Course Overview

This course is delivered online over 7 weeks, 10.00am – 12.00pm every Tuesday.

Residential Energy Modelling – Advanced provides a comprehensive understanding of residential energy modelling and sustainable building performance. The course equips you with the skills to assess, optimise, and communicate building performance outcomes using industry-recognised tools and methodologies.

Energy modelling is increasingly essential in demonstrating compliance with H1 of the New Zealand Building Code and in delivering high-performing, future-ready homes. This course builds the technical capability needed to confidently use modelling as both a design optimisation and compliance tool - regardless of whether you are working on Homestar projects.

A core component of the course is learning how to use ECCHO (Energy and Carbon Calculator for Homes), a powerful modelling tool used to assess energy efficiency and carbon performance. As part of the course fee, you’ll receive a Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) licence — required to use ECCHO. If you already hold an active PHPP licence, you can contact us for a discount on the course fee.

Who is this course for?

This course is ideal for professionals involved in the design, planning, modelling, or consulting of residential buildings who want to develop advanced capability in energy modelling and building performance analysis.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Use ECCHO (Energy and Carbon Calculator for Homes) to model and assess residential building performance
• Apply energy modelling to demonstrate compliance with H1 of the New Zealand Building Code
• Take a whole-of-house approach to delivering healthy, energy-efficient homes
• Apply sustainable design principles to real-world projects, including energy efficiency, water conservation, and indoor environmental quality
• Understand how modelling integrates into certification pathways, including Homestar
  
  

Certification Pathways

Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive a Residential Energy Modelling – Advanced Certificate.

If you also complete Homestar Fundamentals, you will be eligible to gain Homestar Designer accreditation. This course provides the technical modelling foundation required for that pathway.