There have been updates to the NatHERS Qualification, with the new CPP41119 Certificate IV in Home Energy Efficiency and Sustainability was approved by the Australian Industry Skills Council at the meeting on 13 August 2019.
The New qualification replaces the Certificate IV in NatHERS Assessment and the Certificate IV in Home Sustainability and offers a new single qualification with streams in home sustainability and thermal performance assessment (or both).
The updated NatHERS qualification is 15 units, a reduction from 17 units and is equivalent to both the NatHERS Assessment and Home Sustainability Assessment it replaces. During the development process over 115 comments were received as part of the industry consultation phase, with the qualification being endorsed with strong industry support.
The units within the qualification as follows:
Core
· BSBRSK401 Identify risk and apply risk management processes
· CPPCOM4001 Manage own work, professional development and ethical behaviour
· CPPHES4001 Research and assess impact of building elements on thermal performance of
· residential buildings
· CPPHES4002 Advise clients on thermal performance of residential buildings
Electives
Those completing the Thermal Performance Assessment option complete the following units:
· CPPCMN4008 Read plans, drawings and specifications for residential buildings
· CPPHES4003 Operate and maintain computer system to support thermal performance
· assessments
· CPPHES4004* Conduct thermal performance assessment of residential buildings
· CPPHES5001** Conduct thermal performance assessment of complex residential buildings
Plus 7 more electives from Group B and C.
Those completing the Home Sustainability Assessment option complete the following units:
· CPPCOM4002 Implement safe work practices in the property industry
· CPPHES4005 Assess household energy use and efficiency improvements
· CPPHES4006 Assess household water use and efficiency improvements
· CPPHES4007 Assess thermal performance of existing residential buildings
Plus 7 more electives from Groups A and C.
For those that opt for both the Thermal Performance and Home Sustainability Assessment Options, they complete all Group A and B electives plus three more electives drawn from Group C.
| Old Unit | New Equivalent Unit |
| BSBRSK401 Identify risk and apply risk management processes | No change |
| CPPCMN4008 Read and extract information from plans, drawings and specifications for residential buildings | No change |
| CPCCBC4014A Prepare simple building sketches and drawings | No change |
| CPPACC4015A Follow site occupational health and safety requirements | Removed |
| CPPHSA4011A Collect information to support NatHERS assessment | Removed and collapsed into CPPHES4007 |
| CPPHSA4013A Conduct NatHERS assessment of existing residential buildings | Removed and collapsed into CPPHES4007 |
| CPPHSA4014A Meet regulatory requirements when completing NatHERS assessments | Removed and collapsed into CPPHES4007 |
| CPPHSA4016A Advise on options for enhancing thermal performance of residential buildings | Removed and collapsed into CPPHES4007 |
| CPPHSA4017A Cost measures to improve thermal performance of residential buildings | Removed and collapsed into CPPHES4007 |
| CPPHSA4002A | CPPHES4008 Assess household waste generation and waste management improvements |
| CPPHSA4004A | CPPHES4007 Assess thermal performance of existing residential buildings |
| CPPHSA4007A | CPPHES4009 Promote the adoption of home sustainability
practices |
| CPPHSA4003A | CPPHES4006 Assess household water use and efficiency improvements |
| CPPHSA4001A | CPPHES4005 Assess household energy use and efficiency improvements |
| CPPHSA4012A | CPPHES4004 Conduct thermal performance assessment of residential buildings |
| CPPHSA4018A | CPPCOM4001 |
| CPPHSA5001A | CPPHES5001 |
| CPPHSA4020A | CPPHES4003 Operate and maintain computer system to support thermal performance assessments |
| CPPHSA4019A | CPPHES4002 Advise clients on thermal performance of residential buildings |
| CPPHSA4015A | CPPHES4001 Research and assess impact of building elements on thermal performance of residential buildings |
| CPPHSA4005A | CPPCOM4002 Implement safe work practices in the property industry |
We are currently awaiting publication of the transition arrangements by Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), but if it is the ‘standard’ approach, then existing students will have 12 months to complete or transition to the new qualification.
We are currently reviewing all assessments to identify the quickest and easiest approach for students to transition from the old to the new qualification. We will contact existing students once the ASQA transition arrangements are known.
My personal take on the new qualification is that I think it’s an improvement. The removal of CPPACC4015A Follow site occupational health and safety requirements is sensible – this unit is from the Access Consulting qualification and does not really fit with the work that a NatHERS Assessor does.
Likewise, it is also a good idea that many of the core units were collapsed into one unit. Practically this means that a student can complete the four core units in much quicker time rather than the long period it takes under the current qualification. The old qualification had the NatHERS or thermal performance assessment process broken into arbitrary steps, which didn’t make a lot of sense.
There has also been a refinement to the amount of required knowledge that needs to be assessed, streamlining the assessment process without taking away the rigour.
It also makes a lot of sense to combine the NatHERS and Home Sustainability qualification and to offer a number of qualification streams. Much of the content in the old qualifications was similar and the combined approach will provide opportunities for those with the qualification to work in both thermal performance and as a home sustainability assessor.
At this stage, there has been no update by the NatHERS Accreditation bodies indicating that they will accept the new qualification however I don’t see this as being a problem, given that the qualification is deemed to be equivalent to the old Certificate IV in NatHERS Assessment and that the qualification is the only viable solution to training and qualification assessors at this time.
