Untitled document

Plumbing Amendment Regulations 2012

S.R. No. 113/2012

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

Regulation  Page

1Objective

2Authorising provisions

3Commencement

4Principal Regulations

5Definitions

6Modifications to the Plumbing Code of Australia

7Type B gasfitting work

8Amendment of definition of solar water heater

9Requirements where rainwater is used for sanitary flushing

10Substitution of clause 15 and new clauses 15A and 15B in Schedule 2

15Requirements relating to solar water heaters—
all buildings

15ARequirements relating to solar water heaters—
Class 1 buildings

15BRequirements relating to solar water heaters—
new Class 1 buildings

11Amendment of Schedule 3

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ENDNOTES

STATUTORY RULES 2012

S.R. No. 113/2012

Building Act 1993

Plumbing Amendment Regulations 2012

The Lieutenant-Governor as the Governor's deputy with the advice of the Executive Council makes the following Regulations:

Dated: 16 October 2012

Responsible Minister:

MATTHEW GUY
Minister for Planning

MATTHEW McBEATH

Clerk of the Executive Council

1Objective

The objective of these Regulations is to amend the Plumbing Regulations 2008—

(a)in relation to energy efficiency measures; and

(b)to make further miscellaneous amendments.

2Authorising provisions

These Regulations are made under sections 221ZZZV, 221ZZZW and 262 of the Building Act 1993.

3Commencement

(1)These Regulations (except regulations 5(1), 8 and 10) come into operation on 19 October 2012.

(2)Regulations 5(1), 8 and 10 come into operation on 19 April 2013.

4Principal Regulations

In these Regulations the Plumbing Regulations 2008[1] are called the Principal Regulations.

5Definitions

(1)In regulation 5 of the Principal Regulations—

(a)the definition of AS 4234 is revoked;

(b)insert the following definition—

"AS/NZS 4234 means AS/NZS 4234 Heated water systems—Calculation of energy consumption, as issued, published or remade from time to time;".

(2)In regulation 5 of the Principal Regulations—

(a)the definition of disconnect/reconnect licence is revoked;

(b)insert the following definition—

"Restricted electrical worker's licence (Class 2) has the same meaning as it has in the Electricity Safety (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2010 and includes a disconnect/reconnect licence that is treated as a Restricted electrical worker's licence (Class 2) under regulation 42 of those Regulations;".

6Modifications to the Plumbing Code of Australia

In regulation 9(2) of the Principal Regulations, for "Table A1.3" (where twice occurring) substitute "Table A3.1".

7Type B gasfitting work

In regulation 23(3) of the Principal Regulations, for "GJ/h" substitute "MJ/h".

8Amendment of definition of solar water heater

In clause 10 of Schedule 2 to the Principal Regulations, in paragraph (a) of the definition of solar water heater, for "container which may be integral, close coupled or remote, and which heats water by means of radiant energy from the sun and may include" substitute "container (that may be integral, close coupled or remote) that heats water by means of radiant energy from the sun and includes".

9Requirements where rainwater is used for sanitary flushing

For the note at the foot of clause 14 of Schedule 2 to the Principal Regulations substitute—

"Note

The Victorian variation to the energy efficiency provisions of the Building Code of Australia (as incorporated by the building regulations) provides that the energy efficiency performance requirement for a new Class 1 building is satisfied if either a rainwater tank is connected to all sanitary flushing systems or a solar water heater is installed in accordance with these Regulations.".

10Substitution of clause 15 and new clauses 15A and 15B in Schedule 2

For clause 15 of Schedule 2 to the Principal Regulations substitute—

15Requirements relating to solar water heaters—all buildings'

(1)The solar collectors contained in a solar water heater installed in a building must—

(a)be oriented to face between 30 degrees east and 60 degrees west of magnetic north; and

(b)have an inclination of 35 degrees plus or minus 20 degrees to the horizontal.

Note

For additional requirements relating to a solar water heater installed in a Class 1 building, see clauses 15A and 15B.

(2)Subclause (1) does not apply to a new Class 1 building if—

(a)a solar water heater is installed in the building in order to comply with the building regulations; and

(b)the solar water heater installed is evaluated and performs to the standard required under clause 15B(1); and

(c)it is not practicable to comply with subclause (1).

15ARequirements relating to solar water heaters—Class 1 buildings

(1)The annual energy performance of a solar water heater installed in a Class 1 building, if evaluated in accordance with AS/NZS 4234, must be evaluated in accordance with that standard as modified by subclause (2).

(2)For the purposes of subclause (1), AS/NZS 4234 is to be read as if—

(a)the following clause were inserted after clause 1.4.17—

"1.4.17A  Solar water heater

A system for heating water consisting of—

(a)a solar collector and a container (that may be integral, close coupled or remote) that heats water by means of radiant energy from the sun and includes—

(i)a single container solar water heater with electric or gas boosting; or

(ii)2 or more solar pre-heat containers connected to each other and to an electric booster or gas booster; or

(iii)a solar pre-heater coupled with a conventional storage water heater; or

(iv)any other solar powered heater configuration that incorporates a heater referred to in subparagraph (i) and a component referred to in subparagraph (ii); or

(b)a heat pump water heater."; and

(b)the following clause were inserted after clause 3.3—

"3.3A  THERMAL ENERGY LOADS FOR EVALUATING SOLAR WATER HEATERS IN CLASS 1 BUILDINGS

Despite Clause 3.3, the following load and environmental conditions in Appendix A must be adopted for evaluating the annual energy use of a solar water heater installed in a Class 1 building—

(a)climate zone 4 for all simulation model inputs; and

(b)for a building with less than 3 bedrooms—the small system peak daily thermal energy load, as set out in Table A3; and

(c)for a building with 3 or more bedrooms—the medium system peak daily thermal energy load, as set out in Table A3; and

(d)the collector inclination and azimuth modelled to the North orientation, as set out in Table A1.".

15BRequirements relating to solar water heaters—new Class 1 buildings

(1)A solar water heater installed in a new Class 1 building, in order to comply with the requirements of the building regulations, must—

(a)have its annual energy performance evaluated in accordance with AS/NZS 4234 as modified by clause 15A(2); and

(b)perform to a standard under which the energy savings, relative to a conventional water heater, are 60% or more when so evaluated.

(2)A solar water heater installed in a new Class 1 building must have attached to the heater's water heater storage container a legible label that is in the following form and contains the information required to complete the label—

"This solar water heater installation complies with the Plumbing Regulations 2008 (Victoria) when installed with the following collectors

No. of bedrooms in building	1-2	3 or more
Number of collectors installed in building
Model number of each collector installed in building

".

(3)Subclause (2) does not apply to a heat pump water heater.

(4)If a reticulated gas supply from a gas company is available for connection to a new Class 1 building, a solar water heater installed in that building must be—

(a)if it incorporates booster heating and is not a heat pump water heater—a gas boosted solar water heater; and

(b)if it is a heat pump water heater—installed so that no part of the heater that is capable of heating water can be connected to the mains electricity supply in order for that part of the heater to operate.

Note

The Victorian variation to the energy efficiency provisions of the Building Code of Australia (as incorporated by the building regulations) provides that the energy efficiency performance requirement for a new Class 1 building is satisfied if either a rainwater tank is connected to all sanitary flushing systems or a solar water heater is installed in accordance with these Regulations.'.

11Amendment of Schedule 3

In Part 2 of Schedule 3 to the Principal Regulations, for "disconnect/reconnect licence" (wherever occurring) substitute "Restricted electrical worker's licence (Class 2)".

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ENDNOTES

[1] Reg. 4: S.R. No. 136/2008 as amended by S.R. Nos 82/2009, 51/2010, 14/2011, 21/2011, 49/2011 and 64/2012.

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Table of Applied, Adopted or Incorporated Matter

The following table of applied, adopted or incorporated matter is included in accordance with the requirements of regulation 5 of the Subordinate Legislation Regulations 2004.

Statutory rule provision	Title of applied, adopted or incorporated document	Matter in applied, adopted or incorporated document
Regulation 5(1)(b), which inserts the definition of AS/NZS 4234 in the Principal Regulations	AS/NZS 4234—2008 Heated water systems—Calculation of energy consumption, published by Standards Australia 21 August 2008, reissued November 2011	The whole
Regulation 10, which substitutes clause 15 and inserts clauses 15A and 15B in Schedule 2 to the Principal Regulations	AS/NZS 4234—2008 Heated water systems—Calculation of energy consumption, published by Standards Australia 21 August 2008, reissued November 2011	The whole