Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to collect supporting information required to assess the thermal performance of planned and existing buildings. It includes taking on-site measurements, appraising buildings, and sourcing relevant documentation.
The unit supports the work of Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) assessors engaged in assessing and making recommendations for improving the thermal performance of planned and existing residential buildings.
In some jurisdictions, this unit of competency may form part of the accreditation, licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements for NatHERS assessors.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Source documents required for NatHERS assessment. | 1.1. | Documentation required to support NatHERS assessment is confirmed, identified and accessed. |
1.2. | Fees and charges associated with accessing documentation are identified and paid. | ||
1.3. | Documents are copied with appropriate authorisations, and are returned to source or stored for future reference. | ||
1.4. | Copyright, licensing and privacy considerations are adhered to when accessing documentation. | ||
1.5. | Documents are provided to clients as required. | ||
1.6. | Information required for NatHERS assessment is extracted from documents, accurately recorded, and checked. | ||
2. | Conduct on-site measurements to gather data for NatHERS assessment. | 2.1. | Purpose and types of measurements required for NatHERS assessment are confirmed. |
2.2. | Preparation for measurement tasks is safely implemented. | ||
2.3. | Measuring equipment is safely operated in line with manufacturer instructions and work health and safety (WHS) requirements. | ||
2.4. | Sufficient measurements are taken, confirmed and recorded to ensure reliable data is obtained for NatHERS assessment purposes. | ||
2.5. | Environmental and site conditions and any other observations that may impact on data quality are recorded. | ||
2.6. | Measuring equipment and materials are cleaned, checked for serviceability, calibrated, maintained and stored. | ||
2.7. | Environmental impacts of measurement activities are minimised and waste is safely disposed of. | ||
3. | Appraise building to gather data for NatHERS assessment. | 3.1. | Purpose of appraising building for NatHERS assessment is confirmed. |
3.2. | Preparation for building appraisal is implemented. | ||
3.3. | Building appraisal is conducted. | ||
3.4. | Information on building is gathered and recorded for NatHERS assessment. | ||
3.5. | Gaps in information are identified and documented. | ||
3.6. | Equipment and materials are cleaned, checked for serviceability and stored. | ||
3.7. | Environmental impacts of inspection are minimised and waste is safely disposed of. | ||
4. | Collate information required to support NatHERS assessment. | 4.1. | Information obtained from documents, measurements and building appraisal is collated and organised in a manner suitable for use in a NatHERS assessment. |
4.2. | Information is stored. | ||
Evidence of Performance
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy the requirements of the elements, performance criteria, foundation skills and range of conditions of this unit.
The person must also collect the information required to undertake a thermal performance assessment of one planned building and one existing building. The building must be drawn from the following classes of buildings under the National Construction Code (NCC): Class 1 buildings, sole occupancy units (SOU) in Class 2 buildings, or Class 4 buildings.
In doing the above, the person must:
conduct on-site measurements and collect data to gather information for Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) assessment
conduct building appraisals to gather information for NatHERS assessment
identify, source and extract information from documents for use in conducting NatHERS assessment
follow established work practices and use personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure safety and security of self, others and property when conducting on-site data gathering activities
demonstrate environmentally sustainable practices.
Evidence of Knowledge
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must demonstrate knowledge of:
aspects of building appraisal for gathering data for NatHERS assessment:
building appraisal purpose and procedures
hazards, risks and organisational safety procedures associated with building appraisals
need for accuracy and evidence of observations
techniques for recording information gathered through building appraisal
type of information collected through building appraisal
commonwealth, state and territory, and local government legislation and regulations impacting on thermal performance assessment relating to:
building and construction
building thermal performance
environment protection
privacy
work health and safety (WHS)
construction methods
documentation for gathering data for NatHERS assessment:
building documentation
copyright
inclusions in NatHERS assessment
licensing arrangements
manufacturer and supplier documents
NCC
product specifications
relevant state or territory legislation and regulations
relevant state, territory and local authority planning and other approval documents
scope of NatHERS assessment
standard industry reference materials
technical reports
technical specifications
measurements for gathering data for NatHERS assessment:
hazards, risks and organisational safety procedures associated with measurements undertaken on site
measurement recording procedures
measurement units
need for accuracy of measurements
purpose of measurements
types and function of measuring equipment
types and function of recording equipment
work practices and required PPE to ensure safety and security of self, others and property when undertaking measurements and appraising buildings to inform a NatHERS assessment.
Assessment Conditions
The following must be present and available to learners during assessment activities:
equipment:
computer hardware and software suitable for searching online catalogues for documentation relating to NatHERS assessments
measuring equipment
materials:
building documentation
checklist of information to be collected
relevant codes, standards and government regulations
technical reference library with current publications on passive building design, thermal performance of building materials and buildings, NatHERS, and manufacturers’ building product information
physical conditions:
householder, where information for building thermal performance assessment is to be collected on an existing building
residential buildings from the NCC classes of buildings specified in the performance evidence, where information for building thermal performance assessment is to be collected on an existing building
relationships with team members and supervisor:
assessment activities are performed on an individual basis under general supervision.
Assessor requirements
As a minimum, assessors must satisfy the assessor requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) current at the time of assessment.
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | maintain up-to-date knowledge of information required for NatHERS assessment purposes. |
Numeracy skills to: | interpret and extract data from technical references relevant to NatHERS assessments record data associated with thermal performance assessments. |
Oral communication skills to: | ask questions to clarify customer requirements. |
Reading skills to: | identify and interpret information on the thermal properties of building materials. |
Technology skills to: | operate computer equipment and peripherals use measuring equipment access online technical references and databases of legislation, building information, building drawings and other documents relevant to NatHERS assessments. |
Writing skills to: | complete standard forms prepare routine reports. |
Self-management skills to: | interact with clients from diverse social, economic and cultural backgrounds. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Documentation required to support NatHERS assessment must include at least three of the following: | Australian building and construction standards building approvals building documentation manufacturer and supplier documents National Construction Code (NCC) product and technical specifications relevant state or territory legislation and regulations relevant state, territory and local authority planning and other approval documents standard industry reference materials technical reports. |
Information must include at least three of the following: | building construction building features that impinge on thermal performance building extensions and modifications building materials checklist of information to be collected discrepancies between actual building to building documentation external elements and properties site constraints in accessing parts of the building for data collection |
Sectors
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