AusZEH design: software for low-emission and zero-emission house design in Australia

A holistic strategy to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the residential housing sector will involve the design and delivery of new houses with low or zero emissions. This paper presents a new tool for the design of individual low-emission and zero-emission houses in Australia. Based on the engine of CSIRO's AccuRate house energy efficiency rating software but with new modules and capabilities, the AusZEH Design tool combines a whole house energy consumption tool with a supply-demand matching optimisation model. It deals with the technical and economic optimisation of the individual house energy demand and on-site renewable supply system. The tool enables evaluation of demand-reduction technologies and their integration given the building location, construction and occupancy scenarios.