The 5 star design rating system for thermally efficient, comfortable housing in Australia

Abstract The Five Star Design Rating is an award for excellence in house design based on the research efforts of the CSIRO Division of Building Research in Australia. The design/construction principles of a Five Star home are elegantly simple; three basic elements of glass, mass and insulation (GMI). Hence the organization that designed the system is called the GMI Council of Australia. Australian climates differ from those of Europe in that for much of the year the diurnal ambient temperature range moves in and out of the comfort range. Generally, in summer maximums are above and in winter minimums are below and, for many locations of course, comfort conditions are not achieved outside buildings during the seasonal peaks of winter and summer. The problem of comfort in some locations such as Sydney and Brisbane is summer overheating whilst in others, such as Hobart (Tasmania), it is underheating in winter. Locations such as Canberra, the nation's capital, are both cold in winter and very hot in summer. Our winters are more sunny than those of Northern Europe and so solar energy can play an important role in reducing domestic energy consumption. Research work undertaken for Australian conditions has shown that thermal mass and the area of glass oriented toward the equator with appropiate shading plays a highly significant role in helping to maintain comfort in summer-driven climates. Thermal insulation contributes in both summer and winter. This paper discusses the methodology that was adopted in the establishment of a program that has taken the results of scientific research out to the general house-building arena. Some results of the program are presented.