Families in three regional NSW cities – Bathurst Dubbo and Orange – will benefit from 220 new highly energy efficient homes for low income families. A significant portion of existing Housing Plus dwellings in regional NSW will also undergo clean energy retrofits so that they require less energy to operate for day-to-day living.
The homes, which will have rooftop solar and energy efficiency technologies installed, will be built to a minimum 7-Star National Housing Energy Rating System (NatHERS) standard.This is effectively a 40 per cent improvement on the energy efficiency achieved in homes built to the current minimum standard. The types of technology that may be used to reach the NatHERS target include rooftop solar, battery installations, heat pumps, additional insulation, double glazing, smart meters, LED lighting, and energy efficient white goods.
The CEFC’s debt finance of up to A$95 million will help deliver the homes, which will be constructed by three local developers in the three cities over the next 18 months to three years. The CEFC’s finance will also contribute to the retrofit program, which Housing Plus will use to deliver energy efficiency solutions and rooftop solar installations across existing homes in its state-wide portfolio.
