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Smarter Homes for Queensland Living
Why Your Choices Matter
At Ausbuild, we’re passionate about creating homes that aren't just stylish, but designed for Queensland’s climate and built for the future.
Thanks to recent updates to the National Construction Code (NCC), all new residential homes must meet higher standards for energy efficiency, helping to make everyday living more comfortable, affordable, and sustainable.
While your new Ausbuild home already meets these standards, the customisations you choose can impact your home's energy rating, long-term comfort, and cost to comply.
This guide will help you make informed choices — so your dream home works with, not against, Queensland’s unique climate.
Why Energy Efficiency Matters — Especially in Queensland
Queensland’s climate brings hot, humid summers and mild, dry winters.
Homes here need to stay naturally cooler, fresher, and drier, reducing the need for air-conditioning and saving on energy bills.
Choosing a design that supports a higher energy efficiency rating means you’ll enjoy:
- Cooler living in summer without excessive cooling costs
- Year-round comfort with minimal mechanical heating or cooling
- Lower household energy bills — keeping your home more affordable to run
- A lighter environmental footprint
- Long-term property value protection
Energy assessments are more than just a compliance checkbox — they help ensure your home is built smarter for Queensland living.
Variations That Can Affect Your Home’s Energy Rating (and Your Budget)
Certain changes to your design can lower the energy performance and trigger the need for extra upgrades to stay compliant — adding additional costs on top of the variation itself.
Be aware of these common high-impact variations:
- Increasing Window or Door Sizes. More glazing lets in more heat or loses cool air faster.
May require double glazing, window tinting, shading devices, or additional insulation. - Choosing Darker External Colours. Dark roofs and walls absorb more heat, raising internal temperatures.
Lighter colours like Colorbond® Surfmist® are far more energy-smart. - Removing Ceiling Fans. Fans help move air efficiently, reducing the need for air-conditioning.
Without them, cooling loads — and costs — increase significantly. - Deleting Solar Panels. Solar systems contribute directly to achieving a strong energy rating.
Removing them often means more insulation, advanced glazing, or upgraded appliances are needed to compensate.
How Lot Orientation and Site Conditions Influence Energy Efficiency
Even before you move in, your block of land plays a major role in shaping your home's energy performance. Factors such as lot orientation, passive shading, site topography, prevailing wind conditions, and other site-specific features can all significantly impact energy ratings.
- North or west-facing open yards allow more harsh sunlight into your home, increasing cooling needs.
- Corner lots and wide frontages expose more wall surfaces to heat.
- Minimal side shading (especially on east and west sides) can lead to overheating unless well managed. While Ausbuild carefully designs homes to maximise performance, some natural site conditions may still require additional measures to meet energy compliance standards.
A Home That’s Truly Built for Queensland
At Ausbuild, we’re not just building homes — we’re building better lifestyles. By working together, we can ensure your home is perfectly suited to Queensland’s climate, achieving the energy efficiency, comfort, and cost savings you deserve.
Before making any final design changes, please talk to your Ausbuild consultant.
We’ll help you find the smartest solutions to balance your personal style with future comfort and energy performance.
A smarter home isn’t just better for today — it’s better for every season ahead.
