NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme)
NatHERS is Australia's house energy rating scheme. NCC 2022 requires new Class 1 homes to achieve 7 stars under NatHERS or an equivalent compliance path.
Ask Chalkline about this →NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) is the Australian government scheme that rates the thermal performance of residential buildings on a star scale from 0 to 10. Under NCC 2022, new Class 1 buildings are required to achieve a minimum 7-star NatHERS rating (or an equivalent deemed-to-satisfy path) for the building fabric. NatHERS modelling is performed by an accredited assessor using approved software (AccuRate, FirstRate5, or equivalent) and outputs a star rating based on the building’s modelled annual heating and cooling energy loads per unit of floor area.
Key inputs to the NatHERS model include wall and ceiling insulation R-values, window U-values and SHGC values (from WERS ratings), orientation, shading, and climate zone. On a typical build, the energy assessor works from the plans before construction and provides a report used to select products (including windows) that will hit the target. Windows are often a significant variable in the model, particularly in cooling-dominated climates or where glazing area is large.
NatHERS is administered by the Australian Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) regulator and supported by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Also known as: Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme
Category: Energy efficiency compliance
Related
See also
- NCC, the code that mandates the 7-star NatHERS requirement
- Whole-of-home, the broader NCC 2022 whole-of-home energy compliance pathway
- Energy report, the NatHERS assessment document produced before construction
Last updated: 2026-05-08. Verified: 2026-05-08.