will be contacted with the outcome of their applications early next month. Those accepted will need to be ready to hit the ground running shortly afterwards; with view to training occurring between mid-December until mid-February, and the 20 trial assessments to be completed before the end of April 2025. Those in the other cohorts will be contacted in February 2025 with training/assessments to kick off that month and ending around June 2025.
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