Whole of Home Explained: What It Means for Energy Efficiency and Compliance

When it comes to energy compliance, the focus has always been on the building itself. Insulation, glazing, orientation and ventilation have long defined how we measure efficiency. But as Australia’s building codes evolve, so does our understanding of what makes a home truly sustainable.

That’s where Whole of Home comes in. It’s one of the biggest shifts introduced under NCC 2022, expanding the focus beyond the building shell to include how the home actually performs once it’s lived in.

What Whole of Home Actually Measures

Whole of Home is designed to capture the full picture of energy use in a new home. Instead of only assessing how well a building maintains temperature, it also looks at how much energy the entire home consumes and produces each year.

This includes:

✅ Heating and cooling systems

✅ Hot water

✅ Lighting

✅ Appliances like cooktops, fridges and clothes dryers

✅ On-site renewable energy systems such as solar PV

Each element contributes to an overall Whole of Home performance score, which shows whether a dwelling meets the new minimum standards for energy efficiency.

The higher the score, the more energy-efficient and affordable the home will be to run.

Why Whole of Home Matters

Before the NCC 2022 update, most assessments focused only on thermal performance through NatHERS star ratings. That gave a sense of comfort and design efficiency, but it didn’t always reflect real-world energy use.

Whole of Home bridges that gap. It provides a more accurate measure of how the home will perform once appliances, systems and energy generation are factored in.

For homeowners, it means a clearer understanding of long-term running costs and environmental impact.For architects and designers, it means appliance and system choices now influence compliance outcomes, not just materials and layout.

What This Means for Design and Compliance

Because Whole of Home modelling is now part of BASIX and NatHERS assessments in New South Wales, compliance is more interconnected than ever.

Heating and cooling systems, solar capacity, appliance efficiency and lighting choices all interact to determine the final rating. That’s why early collaboration between design teams and accredited assessors is key.

By considering Whole of Home performance during the design phase, potential compliance issues can be identified and solved early. This avoids redesign delays, helps manage costs, and ensures the project meets performance requirements the first time.

The Studio Terra Approach

At Studio Terra, we integrate Whole of Home assessments into our BASIX and NatHERS services to simplify the process for architects, builders and developers.

Our approach is practical and collaborative. We model how the home performs as a complete system and provide clear advice on how small design or specification changes can make a big difference to compliance and energy performance.

The result is a home that not only meets code but feels comfortable year-round and runs efficiently for years to come.

In Summary

Whole of Home is a big step forward for Australian building standards. It gives a clearer, more accurate picture of how a home performs in real life by combining building design and energy systems into one model.

It’s not just about compliance. It’s about helping people create homes that are smarter, more comfortable and better for the planet.

If you are planning a project and want to understand how the Whole of Home framework will apply, reach out to Studio Terra. We’ll help you design with confidence and achieve compliance without the stress.

Contact us to learn how our assessments can support your next project.