New Residence @ Middle Tarwin, VIC – VURB, Feasibility Assessment

Services

Verification Using a Reference Building (VURB), Feasibility Assessment

Our added value

We were engaged to undertake a VURB thermal modelling to obtain NCC energy compliance for the new residence. Since the building was fully glazed over the wide north and south-facing facades, it was obvious that through the VURB pathway, the building would’ve gotten the best results in terms of energy efficiency and construction cost.
Our client was also seeking to find the best HVAC system integrated with a 17kW solar PV system, which they intended to install. In order to undertake either the VURB performance solution or the feasibility assessment, it is required that you model the building and since the modelling is the greatest step of the job, our client saved greatly in terms of engineering fees when they decided to leave both matters in the hands of a professional energy company.
Through VURB, we identified solutions with a small amendment that could reduce construction costs by increasing the overall window U-values from U2.3 to U2.9. Finally, we implemented our client’s quote on windows having a little adjustment to the model.
Also, our feasibility study showed that amongst the heat recovery, solar thermal, horizontal geothermal and bore water geothermal, the latter achieved the least payback period, however, the solar thermal solution showed the best results in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.