Plan for tomorrow

20/03/2024

Education outside the Classroom!

This year, instead of "camping" the kids had nights at home and days outside the classroom:

Day 1: Rock Climbing and Roller Blading with an overnight at the Zoo
Day 2: Team building activities
Day 3: Kayaking and jumping off the warf
Day 4: Snorkeling
Day 5: Bushwalking

I was a parent help for Day 1, Day 4 and Day 5. I did not overnight... 30 (kids) animals and 400 species...no thanks!

This is not only an amazing opportunity for our children but an opportunity to help in the community and have a super fun time doing it!

So why am I putting it on my business page... well we talk about work life balance A LOT and giving employees work from home, community leave and all the good things....
..for business owners all I see is "working from the beach" or "working by the pool" - erm, that's not work life...that's still WORKING...

So what does it take?

* An out of office a few days before letting your clients know you will be off!
* Awesome clients who respect that you are OFF (and not working from the pool side)
* Clients who understand that it's going to take just that bit longer to return the work this week (and maybe next)
* Showing (off!) what you have been up to so they *maybe* also feel inspired to induce that WORK LIFE BALANCE!

So THANK YOU to my clients, I appreciate you and I appreciate your support!

** Bonus for us ** We finished the weekend with WOMAD - a festival of Music Art and Dance. The poetry slam was unhinged!

22/02/2024

Another day off for a Concert you say?

Well, when was the last time you saw The Chemical Brothers?

If you read my newsletter (or my blog on my website!) you will know it was one of my best memories from the year 2000 and so I am taking another day off before it gets COLD (NZ Guys!) and taking the opportunity for some more



(in the interest of safety, yes, I have customised ear plugs!, so I CAN hear you on the phone on Monday!) 😆

13/02/2024

The Learning Hub for Energy Efficient Construction has been established by the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining to support industry in the transition toward the construction of energy efficient, high performing and net zero energy-ready buildings. 👩‍💼

These online modules are for builders, trades, contractors and all allied professions involved in small-scale or volume-build residential construction, *wink wink* LOOKING AT YOU! 🤓👀

Each module is 2 hours in duration (with snack breaks! lol), and include a range of supporting resources and related materials for self-directed learning (or you know, directing wonderful clients to in a time of 'whats the technical reason behind that?!'

In addition to practical skills, these modules provide the principles of building energy efficiency that can deliver high thermal performance and achieve Net Zero Energy with suitable design, materials and technology.

There are six training webinars and case studies that make up the training of this course.

The webinars include:

Module 1: Net Zero Homes and Designing for High Performance🏎

Recommended for those starting out or designers wanting to refresh their basics (especially for 7 Stars!!). Topics of the webinar include Passive Solar Design & Star Ratings, Passive Solar Toolkit and NatHERS as a design tool.

Module 2: Building to Achieve On-Ground Performance🏡

This module was much suited to Builders and Certifiers focusing on installation and checking and to Thermal Engineers checking retrofits. A practical application to ensure that what is on your certificate is actually what you are building!

Module 3: Managing Condensation, Indoor Air Quality & Risk🏚

Similar to Module 3 this unit was suited towards Builders and Certifiers and Thermal Engineers. Risk applies to all in ensuring that what you say you are doing actually happens!

Module 4: Whole of Home - Integrating efficient technologies to reach Net Zero💡

Whole of Home (WoH) is an implementation alongside the NCC and is similar to BASIX in NSW, however run through the NatHERS system/ application. It looks at similar inputs such as water and energy and includes the use of water tanks and solar panels and the like. This was a good refresher as a NatHERS assessor but not yet undertaking WoH assessments.

Module 5: Beyond Net Zero - Identifying & reducing embodied carbon⏳

The last module looked at the life cycle of building from raw materials through construction and then disposal employing the strategies of minimizing, quantifying and offsetting. The aim after all is not for a net zero home, but a TRUE net zero home. Even implementing some of the strategies will go a long way to reducing our carbon footprint - with a general rule of thumb of 1.27 TCO2/m2 that's A LOT we can reduce, one step at a time!

Give it a go here:

https://netzeroenergybuilder.com.au/netzero/net-zero-homes-skills-training
(and then we can compare notes!)

08/02/2024

All work and no play makes Tania a dull girl,
All play and no work makes Tania a mere toy.

So, I am off early for the weekend with my mini-me for some and

05/02/2024

Waitangi Day commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The treaty served as an agreement between the British Crown and Māori chiefs, acknowledging the rights and responsibilities of each party. Its importance lies in its establishment of a partnership between two distinct cultures, acting as the foundation for the nation's enduring values of unity and multiculturalism.

The history of Waitangi Day dates back to February 6, 1840 and was drafted in English and then translated into Māori and aimed to resolve disputes over land and sovereignty, allowing for a peaceful co-existence between the Māori and European settlers.

30/01/2024

I live in New Zealand and while the weather is beautiful at the moment winter is another matter.

Our house is over 100 years old being one of the original on our (very wide street). We have 3.3m moulded ceilings, beautiful windows, and an original fire place.

It also has NO insulation.

So today we have to the rescue.

Insulmax® is a soft, white blown mineral fibre. It is a thermal and acoustic insulation made by melting and spinning inert materials which are then treated with an inert water repellent. It is non-hygroscopic (non-wicking), will not rot degrade or sustain vermin and will not encourage the growth of mould, bacteria or fungi.

The thermal performance of Insulmax® is better than most types of conventional segment insulation achieving an insulation rating of R2.9 per 100mm thickness. It is manufactured in Europe, to BS EN ISO 9001:2012 quality standards, for the purpose of insulating walls. Insulmax® is a high performing thermal and acoustic insulation.

I already feel a warmer winter! 😁

30/01/2024

BASIX® & NatHERS (UPDATE!)

Its been 3 months since 7 Stars was implemented in NSW along with the new BASIX system and you all know I have wanted to scream more than 3 times! (maybe 3 times per project?) 😬

A massive THANK YOU to those clients that have stuck with me while I sort through updating certificates and generating new certificates...🥰

So what are the issues? It is no longer enough to just reach the BASIX cooling and heating loads, the overall loads must also reach 7 Stars.🏠

NatHERS

General Design

It can take a while for projects to get off the ground and so its a bit in the middle of "finishing off" projects and starting projects at the moment and this is totally understandable, however the implementation of 7 Stars was not an unknown so please, do give your clients a heads up.

New projects need to be designed FOR THE SITE. 🏖🏜🌋Not from a template! (and trust me, I am a massive fan of templates!) but this is not going to "cut the mustard".

Go back to basics:

Where is North? This is where the living / kitchen goes!
How big are my room sizes and what is the glass to floor ratio?
What voids do I have?
What are my construction materials?

New standards

ALL projects will be applied with the following (if not already specified):

COSG+R2.0+1.8 Slab edge (This performs better than waffle pod)
R4 between levels (or underfloor if a suspended slab)
R6 to Ceiling
R2.0 to internal walls, R2.5 to the internal garage wall
1200 ceiling fans to Living rooms and 900 ceiling fans to bedrooms and studies.

Upgrading from here I can apply windows with a max of:

PVC-006-03 W uPVC B DG Argon Fill High Solar Gain low-E -Clear
PVC-005-03 W uPVC A DG Argon Fill High Solar Gain low-E -Clear

After this, I need to start applying design changes. So far I have been finding:

Changing roof colour (sometimes)
Cladding at ground floor to either Brick Veneer or XPS
Changing floor coverings (to polished concrete, don't get excited for a saving on this one!) AND the last one which is very much my least favourite:
Changing your design...

Frequently asked Questions🧐

I am building up a sheet of FAQ's - please let me know if you want me to add any to have at your disposal! So far the most common are:

Can you take out the double glazing / thermally broken etc, I only want/can afford the single glazed.

I apply all other "upgrades" I can BEFORE windows. Windows are the last used to reach the required target as they are the most "expensive" of a build. Please qualify your clients budget BEFORE you start! If you walk into a supermarket with $3 and the fancy loaf of bread is $3.50 what do you do? ... this is no different! (if you know me well enough, you will also know this is how I feel about 4.6 variations and variations to DCPs!)

My window supplier doesn't have those windows

Yeah, nah...This is not a "me" problem, this is a "supplier" problem and there is no such thing. The windows used within the NatHERS system have been there / available since before I started doing assessments (more than 5 years ago! *gulp*). Your supplier needs to have values the same as or better, or you can find the exact windows you will be using in construction using the WERS website (and if these windows don't pass - you got it, we go back to changing the construction method...). The suppliers DO know this... this is literally their J.O.B!

I do have a handy video and fact sheet that I can send you if you need, please ask!

BASIX

Updating old Certificates

In order to update a Certificate you need to have the PAN number handy. If the lodgement date was not within 3 months of the certificate, it will reject it which becomes a problem if you haven't lodged it! This didn't happen in the old system as it was not linked to a particular development / site. I have asked for it to be fixed, they do not see it as a problem or actual issue and cannot see the logic... You will need to pay for the new certificate (and a lovely portal fee for the convenience too, oh and transaction fee! both of which they also didn't have...)

Generating new Certificates

If you have a contract signed pre 1 October, it can be assessed against the pre 7 Star target (and lordy, please let me know this at the start!).

Otherwise the new certificate is assessed against the new targets and has LOTS more details... It is taking an average of 3 times longer for me to do a certificate with the additional information required (and see above - 5 years and going people, my typing speed is faster than Lighting McQueen! Zoom, Zoom!). 🏎

Most of the additional information is available from your plans or the NatHERS assessment, some is also still not clear which is where the additional questions will come from. Thanks for your patience... in advance!

The Department are keeping us informed through our Accrediting Office, its slow going...

I am more than happy to chat through the above, Your business IS my business!

21/01/2024

Wellington Anniversary Day is celebrated on the closest Monday to January 22nd (TODAY!) and commemorates the arrival of the first settler ship the Aurora to Petone Beach on January 22nd, 1840. It is important to note that many areas were occupied by Māori, so anniversary days are to some extent a legacy of our colonial past.

Wellington Anniversary Day is observed by the former Wellington Province which extends from Maxwell, near Whanganui, in the west and Norsewood in the east. From 1852 to 1876 this entire area was governed under a provincial government, before this was replaced by introduction of local councils and a central government. Wellington Anniversary Day was also the first national celebration of its kind. Historic Celebrations include climbing a greasy pole for a prize of a quarter of a mutton and boat races that were cancelled due to ‘disrespectful winds’.

21/12/2023

Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thank you for everyone who has made this year a success and a challenge! looking at you !!...

I am away for the holidays and will be back on Monday 15th January for another awesome year!

22/11/2023

THE INTERNET OF THINGs

PFT™ On The World Wide Web!

After a few months of development & preparation The Plan For Tomorrow™ website is in effect and out on the World Wide Web and what is now a dream is now a reality! Web designers I hail you!

First, I had my Techo Whizz Matt do all the hard yards by establishing a domain and laying down the ground work for the site and making all of the connections work (no spam!) and after a few short taps of the keyboards that made it look way to easy, it was handed over to my Creative Techo Ian to do the rest.

Instead of having fancy graphics and animations (maybe in the future!), I requested a simple vision of just getting the text and content up there with a straightforward and simple style of communication.

Ian has done an amazing job with using existing images and creating new logos for the various parts of the site and learnt a lot about Wordpress, chrome, opera, town planning, Nathers & BASIX and waste management along the way.

The coolest part is the map where I can show all of the developments I have worked on!

Have a look....

What do you like about it?

Is there anything else you think I should put in?

Are there any projects that you would like me to showcase?

Offering Town Planning, BASIX® & NatHERS

06/11/2023

Struggle town! 😉..
Its a real place!..
Well ... its a Heritage Conservation Area (HCA) 🏘 in Randwick and seeing the name really perked me up this morning! 😁..
The NSW Heritage Inventory describes the area as:

One of the earliest settlements in Randwick, it includes a number of mid nineteenth cottages and stables buildings associated with the horse racing industry. The Struggletown Conservation Area consists of several street blocks of housing and stables between Young Street, Barker Street and Botany Street in Randwick.

The conservation area has historic significance as one of the earliest settlements in the Randwick City area, and its connection with Simeon Pearce. Pearce created a market garden here in the 1850’s. Stone cottages were constructed by Pearce for his workers from the late 1850’s onwards. Many of the early inhabitants were domestic workers who were employed locally by middle and upper class residents of Randwick. St Jude’s Mission Hall, on the northeast corner of Jane and Middle Streets, was built on land granted by Pearce for the building of a church for the community. In the 1860’s Struggletown became a centre for the horse racing industry. More stabling was introduced into the area when the Sydney Omnibus Company moved its operations to the Newmarket complex, in 1870. The primary uses of the conservation area for housing and the horse racing industry, have continued throughout the twentieth century. The Randwick Equine Centre, on the block between Jane Street, Middle Street, Young Street and Barker Street, is currently the largest horse racing establishment within the conservation area...
How fitting for Race Day! Giddy Up 🐎 and get outta Struggle town!

26/10/2023

1 October 2023 - wasn't that a RUSH!
So. Not only did 7 Stars happen (we in the industry had our bets) but the BASIX system has now moved to the Planning Portal AND is upgraded to include a material part.

The new BASIX materials index will calculate and report on the embodied emissions of a home. The tool will do this by estimating the volume of different materials used in construction and applying the emissions factors for the materials.

The emissions factors represent embodied emissions from the production of each building material. Default factors for embodied emissions of materials are based on the EPiC database. Although the initial materials index does not account for the full lifecycle impact of building materials, we will consider other factors such as durability and transport of building materials in future revisions.
The embodied emissions calculations have been tested by many BASIX users, including builders adopting the higher standards ahead of 1 October 2023.

This experience revealed a complex relationship between the thermal performance standard and embodied emissions. As a result, there will be no limit on embodied emissions of building materials when the policy commences on 1 October 2023. We will consider setting a limit (or standard) in future after we have collected comprehensive data on the embodied emissions of development built to the new standards.
What does this mean for you?
Plans will need to be ship shape for submission:

• Site plan
• Dimensioned floor plan
• Elevations
• Sections
• Window schedule containing size and opening type
• Materials schedule

AND with all of the work going into this, its only fair that my prices will also go up. I am proposing the following:
Your fee will cover the initial assessment of your plans as they are presented to me and application of any “standard” upgrades that have typically applied to your projects e.g.

Roof R6.0
Between floors (Timber) R4.0
COSG – R2.0
Windows Max Double glazed Low-E (please note, it is very very unlikely that your plans will pass with Single Glazing, however this is where I will start).

Where the initial assessment does NOT meet the 7 Star requirement with standard upgrades (noted above). You will be notified an additional fee will be charged to provide advice on design changes required.

I have a video of how the NatHERS works in general to send as an explanation for anyone who wants and am more than happy to Zoom /TEAMS to explain this.
YOUR BUSINESS IS MY BUSINESS!

https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/BASIX-standards -materials-index
https://www.nathers.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-09/22726_Nathers_Newsletter.pdf