BACKED BY SCIENCE

The Selection Criteria and Process

The Proptech Energy Efficiency Features Standard will be a trusted set of energy efficiency property features which can be made visible during the property marketing experience either as a property listing or as property insights. Each energy efficiency feature has the potential to deliver real lifestyle benefits to the owner, buyer or renter (the potential for reduced running costs and increased comfort) while reducing environment impact.

Features will begin being released to signatories in the 1st Quarter of 2025.

The selection process will consider of a number of factors to ensure the list delivers benefits to all property customers, whether they be agent and agency facing or consumer facing, as well as aligning with the new commercial proptech opportunities which are catalysed by these new property features.

To this end, we believe that a robust Proptech Energy Efficiency Features list should align with Eight Key Criteria.

  1. Features-based property appraisal process – the features must be able to be identified during a property appraisal conducted by a real estate professional or, regarding insulation, be verified in a building inspection.

  2. Visibility in online and face-to-face property marketing experiences for new and existing homes, such as lead generation, appraisal, listing, marketing, sales, management, maintenance or upgrade services.

  3. The feature must deliver the potential for an energy performance outcome (reduced running cost, more comfortable all year round and less impact of the planet) for the occupier if used correctly.

  4. NatHERS home energy rating certificate - data inputs (whether mandatory or voluntary) and the property upgrade pathways which will be a part of our national conversation.

  5. Finance and banking sector new “green” loan product designed to encourage homeowners to make an energy performance upgrade to support ongoing affordability and climate readiness. For the banking sector this will also deliver more climate-resistant property in their loan portfolios – a key measure of risk in their global reporting standards. Many of these loans are underpinned by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s Household Energy Upgrade Fund.

  6. The Features Standard will include a placeholder for the property attribute “Home Energy Rating”. This will provide alignment with the Home Energy Rating Disclosure Framework development – outlining the national plan for a Home Energy Rating on all homes at point of sale or rent. We believe that by establishing a cluster of key energy efficiency features (which includes a Home Energy Rating) prior to regulation, it enables the Home Energy Rating to “enter” more easily into the system when/if it is mandated.

  7. The National Construction Code Climate Zone Map which was created using Bureau of Meteorology climatic data. These climate zones are a key baseline to understanding how to create a comfortable home for both new and existing homes.

  8. These features will align with Your Home, Australia’s Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Homes. Your Home is Australia’s independent guide to designing, building or renovating homes to ensure they are energy efficient, comfortable, affordable and adaptable for the future. It was developed by the Australian Government and written by over 50 experts in sustainability, building design and construction.

The Development Timeline

Stages leading to the release of the final set of features which will form the basis of the standard

STEP 1

Baseline research to examine the impact of the status quo

The development of our industry-led energy efficiency standard for property technology is supported by world-class research

The first stage will be baseline research on the current property attribute list as well as the open text fields from property data, over a twelve-month period, supplied by one of our founding signatories, Proptrack.

The research team will identify both the impact of the status quo and the case for the selection and integration of a new set of property features which will form the basis of the energy efficiency features standard.

The final research report will be published and may appear in peer-reviewed academic journals.

STEP 2

Draft list of Energy Efficiency features is developed and reviewed 

The initial set of features will be based on the recommendations stemming from the baseline research report. It will likely take the form of a basic and expanded set of recommended features.

This will enable a staged integration from basic to expanded if required or a direct integration with the expanded list. There will be a formal review of the features list by key experts in the research, energy and technology sector with final presentation and review by signatories to follow.

Our Specialist Advisory Committee will review the draft version of each Feature release. Their expertise and experience span a range of residential Proptech customers – both agents and agencies (B2B) and consumers (B2C) as well as Energy efficiency subject matter experts and research sector representatives. This is an important mix in order to ensure the standard has credibility and is fit-for-purpose: enabling quality end-user experience and engagement and market readiness. Our committee also represents a national reach as well as state and national real estates institute roles.

STEP 3

EE features is made available to signatories in a phased approach

We will be delivering the list of energy efficiency features in a phased approach with a summary of:

  • The correct name or label to be used for this feature

  • A description of the feature – is it is an aspect of good building design or an fixture or inclusion

  • The data tree or other features which may be linked to this feature

  • The lifestyle benefit that this features delivers

  • Key data integration notes - how to bring this into your B2B and B2C customer experiences for real estate professionals and/or buyers, renters and investors at point of sale or rent.

There may also be notes on the various levels of data verification that are available for this feature.

STEP 4

The Energy Efficiency features are integrated into the tech

Once these new or correctly labelled data points have been integrated into their customer and/or agent facing platforms, the proptech business will then be able to use the specifically worded statement below as a footer on their website. 

“We are a signatory of the Proptech Energy Efficiency Features Standard”

“… true progress—the inventions that change lives—is the result of targeted efforts to overcome barriers, led not by technology but by the pursuit of solutions.”

— Forbes 2023