South Australian consultancy service SUHO recently designed the state’s first energy efficient 10 Star Home, with carbon neutral and Level A Green Tag certified plasterboard supplied by Siniat. The home’s 10 star rating goes well beyond the minimum compliance rating of NatHERS 6 stars, and was begun by SUHO after winning the BDAV 10 Star Challenge. The home has now been completed but is still unoccupied while the team collects data on how it performs, including how it adapts to climate change.

This groundbreaking project was undertaken by SUHO in partnership with different product manufacturers, including Siniat, to demonstrate the benefits of high performing homes. The maximum rating of 10 was achieved through considering thermal comfort, materials, insulation, minimum energy consumption, building orientation, glazing type and shading devices built for the Australian climate without the use of artificial heating and cooling.

Siniat’s involvement

“When people think about sustainable design, plasterboard is probably not the first material that comes to mind,” said Siniat Marketing Manager Stephanie Olsen. “They’re generally more inclined to think of specialty items like triple glazed windows and sophisticated HVAC systems, but the truth is that carbon neutral commodity items can go a long way to achieve the desired ratings in residential and commercial projects,” Stephanie said.

Siniat was the first company in Australia to offer carbon neutral plasterboard to the market under its opt-in carbon neutral program, certified by the Australian Government’s Climate Active initiative. The opt-in program has now been extended to include Siniat’s metal products, and the company’s locally made plasterboard products are also GreenTag GreenRate certified.

Plasterboard - a sustainable choice

The energy consumption in the manufacturing of plasterboard is among the lowest of any building product and is fully recyclable. Siniat plasterboard is made from gypsum and 100% recycled liner paper. As a lightweight building material, there are reduced transport costs and lower emissions associated with its distribution.

Siniat plasterboard is made locally in manufacturing plants in Altona (VIC), Matraville (NSW) and Bundaberg (QLD) to the most current versions of the ISO management system standards for Health & Safety, Quality and Environmental Management: ISO 9001:2015 for quality management systems, ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management systems and ISO 45001:2018 for health & safety management systems.

Jim Woolcock, SUHO Director, said the key to sustainable building lies in innovative design and collaboration with industry stakeholders. “We’re very proud of what we have achieved, but it would not have been possible without the support of our industry partners. I think it shows that it’s possible to achieve an energy efficient and carbon neutral home with simple construction methods and materials and within a standard budget,” he said.

To find out more about the 10 Star Home, go to https://www.10starhome.com.au/