Energy-Efficient Facades:

Understanding Section J NCC 2019 for

Windows and Doors

alspec.com.au
INTRODUCTION

As demand for infrastructure and urban development constructed under the NCC 2019 could see a 30% increase
grows, one of the Australian design and construction in energy efficiency compared to buildings constructed
industry’s biggest challenges is implementing an effective under the NCC 2016.1
strategy for reducing built environment emissions.
Rewritten almost in its entirety, Section J Energy Efficiency
The National Construction Code (NCC) of Australia is the energy efficiency compliance benchmark for modern
– a performance-based code that sets the minimum Australian buildings. Among the more notable changes
requirements for all new buildings and building work – plays are the new provisions impacting the external facade,
a critical role, setting mandatory minimum requirements for including windows, doors and wall-glazing construction,
energy efficiency and sustainability. that apply to commercial buildings in Classes 2-9.

In 2019, the updated version of the NCC came into effect, In this whitepaper, we take a closer look at the changes to
which included the biggest overhaul of the decade of the Section J, with a particular focus on the new requirements
energy efficiency provisions that apply to commercial and for external facades. We also discuss in detail how these
residential buildings. Modelling has shown that buildings changes impact specification and building design.

Above: PROJECT: genU Karingal St Laurence, VIC. ARCHITECT: NOW Architecture. BUILDER: Four Square.
FABRICATOR: PW Glass Pty Ltd. PHOTOGRAPHER: Daniel Fuge.
Cover: PROJECT: Kurrawa Surf Club, QLD. ARCHITECT: Arkhefield. BUILDER: Paynter Dixon.
FABRICATOR: Aluminium Balustrades Burleigh Heads.
PROJECT: 808 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, VIC. ARCHITECT: Carr Design. BUILDER: Pace Development Group.
FABRICATOR: ODS Glass Pty Ltd. PHOTOGRAPHER: Glenn Hester.

COMPLYING WITH THE NCC 2019 – SECTION J

DEEMED-TO-SATISFY AND PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS Verification Methods JV1 and JV2 are also available.
Compliance with the performance requirements in Section These methods enable compliance by meeting the
J can be achieved via a Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) Solution requirements of the National Australian Built Environment
or a Performance Solution. A DTS solution follows the Rating System (NABERS) for Offices and Green Star
appropriate DTS Provisions in the NCC, which outline the respectively. The remainder of this whitepaper will focus
materials, components, design factors, and construction primarily on Section J performance requirements and the
methods that, if used, are deemed to meet the performance corresponding DTS Solutions.
requirement.2 A Performance Solution is a solution tailored to
meet the intended objective of the performance requirement BUILDING CLASSES
and is verified using one or more Assessment Methods, There are distinct differences between building
including evidence of suitability, a Verification Method, expert classes under the NCC. In relation to energy efficiency
judgment or comparison with the equivalent DTS solution.3 requirements, the most important factor relates to the
function and use of the building.
Verification Method JV3 can be used to verify that a
Performance Solution is acceptable for non-residential An office building (Class 5) may only be in use during work
buildings. The JV3 method is a modelling pathway that hours whereas a hotel (Class 3) is in use 24 hours a day.
checks for compliance by comparing the overall greenhouse In this example, if a building is in use 24 hours a day, the
gas emissions of new buildings, in relation to their location energy efficiency requirements for that building will be
and climate, to a reference building. The JV3 pathway now relatively more demanding than for a building that is only in
also includes a requirement to meet a thermal comfort level use for limited hours.
for 95% of the area for 98% of the time.
SECTION J PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS – WINDOWS AND DOORS

JP1 ENERGY USE

Under Performance Requirement JP1, a building must Total System U-Value. This highlights a key change in
have features that facilitate the efficient use of energy Section J, that is a greater emphasis on the principle that
appropriate to the function and use of the building, overall facade performance is more important than the
the level of human comfort required for the building, performance of individual components.
solar radiation being used for heating and controlled to
minimise energy used for cooling, the energy source of “Wall-glazing construction” refers to the combination of wall
services and the sealing of the building envelope against and glazing components comprising the building envelope
air leakage. but excludes display glazing and opaque non-glazed
openings such as doors, vents, penetrations and shutters.
In addition, JP1(f) provides for a quantifiable level of
performance through a conditioned space that is calculated Total System U-Value for the whole facade is calculated
as the hourly regulated energy consumption, averaged over as an area weighted average of the U-Value of each
the annual hours of operation. component. In general, U-Values are used to measure the
effectiveness of a building's fabric or its components as
J1.5 WALLS AND GLAZING insulators.4 In other words, how effectively the building
Total System U-Value and Total R-Value In Part J1, J1.5 fabric can prevent heat from transmitting between the
provides the DTS Solution for walls and glazing to meet inside and outside of a building.5 The closer the U-Value
JP1. Under this DTS provision, wall-glazing construction for is to zero, the better the insulating properties of the
specific building classes must not exceed a specified building element.

PROJECT: 7 Ormond by MAB Corporation, VIC. ARCHITECT: Watson Young Architects.

BUILDER: Maben Group. FABRICATOR: PW Glass Pty Ltd.
 PROJECT: Pridham Hall, University of SA
ARCHITECT: JPE Design Studio
BUILDER: Mossop Constructions
FABRICATOR: Reliable Glass/Dickson
PHOTOGRAPHER: Mark Syke

In J1.5(d), a minimum Total R-Value backstop for wall value, which measures how readily heat caused by sunlight
components is provided. Where the wall is less than 80%, flows through the window system. SGHC is expressed as
for example a mainly glass building with spandrel panels, a decimal between zero and one – the lower the value, the
the wall components of the wall-glazing construction must less solar heat is transmitted.
meet a minimum Total R-Value of R1.0. If the wall is more
than 80%, the minimum Total R-Values for wall components The maximum solar admittance for wall-glazing construction
are provided in Table J1.5a. varies by building type. For a Class 2 common area, a Class
5, 6, 7, 8 or 9b building or a Class 9a building other than a
Spandrel panels are covered in Specification J1.5b. This ward area, the maximum SHGC values are set out in Table
specification details configurations of spandrel panels J1.5b. Class 3 or 9c buildings, or a Class 9a ward area, must
and the corresponding thermal performance values. A not exceed the SHGC values in Table J1.5c.
well-detailed and insulated spandrel panel can make
a difference when designing facades that comply with CALCULATING FACADE PERFORMANCE
Section J’s more stringent energy efficiency requirements. The Australian Building Codes Board has published an
NCC 2019 facade calculator that assists in understanding
SOLAR ADMITTANCE and applying the J1.5 Building Fabric DTS Provisions.6
In addition to the increased requirements for window and This should be used early on in the building design phase
wall U-Values, there are also very strict guidelines for solar to work out what the U-Value and SHGC requirements will
heat gains. The NCC requirements for solar admittance are be and to assist in specifying the correct wall and window
expressed using the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) products to achieve compliance.
SECTION J PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS – WINDOWS AND DOORS

THERMAL BREAKS materials for buildings – Design. A wall’s R-Value will be

The window or door frame can greatly affect the energy highly dependent on the extent of thermal bridging within
efficiency of a wall-glazing system. As standard aluminium the facade. Total System U-Values must also allow for the
is a good conductor of heat and cold, a significant amount effects of thermal bridging.
of heat can be lost through an aluminium frame. In general,
this is why specific window systems comprised of less Even a small amount of thermal bridging will significantly
aluminium, such as fixed frames, have better thermal downgrade wall performance. The best performing walls
performance than systems that include more aluminium, will minimise thermal bridging, utilise continuous insulation
such as sliding doors or awning windows. and/or include thermal breaks.

The U-Value of a window or door system can be improved WINDOW-TO-WALL RATIO

by adding a thermal break to the frame. Thermally broken As the new Section J calculates wall and glazing
window and door systems feature a reinforced polyamide performance as a combined facade element, the Window-
strip within the aluminium frame, which creates an insulative to-Wall Ratio (WWR) and the performance of window
barrier and reduces the levels of heat transfer from inside to and wall components relative to each other are key
outside and vice versa. considerations for designers. The WWR of a facade refers
to the amount of glazed area in relation to the amount of
REDUCING THERMAL BRIDGING exterior wall area.
In wall construction, thermal bridging is caused by materials
of higher thermal conductivity, such as steel or timber In general, walls will generally offer better U-Values than
framing, that penetrate surrounding insulation layers, glazing systems. For example, a standard steel frame wall
creating a funnel of unobstructed heat flow through the (non-thermally broken) has an approximate U-Value of
wall area.7 Insulation is used in wall systems to minimise 0.83. In comparison, the best performing thermally-broken,
heat transfer, but thermal bridging can undermine this by aluminium-framed windows with high performance glazing
bypassing insulation layers thus enabling increased heat may offer a U-Value of approximately 1.7 to 2.0.
loss through the wall.8
To improve a facade’s thermal performance, designers can
Thermal bridging is addressed by NCC 2019, which either reduce the glazing ratio or improve the performance
requires wall performance calculations to be conducted of the lowest performing component. If poor performing
in line with AS/NZS 4859.2:2018 Thermal insulation windows are selected, design flexibility will be limited

PROJECT: The 2 Girls Building, VIC. ARCHITECT: Kavellaris Urban Design. BUILDER: Liberty Builders.
FABRICATOR: Advanced Architectural Windows. PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter Clarke.
as only a small proportion of the facade can be made of As with Total System U-Value, addressing the WWR can
glazing. For example, for an aged-care facility (Class 3) that help designers meet Section J’s SHGC requirements. Poor
requires a Total System U-Value of 1.1, if a non-thermally performing window units will only be able to comprise
broken window with U-Value 3.9 is used in combination a small percentage of a facade in most building classes
with a steel-framed, non-thermally broken wall with as a greater wall ratio will be needed to compensate for
U-Value 0.83, approximately only 10% of the facade can be the window unit’s poor SHGC performance. Conversely,
comprised of windows and doors. window units that offer better SHGC performance can take
up a greater proportion of the facade.
The closer your glazing system performs to the required
U-Value for the building class, the greater proportion of the Under the new Section J, shading has become a
facade can be comprised of glazing. more important tool for reducing solar gains. Fixed or
operable shading are acceptable, but they must operate
SOLAR HEAT GAINS AND SHADING automatically in response to the level of solar radiation.
The SHGC requirements in the new Section J are Other shading types include horizontal and vertical shading,
particularly demanding on facade designs. For example, screen shading, and balcony overhangs.
aged care facilities in Climate Zone 1 must have a SHGC of
0.07 for all aspects except the south aspect, which requires The extent of shading over the facade will determine its
a SHGC of 0.10. Standard clear double-glazed windows impact on SHGC. Typically, the length of the shading
have an approximate SHGC of 0.71. Even high performing projection will correlate to reducing SHGC – the greater
windows, featured darkened low-emissivity glass, have a the shading projection over the window, the lower the
typical SHGC of approximately 0.16 – far above what is SHGC value.
required for most building classes and climate zones.

ALSPEC – WHEN ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS PARAMOUNT …

Since 1974, Alspec has been the market leader in the

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Alspec’s extensive range includes energy-efficient solutions

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Alspec products are supported by skilled staff committed

PROJECT: Quest Springfield Central, QLD
to satisfying customer requirements. Consult with ESD
consultants and Alspec early in the design phase to ensure ARCHITECT: Deicke Richards
your next project meets the elevated energy efficiency and BUILDER: Kane Constructions
sustainability requirements in the NCC 2019. FABRICATOR: Inglass Pty Ltd
PROJECT: John Grey Hall of Residence, JCU, QLD. ARCHITECT: Wilson Architects.
BUILDER: ADCO Constructions. FABRICATOR: HPS Glazing.

REFERENCES

i Aliento, Willow. “NCC 2019: Section J gets a complete overhaul.” The Fifth Estate. https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/building-
construction/ncc-2019-section-j-gets-a-complete- overhaul (accessed 31 July 2020).

ii Australian Building Codes Board. “Understanding the NCC.” ABCB. https://www.abcb.gov.au/-/media/Files/Resources/Education-

Training/HowToComplyWithTheNCC.pdf (accessed 31 July 2020).

iii Ibid.

iv Designing Buildings Ltd. “U-values.” Designing Building Wiki. https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/U-values (accessed 31 July
2020).

v Ibid.

vi Australian Building Codes Board. “Facade Calculator.” ABCB. https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Tools-Calculators/facade-calculator-

ncc-2019-volume-one (accessed 31 July 2020).

vii National Concrete Masonry Association. “Thermal Bridges in Wall Construction.” NCMA. https://ncma.org/resource/thermal-bridges-in-
wall-construction (accessed 31 July 2020).

viii Ibid.

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