The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme, commonly known as NatHERS, which is applied through software tools such as AccuRate Sustainability, has become the predominant pathway for complying with energy efficiency requirements within the National Construction Code of Australia. Current energy efficiency regulations have remained unchanged for a decade and there is an intention to increase these requirements, through mandating a higher minimum star rating for buildings.

This report delivers a part of the first year outputs of RP1006: Viable Integrated Systems for Zero Carbon Housing, including a review of national and international house energy rating schemes and a review of Australian and some international residential energy monitoring program case studies. It focuses on one of the foremost Australian-based housing energy monitoring programs, the Lochiel Park Green Village in South Australia, which is Australia's leading sustainable housing development.

RP1006 was established to support the path to zero carbon housing (ZCH) by focusing on the development and validation of evidence-based building energy modelling tools to support the regulatory pathway to zero emission housing in Australia. The 2013 Progress Report provides an update on progress against milestones including a scoping study of available house energy rating tools and a scoping study of residential energy end-use monitoring.