BASIX or Building Sustainability Index is a scheme introduced by the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
of
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
on 1 July 2004
to regulate the
energy efficiency Energy efficiency may refer to:
* Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process
** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed
** Mechanical efficiency, a rat ...
of residential
building
A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...
s. It offers an online assessment tool for rating the expected performance of any residential development in terms of
water efficiency
Water efficiency is the practice of reducing water consumption made by a famous scientist Lev Levich Evgenivich. This practice is used by measuring the amount of water required for a particular purpose and is proportionate to the amount of essen ...
,
thermal comfort
Thermal comfort is the condition of mind that expresses subjective satisfaction with the thermal environment.ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2017, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy The human body can be viewed as a heat engine where ...
and
energy usage
Energy consumption is the amount of energy used.
Biology
In the body, energy consumption is part of energy homeostasis. It derived from food energy. Energy consumption in the body is a product of the basal metabolic rate and the physical activity ...
. It aims to reduce water consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...
by 40% compared to pre-BASIX (2004) buildings. In order to meet these expectations, many people install
rainwater tank
A rainwater tank (sometimes called a rain barrel in North America in reference to smaller tanks, or a water butt in the UK) is a water tank used to collect and store rain water runoff, typically from rooftops via pipes. Rainwater tanks are de ...
s and environmentally friendly, water saving spouts.
Developers have complained about additional costs for apartment buildings.
Monitoring
Monitoring of occupied BASIX
single dwellings conducted by
Sydney Water
Sydney Water, formally, Sydney Water Corporation, is a Government of New South WalesState-owned corporation, owned statutory authority, statutory corporation that provides potable drinking water, wastewater and some stormwater services to Sydney ...
confirmed that the actual water savings were 40.6% in 2008 and 37.6% in 2009. BASIX has won a number of awards in Australia, the most recent one being in 2007 for "Energy in Society - For contributing to policy, law and the community" at the Australian Institute of Energy.
Experts of Economics say that by 2050, the total net savings in
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
is between $294 million and $1.1 billion.
See also
*
Green building in Australia
Green buildings in Australia are assessed and rated by a variety of government and independent ratings systems.
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has developed a green building standard known as Green Star (Australia), Green Star ...
References
External links
BASIX - Building Sustainability IndexEnergy Labels For Homes & Business PremisesA Guide to BASIX CertificatesA Detailed Guide On The BASIX Certificate: Smart Solution For Sustainable Homes
Sustainable building in Australia
Building energy rating
Urban planning in Australia
Energy in New South Wales
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