The BASIX Energy Targets are all set to increase across New South Wales in July 2017 following an extensive community and industry consultation process.

According to the NSW Government, the BASIX Energy Targets reflect changes in construction design and new technology, and align more closely with the national building standards in the Building Code of Australia.

While the energy targets for houses and low-rise units will increase by 10 per cent, the mid and high-rise units will see an increase of 5 per cent. The settings for thermal comfort heating and cooling will also change in line with the proposal in the 2013-14 BASIX Target Review.

To commence from July 2017, the upgrades will set new targets set in BASIX’s thermal comfort settings for heating and cooling caps as well as an updated energy target zone map.

In the Sydney CBD for example, energy requirements for heating a slab-on-ground house was formerly capped at 40 megajoules per sqm/per year, the new targets will reduce that to 25 MJ.

A new house built in Coffs Harbour with a suspended floor or open subfloor will have a cap of 33.7 MJ per sqm, per year, down from 47.5 as it currently stands.

  • A full list of the new caps is available here.
  • See a map of the proposed changes to energy targets here.

The NSW Government is also considering what further changes should 

The NSW government says that the new BASIX targets will help save $500 million over 50 years through more efficient household energy consumption.

The BASIX Energy Targets proposal was on public exhibition from 13 Dec 2013 to 14 Feb 2014 and feedback was received from the community and industry.