7 May 2024
The Queensland Development Code (QDC) Mandatory Part (MP) 4.1 Sustainable Buildings Version 1.15 commenced on 1 May 2024. It provides Queensland specific variations to achieve 7 star energy efficiency.
The new QDC 4.1 has removed the option within the previous version of QDC 4.1 to provide energy efficient lighting as a minimum 80 per cent of the total fixed artificial lighting to a Class 1 or Class 2 building.
Industry will now be required to use the artificial lighting provisions within National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 and provide an assessment of the lighting power density when making a building development application.
- Class 1 Buildings will need to comply with performance requirement H6P2 of NCC 2022 Vol 2 and section 13.7.6 whereby artificial lighting is defined as having a power density of 4 W/m2 serving all internal spaces that are provided with artificial lighting.
- Class 2 Buildings will need to comply with performance requirement J1P3 of NCC 2022 Vol 1 and section J7D3 whereby artificial lighting is defined as having a power density of 4 W/m2 serving all internal spaces that are provided with artificial lighting.
Builders and building designers will be required to provide a table on the electrical/ceiling plan drawing with calculations showing the floor area, allowable lighting, and proposed lighting wattage.
Example:
- House floor area – i.e. 200m2
- Allowable lighting – i.e. (4W/m2) = 800W
- Proposed lighting wattage – to be less than 800W
This requires the builder and designer at the design stage to know how many lights will be installed, their location, and their wattage for the purposes of pricing and making a building development application.
After installation of the artificial lighting, the electrician as an appointed competent person may provide a Form 12 Aspect Inspection Certificate (Appointed Person) to the builder and the building certifiers for their records.
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