Goodbye!!!

Yes this site is redundant.  The association will cease before it ever got going because at this time there is no reason for it.  The work of this group has been taken over by the on-line hsa.groupsite and that is a good thing because it is necessary to get more from ABSA than accreditation.

Enjoy life as an Assessor.

It pays to belong.

Are you about to become an independent

 Home Sustainability Assessor?

Today you can become one who enjoys

the power of belonging to the

Independent Home Sustainability Assessors Association

I am a member because

I wish to remain just that, independent.  

The problem we all face as small operators is that larger corporate interests see us as an easy target from which to make money while claiming to support our rights.

Heinz  (Assessor)

Without this association, 

 Affiliations – will give HSA’s linked to bigger companies an edge 

over small independents when they look for us on the website.

Enjoy the flexibility of membership

 Thanks from your fellow members. IHSAA your voice

    

Was there any doubt a home sustainability assessment is worthwhile?

The purpose of our association is to support independent home sustainability assessors.  Normally an assessment will precede an application for a "Green Loan" from a lending institution to help make the home more comfortable and less expensive to operate.  As I have indicated elsewhere there could well be another reason to seek an assessment.  If  a cost free assessment is too hard to comprehend how many home owners would object to advice that  could add value to their property?  If you are unsure how this could happen read the following article from "the Age" 1st May 2009.

New homes forced to go six stars

• Jason Dowling
• May 1, 2009

EVERY Australian home will soon be required to have an energy-efficiency report card when sold or rented, while new homes will have to be built to a six-star sustainability standard.

National political leaders yesterday agreed to changes that will require all new housing to be more energy-efficient by May 2011. At the same time, vendors and landlords will also need to have an energy-efficiency report when selling or renting a home.

The report card is expected to include insulation and building design and to be completed by an accredited assessor.

Based on a similar scheme already in place in the ACT, the cost of getting a pre-sale or lease report card could be between $150 and $250.

But experts disagree on how much the improved minimum energy-saving standards for new homes would add to the cost of building, with some warning it may add up to $10,000.

The meeting of federal, state and local government leaders in Hobart also announced:

?Increased energy efficiency requirements for commercial buildings in the Building Code of Australia from 2010.

?Phasing in of mandatory disclosure of the energy efficiency of commercial buildings and tenancies from 2010.

Even after the new six-star rules come into force, Australian homes will still be less efficient than many other countries, as a number of studies have shown. For instance, a 2005 study for the federal government found that comparable homes in the US, Canada and Britain had much better "thermal efficiency" — meaning they were better at keeping heating and cooling bills low — and rated an average of seven stars, with some as high as nine stars. The current standard for Australia homes is still five stars.

Victoria's Building Commissioner, Tony Arnel, said the jump from five to six stars could lead to a 10-to-15 per cent improvement in the energy efficiency of housing. He said the cost of moving to six-star homes would be "minimal".

"It will simply mean that more attention needs to be paid to the use of insulation and orientation and materials: getting housing focused to the north, use of windows, some double-glazing at times, improved insulation in both walls and ceilings, and typically moving towards heavier forms of construction," he said.

But Master Builders Association's deputy executive director Radley de Silva attacked the move.

"The Government's decision to introduce a six-star building standard for new homes will increase housing costs by an average of $10,000 per home," Mr de Silva said.

Caryn Kakas, executive director of the Residential Development Council, said builders were ready to move to six-star building standards for new homes, but the industry and home buyers would need help to reduce added costs.

She said measures such as keeping the first home buyers boost going would "help offset changing costs in construction" because of the extra sustainability measures.

The director of RMIT University's Centre for Design, Ralph Horne, said the housing announcements were "absolutely essential to move us forward and to let us catch up with Europe".

"But they are the bare minimum and we should be thinking a little bit more about this," he said.

Dr Horne said Australia should be moving to 7½ star rating for new homes.

A recent government report examined the impact of introducing mandatory disclosure of energy ratings for homes in the ACT a decade ago, and found homes with higher ratings attracted higher prices.

For example, for a median-priced Canberra home in 2005, worth $365,000, every star of extra energy efficiency added about $9000 to the sale price.

It is heating up!

The Green Loans program approaches!  Here is an article lifted from the ABC  on the Green Loans Program  as background

RMIT's Centre for Design (CfD) are developing the Home Sustainability Assessment assessment tool.Professor Alan Pears has been working with RMIT on this project. Dr. Ralph Horne, the Director of RMIT (CfD) is responsible for this project and has been involved with the Green Loans Program for some time. 

Now here's a predicament. You're worried that your home's insulation isn't up to scratch and that your wonky air-conditioner is guzzling too much electricity. Plus, you really want to do your part for global warming by getting solar panels on your roof. Problem is: you don't have the money to make the changes. Well, fear not. Even as we speak, Environment Minister Peter Garrett is training up a posse of assessors to visit your home and come up with a shopping list of energy-wise improvements. As for the dosh, the federal government will find you a loan of up to $10,000 at bargain basement rates. Welcome to the world of Green Loans, part of the government's strategy to think global and act local on climate change. How much appetite is there in Australia for green debt? And what's to stop me using the money to get a new telly? Besides, since when is government in the business of organising finance.

Dr Horne talks with ABC's Peter Mares http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/current/audioonly/nit_20090424_1830.mp3

Membership

This association was started with the individual home sustainability assessor in mind, perhaps that is you.

The benefits of membership are evolving,  perhaps you can make your mark by adding value to this association by assisting others.

Advantages of Membership.

Competitive Advantage.  Secure a head start over other assessors by illustrating your independence in green assessments.

Networking.  Meet with like minded independent people.

Tools. Gain Access to practical tools designed to assist in homes sustainability assessments and play a part in developing new tools.

Influence. Make a difference become actively involved in the development of this association.

Recognition.  Help in the development of a "brand"  that adds to the recognition.

How do I apply for Membership?

Simple!  If you have attended part of the training for Home Sustainability Assessors run on behalf of DEWHA by Fieldforce, EcoMaster, Energy Strategies, Archicentre, EcoSmart, ABSA in the past four months speak to us.  Add your name to our group by adding your name  as a follower or by way of a comment in the comment section below. Details of the cost of membership will be posted later.

Home sustainability assessments.

Home Assessments are about helping householders become more aware of;

How they use energy and water

Where energy and water use and wastage occurs

The opportunities to more effectively use energy and water more effectively

The benefits of more efficient use.

Interestingly about 75% of greenhouse emissions are generated from the energy used in Victorian homes from just three sources.   They are appliances, hot water and heating and cooling.  

Qualifications required for a Green Loan Sustainability Household assessment.

When they commence (2nd Half of 2009) the free assessment will be made available to applicants over the age of 18 provided they are permanent citizens or residents of Australia or registered charities.

The householder will be required to give permission for the Department or Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) to access information about their energy use 12 months before and for 24 months after the assessment.  Each householder is entitled to just one assessment per household.  The dwelling must be in Australia or one of the territories and be at least 12 months old.

The assessments will be booked by the householder via the web or call centre according to postcode. Tip. (Look for an independent Assessor)

Members of this Association undertake to provide accurate, reliable independent assessments without commercial ties to the suppliers of any material, or equipment, required to improve their properties.  It seems Australia generally is about to adopt the house energy rating system applied in Canberra when houses are sold.  The importance of independent advice as a means of improving the resale value of real estate should be apparent to all in time.  Keep informed about the Green Loans program and its band of Independent assessors via this website.

You have reached the member's web page of the Independent Home Sustainability Assessors Association Inc. 

The purpose of the group is:

•  1.      To offer members a collective voice
•  2.      To encourage membership of independent sustainable assessors
•  3.      To offer clients independent household sustainable assessments.
  
•  4.      To offer members personal development.
•  5.      To offer members industry information. (Sustainability)
•  6.      To offer members services and products negotiated by the association.
  

Members of the association must be independent of commercial arrangements with other sustainability providers and operate as Home Sustainability Assessors under the Federal Government's Green Loans Program.  

"The Green Loans Program is expected to commence nationally from mid 2009.  Green Loans is a new Australian Government initiative to help Australians tackle climate change.

"This innovative program will help an estimated 200,000 households to reduce our nation's annual greenhouse gas emissions by around 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2020.The program will also encourage an estimated $2 billion in green-inspired investment, directly benefiting the small business sector."

"Green loans has two main components of support from the australian Government:

• A free Household Sustainability Assessment and report (valued at over $250) which includes provining a green renovation pack; and
• Access to low cost finance through a subsidy provided to financial institutions for borrowings of up to $10,000 to implement changes recommended in the assessment report." 

extracts from Green Loans update 1- Dec 2008

Further information is available at: www.environment.gov.au/greenloans

The Independent Home Sustainability Assessor Association Inc is seeking members who have trained with any of the six RTO's to deliver the Professional Household Sustainability Assessment course of the Green Loans Program  providing they are not contracted to serve as employees or contractors for one of the listed training companies ie:

• Association of Building Sustainability Assessors
  
• Archicentre
  
• ecomaster
  
• Ecosmart
  
• Energy Strategies
  
• Fieldforce