The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

This unit of competency could be assessed by candidates using the regulatory and non-regulatory functions of a house energy rating software tool to assess the thermal performance and other energy-related features of residential buildings.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

A person should demonstrate the ability to:

gather the required building information for assessment

correctly enter this information into a software tool with appropriate functions

conduct assessment of a residential building using a software tool with appropriate functions

identify and analyse the outputs of the assessment

make recommendations to improve the energy performance of residential building.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of this unit:

must be in the context of the work environment

may be conducted in an off-site context, provided it is realistic and sufficiently rigorous to cover all aspects of workplace performance, including task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills

must meet relevant compliance requirements.

Resource implications for assessment include:

access to residential buildings from which building and other relevant information required for conducting an assessment may be obtained

residential energy assessment software tools with appropriate advanced functions

relevant codes, standards and government regulations

building plans and full specifications, including hot water heaters, space heating and cooling appliances, lighting and water using appliances, fixtures and fittings for residential buildings to be assessed

computer equipment suitable for using residential energy assessment software tools and generating printed copies of reports

technical reference library with current publications on building design and materials, house energy rating schemes, residential sustainability, building thermal performance for planned buildings, Australian climatic zones, and manufacturer product information on building products and materials.

Method of assessment

Assessment for this unit must verify the practical application of the required skills and knowledge, using one or more of the following methods:

written and/or oral assessment

observed, documented and/or first-hand testimonial evidence of the candidate using the regulatory and non-regulatory functions of a house energy rating software tool to assess the thermal performance and other energy-related features of residential buildings.

Guidance information for assessment

This unit could be assessed on its own or in combination with other units relevant to the job function.

Reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities must be made to assessment processes where required. This could include access to modified equipment and other physical resources, and the provision of appropriate assessment support.

Assessment processes and techniques should, as far as is practical, take into account the language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate in relation to the competency being assessed.

Required skills

communication skills to interact with clients from diverse social, economic and cultural backgrounds in an ethical manner

decision-making and problem-solving skills to make recommendations based on the outputs of software tools

literacy skills to read and interpret a variety of texts, including legislation, regulations and conduct and ethical standards

numeracy and data analysis skills to:

calculate and interpret the full range of outputs of house energy rating software tools

interpret and extract data from building plans and specifications and other documents, the outcomes of site inspections, and discussions with clients and other building professionals

planning, organising and scheduling skills to undertake work-related tasks, such as collecting data required for conducting residential sustainability assessments

research skills to identify and locate documents and information on key matters associated with thermal performance assessments, such as climatic zones, and thermal properties of building materials

technology skills to:

operate computer equipment and peripherals

enter data and use the full functions of house energy rating software tools and other general purpose software packages

time-management skills to complete the assessment in a timely, cost-efficient manner

Required knowledge

Australian climatic zones:

climate data used in thermal performance assessment:

diurnal temperature range

humidity

irradiance

maximum and minimum temperature

solar geometry

wind speed and direction

climatic zones and characteristics

building materials:

constraints on choice of building materials:

cost

practicality

size

space

thermal performance properties of common building materials

building thermal performance:

benefits of thermal performance assessment

impact of building design on building thermal performance

impact of building materials on building thermal performance

relationship between building thermal performance and thermal comfort

thermal performance principles:

glazing, shading and insulation for controlling temperature

orientation for heating

thermal mass for storing

ventilation for cooling

thermal performance standards and ratings

ways of improving the thermal performance of residential buildings

commonwealth, state and territory, and local government legislation and regulations impacting on thermal performance assessment relating to:

building and construction

building thermal performance

consumer protection, fair trading and trade practices

environment protection

occupational licensing

work health and safety

energy and power:

terminology:

energy

energy efficiency

energy loads

heating and cooling loads

latent heat

power

primary energy source

units of measurement

uses, cost and environmental impact of energy use in residential buildings

greenhouse gas emissions:

embodied carbon dioxide

relationship between building design, space heating and cooling, water heating, lighting water use, fuel source, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions

types of greenhouse gases

ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions

life cycle approach in building sustainability assessment

passive energy design:

benefits of passive design

principles of passive design

relationship between passive design, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions

residential energy use:

appliances

equipment

external installations

fittings

fixtures

fuel sources

occupant use of building

sources of energy consumption

residential heating and cooling:

appliances

carbon dioxide emissions

energy consumption

energy efficiency measures

methods

types

residential lighting:

carbon dioxide emissions

energy consumption

energy efficiency measures

types

residential water use:

appliances

carbon dioxide emissions

energy consumption

fittings

fixtures

types

water efficiency labelling and standards (WELS)

water efficiency measures and regulations

software tools:

assumptions and limitations inherent in software tools

building and other elements included in an assessment

correct operation of software

criteria for the selection of particular software tools

NatHERS and Australian Building Codes Board Protocol for House Energy Rating software

properties of materials, such as heat transfer coefficients and U-value, thermal resistance and R-value, reflectivity, absorptance, solar heat gain coefficient and emissivity

scope and function of software tools

types of software tools

thermal comfort:

definition of thermal comfort

physical factors that influence thermal comfort

requirement for thermal comfort

role of thermal comfort in building thermal performance assessments

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Need for assessment may include:

assessment for building design advice purposes

assessment for energy conservation purposes

assessment of greenhouse gas emissions

assessment for legislative, regulatory and compliance purposes.

Residential building refers to:

any building categorised as Class 1, 2, 4 and 10a of the National Construction Code or in accordance with jurisdictional requirements.

Effective communication strategies may include:

active listening

being non-judgemental

exploring problems

expressing an individual perspective

providing sufficient time for questions and responses

providing summarising and reflective responses in conflict situations

using appropriate words, behaviour and posture

using clarifying and summarising questions

using clear and concise language

using culturally appropriate communication

using plain English

using verbal and non-verbal communication.

Client may include:

architect

builder

building designer

construction manager

government agency

property developer

property manager

property owner

tenant.

Functions of software package may include:

building thermal performance:

conditioned mode

non-conditioned mode

non-building thermal performance:

embodied carbon dioxide

energy consumption

lighting

operational carbon dioxide

plug-in appliances

water heating

water use.

Risks may include:

awareness of current legislative and regulatory requirements

confidentiality

data accuracy

data integrity

data loss

insurance

privacy

professional indemnity

work health and safety.

Information may relate to:

appliances

non-standard and complex building materials, designs and other features

occupant usage.

Outputs may include:

cooling loads

embodied carbon dioxide

emissions

energy use

heating loads

histograms

latent cooling

rating and non-rating mode.

Advanced features may include:

automatic calculations

calculators

libraries

thermal bridging capability.

Sources of technical advice may include:

architects

building designers

building thermal performance assessors

colleagues

consultants

government agencies

home sustainability assessors

professional associations

research bodies

supervisors

suppliers of products relating to energy efficiency

utility companies.

Assumptions may include:

building use

climate data

comfort

material properties

occupancy profiles

thermostat settings

uses of windows, doors, curtains and blinds.

Options may include:

behaviour change

construction materials

energy-efficient appliances

glazing

indigenous planting

insulation levels

landscaping and planting

orientation

overshadowing

passive heating and cooling

reuse and recycling of products

size

style

thermal mass

type of glazing

ventilation

water conservation strategies

window

zoning and layout.

Criteria may include:

availability of rebates and other assistance programs

cost

intended use of the building

occupant preferences

ownership of the building

practicality.

Results and recommendations may relate to:

compliance with regulatory requirements

cost implications

practicalities.