7 Star Energy Ratings for Brisbane & Queensland

NatHERS Certificates & Whole of Home Assessments | 10 Years' Experience

Building a new home or major renovation in Queensland? You need a 7-star NatHERS energy rating before your plans can be approved. We make the process fast, accurate, and stress-free — from first draft to certified compliance.

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What is a 7 Star Energy Rating?
Why Brisbane & Queensland Homes Need to Get This Right
Why You Need an Energy Rating Report
Whole of Home — What It Is and Why It Matters
Energy Ratings in Queensland
What We Assess
What You Need to Provide
Our Process
Common Questions
About Collet Design Studio
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What is a 7 Star Energy Rating?

A 7 star energy rating is the minimum required under the National Construction Code 2022 (NCC 2022) for all new Class 1 residential buildings — houses, townhouses, and duplexes — and major renovations across Australia.

The rating is produced under the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) — a framework administered by the Australian Government on behalf of all state and territory governments. NatHERS standardises the way residential dwellings are assessed for energy performance across Australia, using accredited software powered by CSIRO's Chenath calculation engine.

The rating is expressed as a number of stars out of 10. A 10-star home requires no artificial heating or cooling to remain comfortable. A 7-star rating represents a meaningfully efficient home — well above the old 6-star minimum — but the real value of a thorough assessment is in how it helps you design a home that's genuinely comfortable to live in year-round.

A complete NatHERS energy rating under NCC 2022 has two parts:

1. Thermal Performance Assessment This is what most people think of when they hear "energy rating." It models how your home's building envelope — walls, roof, floor, windows, insulation, shading — performs thermally over an entire year. The software simulates your home's conditions hour by hour, room by room, using your project's actual postcode climate data and orientation.

2. Whole of Home Assessment Introduced with NCC 2022, the Whole of Home assessment goes beyond the shell of your home. It accounts for the energy consumed by fixed appliances: your heating and cooling system, hot water, lighting, cooking equipment, pool pump, and any solar generation and battery storage. Your home must stay within an annual energy budget across both the building envelope and its appliances.Both assessments are required. Both are included in our standard service.

The final outcome is a stamped NatHERS Certificate, issued by your accredited assessor and submitted to your building certifier as part of your development approval documentation.

Why Brisbane & Queensland Homes Need to Get This Right

Brisbane isn't Melbourne. We don't design for cold winters. We design for heat, humidity, and long summers.

From West End to Carindale, from North Lakes to Indooroopilly — the main challenge is overheating. Big west-facing glass, dark roofs, poor eave design, and inadequate insulation push energy ratings down fast in Queensland's climate. And in North Queensland, the challenge is even more acute.

This matters for two reasons. First, a home that fails its energy rating will hold up your building approval and potentially require costly plan changes. Second, and more importantly, a home designed without proper thermal consideration will be uncomfortable and expensive to run for decades — regardless of what's on paper.

Getting your rating right from the start — with an assessor who understands Queensland's climate zones — is one of the most cost-effective decisions you can make at the design stage.

A small change in glazing specification, eave depth, or insulation R-value can be the difference between passing and failing — or between a 7-star home and an 8-star one.

Under NCC 2022, all new homes and major renovations in Queensland must achieve:

A minimum 7-star NatHERS thermal performance rating
Compliance with the Whole of Home energy budget
A stamped NatHERS Certificate from an accredited assessor, submitted to your certifier before building approval is issued

That's where a proper 7 star energy ratings service saves you time, money, and redesign headaches.

Why You Need an Energy Rating Report

It's a Legal Requirement

Under NCC 2022, your building certifier cannot issue a building permit for a new Class 1 dwelling or major renovation without a valid, stamped NatHERS Certificate. No certificate, no approval. No approval, no construction. This is not optional — it applies everywhere in Queensland.

Avoid Costly Redesigns

An energy rating isn't just a compliance tick box — it's a detailed technical analysis of your design. If your home doesn't meet 7 stars based on your current plans, we identify exactly what's underperforming and recommend practical, cost-effective modifications. Addressing those issues at the design stage, before plans go to your builder for pricing, is far less expensive than making changes mid-construction.

Design for Real Comfort

A higher star rating isn't just a better score on paper — it means a home that stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter with less reliance on mechanical heating and cooling. In Brisbane and South East Queensland, where air conditioning can run hard for five or six months of the year, this translates directly into lower energy bills and a more liveable home.

Protect Your Investment

Energy-efficient homes are increasingly attractive to buyers. A strong NatHERS rating is a documented, independently verified indicator of build quality that can positively influence your property's resale value.

It's Part of Your DA Package

Your building certifier requires a stamped NatHERS Certificate before issuing your building permit. The certificate must be consistent with your approved drawings and stamped with your assessor's credentials. If design documentation changes after the certificate is issued and those changes affect the rating, a new assessment is required.

Whole of Home — What It Is and Why It Matters

Whole of Home is the part of an NCC 2022 energy rating that catches many people off guard — and it's where an inexperienced assessor can create problems for your project.

Unlike the thermal performance rating, which focuses solely on your building's envelope, the Whole of Home assessment looks at all the fixed energy-consuming systems in your home:

Heating and cooling systems — ducted reverse-cycle, multi-split, or room units (type, efficiency rating, capacity, and which rooms they serve)
Hot water systems — solar, heat pump, electric storage, gas instantaneous, etc.
Cooking equipment — gas, electric, or induction cooktops and ovens
Lighting — average power density across the dwelling
Pool and spa pump — size, type, and efficiency (if applicable)
Solar PV system — panel capacity, orientation, tilt, and inverter output
Battery storage — type and capacity (if applicable)

Under the NCC, your home must remain within an annual energy budget that covers all of the above. Your appliance choices directly affect your compliance outcome.

In Brisbane and South East Queensland, where ducted air conditioning runs hard from November through to April, this matters enormously.

A poorly specified ducted system with inefficient zoning can push you over your Whole of Home budget. An ageing electric resistance hot water system — rather than a heat pump or solar unit — can do the same. Poorly chosen lighting selections add unnecessary load. These are real issues we see in plans every week.

At Collet Design Studio, we model the Whole of Home assessment as a standard part of every engagement. We'll also give you plain-language advice on which appliance selections will optimise your compliance outcome — and which ones to avoid.

No guesswork. No last-minute surprises at certification.

Energy Ratings in Queensland

Queensland's climate zones vary significantly across the state, and your energy rating is tailored to your exact postcode. Every postcode in Australia is allocated a NatHERS climate zone, and assessors must use the designated principal climate zone for that location.

Brisbane and South East Queensland (Climate Zone 2)

South East Queensland — including Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Toowoomba, and surrounds — typically falls within NatHERS Climate Zone 2. This zone is characterised by warm, humid summers with mild, dry winters. The primary thermal challenge is managing solar heat gain through windows and roofs during summer, while still capturing winter sun for passive warmth.

Key design considerations in Climate Zone 2 include: eave depth and shading device design, western and northern glazing specification, roof colour and insulation, and natural ventilation through window openability and orientation.

Central Queensland (Climate Zone 3 and surrounds)

Areas such as Rockhampton, Gladstone, and the Whitsundays experience hotter and more consistently warm conditions. The cooling load is higher, and design priorities shift further toward limiting heat gain and maximising insulation in the roof space.

North Queensland (Climate Zone 1)

Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, and Darwin-adjacent regions fall in Climate Zone 1 — the hot humid tropical zone. These areas have the highest cooling demands in the country. Roof insulation, window shading, and ventilation design are critical.

What This Means for Your Project

Understanding your climate zone is the foundation of every accurate energy rating. An assessor with experience across Queensland's range of climates — rather than one applying a generic national template — can make a significant difference to both your compliance outcome and your home's long-term performance.

At Collet Design Studio, we've been working across Queensland for over ten years. We know what works in your climate.

What We Assess

A NatHERS energy rating from Collet Design Studio is a thorough, rigorous assessment of your home's design. Every element of the building envelope and fixed appliances is modelled in accordance with the NatHERS Technical Note requirements and NCC 2022.

Building Envelope — Thermal Assessment

Floors Floor type (slab-on-ground, suspended, waffle pod), bulk insulation, reflective insulation, floor coverings, subfloor ventilation, and adjacencies.

External Walls Wall construction type, bulk insulation R-value, reflective foils and air gaps, external colour and solar absorptance, eave and shading adjacencies, frame type (timber or steel), and thermal bridging for steel-framed construction.

Windows and Glazed Doors Glazing type, frame material, U-value, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), opening style and openability percentage, orientation, dimensions, outdoor shading (screens, awnings, shutters), and window safety restrictions for upper storeys.

Ceilings and Roof Roof material and colour, solar absorptance, ceiling type, bulk insulation R-value, ceiling penetrations (downlights, exhaust fans, rangehood vents), and thermal bridging.

Shading Eave projection and depth, pergolas and verandahs, wing walls, external screens and blinds, neighbouring buildings and obstructions — all modelled in accordance with NatHERS Technical Note requirements.

Building Orientation and Climate Zone True north orientation (not magnetic north), postcode-based climate zone selection, and exposure category (exposed, open, suburban, or protected terrain).

Fixed Appliances — Whole of Home Assessment

Heating systems (central and room-based), cooling systems, hot water system type and efficiency, cooking equipment, lighting power density, pool and spa pump specifications, solar PV system details, and battery storage.

What You Need to Provide

To complete your energy rating quickly and accurately, we need your project documentation. The more detail you provide, the more accurately your design can be modelled — and the better your outcome is likely to be.

Required documents:

Site plan — including surveyed north point
Floor plan(s) — all levels
Elevations — all four sides
Sections
Construction material specifications — wall types, roof construction, floor type, insulation R-values
Window and door schedule — including size, frame type, glazing product or specifications, opening style, and location
Electrical schedule — downlights, exhaust fans, lighting layout
Appliance specifications — heating/cooling system model and capacity, hot water system type, cooking equipment type (if available)
Solar PV and battery specifications (if applicable)
Pool pump details (if applicable)

Not sure if your plans are complete enough? Send them through and we'll let you know exactly what we need.

Our Process

Getting your energy rating doesn't have to be complicated. Here's how we work:

1. Submit Your Plans Send us your architectural documentation — digitally is fine. We'll review what you've provided and let you know if anything is missing.

2. Preliminary Assessment We run an initial NatHERS assessment to see where your design sits. This gives us a clear picture of your current performance and where any weaknesses are.

3. Identify and Address Weak Points If your design isn't achieving 7 stars, we identify exactly which elements are underperforming. This might be glazing on a specific elevation, insulation specification, roof colour, or eave depth. We give you specific, actionable recommendations — not vague advice.

4. Model the Whole of Home Once the thermal performance is confirmed, we complete the Whole of Home assessment, modelling your fixed appliances against the NCC annual energy budget.

5. Issue Your NatHERS Certificate We prepare and stamp your NatHERS Certificate with our accredited assessor credentials. The certificate is consistent with your design drawings and ready for submission to your building certifier.

6. Coordinate with Your Certifier (if needed) If your certifier has questions about your certificate, we're available to respond directly. We know what certifiers need and how to communicate it clearly.

Simple. Thorough. No surprises.

Common Questions

My builder said I failed energy compliance. What now?

This is one of the most common situations we deal with. In most cases it comes down to one of a handful of issues — glazing imbalance on a particular elevation, under-specified insulation, insufficient eave depth, or a mismatch between the drawn plans and what was modelled. In the majority of cases, targeted changes — rather than a complete redesign — are all that's needed. Let us review what you've got.

Council won't approve my plans — the energy report doesn't align with the drawings.

This happens when plans are revised after the certificate is issued, or when the drawings submitted for approval don't match the documentation used for the assessment. A new or amended certificate may be required. We can turn this around quickly if you have current plans.

Do I need to redo my whole design?

In our experience — rarely. Small, targeted changes to glazing specification, insulation, shading, or appliance selections are usually sufficient to achieve compliance. We'll always look for the most cost-effective path to a passing rating before recommending anything more significant.

Can I still have large windows?

Yes. Large glazed areas are a feature of many Queensland homes and they're absolutely achievable within a 7-star rating. The key is specification — glazing with an appropriate U-value and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) for the orientation — combined with adequate shading such as eaves or external screens. We'll work with your design rather than against it.

How much does an energy rating cost?

Pricing depends on the size and complexity of your home. We offer competitive rates for both thermal performance and Whole of Home assessments. Contact us for a fast, obligation-free quote.

How long does it take?

Most residential assessments are completed within 2–5 business days of receiving complete documentation. If you need a faster turnaround, let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate you.

What if my home doesn't make 7 stars?

We'll tell you why, and we'll tell you what to change. Our goal is to help you achieve compliance, not just to issue a report. We work collaboratively with your designer or architect to find practical solutions.

Do you work with architects, designers, and builders?

Absolutely. We regularly collaborate directly with design teams and building companies. We can liaise with your architect or draftsperson to resolve issues and avoid unnecessary delays to your project.

What areas of Queensland do you service?

We work across all of Queensland and accept digital documentation, so location is no barrier. Whether you're in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, or regional Queensland, we can help.

About Collet Design Studio

Collet Design Studio is a Queensland-based design and energy consultancy. Principal energy assessor Adrian Collet has been working as an accredited NatHERS assessor for over 10 years, with experience across residential projects throughout Brisbane, South East Queensland, and regional Queensland.

As an ABSA-accredited assessor and member of Building Design Queensland, we operate to the highest professional and ethical standards in the industry. Our assessments adhere strictly to the NatHERS Technical Note requirements and are subject to the quality assurance protocols administered by our Assessor Accrediting Organisation.

We understand that your energy rating sits within a broader design and approval process — one with real timelines and real consequences if things are delayed. We work efficiently, communicate clearly, and provide documentation that your certifier can act on without issue.

Whether you're a homeowner navigating the building approval process for the first time, a designer looking for a reliable energy rating partner, or a builder who needs a fast and accurate turnaround — we're here to help.

Ready to Get Your 7 Star Energy Rating?

Whether you're at concept stage, ready for DA, or dealing with a compliance issue that's holding up your approval — Collet Design Studio can help.

10 years of experience. ABSA accredited. Queensland-based. Fast turnaround.

Get in Touch

(07) 2146 0554

adrian@colletdesignstudio.com.au