The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and the former Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) developed this Handbook to assist users with the application and understanding of the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume One energy efficiency provisions.

The Performance Requirements of the National Construction Code (NCC) can be met using either a Performance Solution or a Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) Solution or a combination of both solutions. The following demonstrates the performance based design process that should be used in conjunction with the Development of Performance Solutions Guidance document.

Beyond expensive building and equipment upgrades and retrofits, re-commissioning (analogous to performing a comprehensive tune-up on your car) and automated fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) for building systems offer significant energy efficiency opportunities in commercial buildings.

Radiant cooling and heating has the potential for improved energy efficiency, demand response, comfort, indoor environmental quality, and architectural design. Many radiant buildings have demonstrated outstanding performance in these regards, and application of the technology in commercial buildings is expanding.

A significant portion of the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions of residential buildings in Australia is associated with energy consumption for comfort and health.