What Changes NCC 2022 Introduced to Section J-Energy Efficiency in Class 3 to 9 Buildings
                     What Changes NCC 2022 Introduced  
to Section J-Energy Efficiency in  
Class 3 to 9 Buildings?
The National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 updated Section J-Energy Efficiency by  
introducing changes in Class 3 to 9 buildings and commercial spaces. These 
commercial  buildings include hotels, schools, offices, stores, parking, factories, etc.
The main aim of energy efficiency provision in the NCC is to support the Australian 
Building  Codes Board (ABCB) sustainability objective. If you are looking forward to 
constructing a  building, you must know the updated NCC BCA Section J.
While recent changes mainly involve the naming conventions of the sections, you 
need to  understand the new requirements these sections bring. In this article, we 
have discussed two  vital areas of NCC 2022 updates, i.e., electric vehicle charging 
infrastructure in the parking area  and features for generating and storing on-site 
renewable energy.
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Car Parks
According to the code, it’s mandatory for the car parks associated with Class 2, 3, 5, 
6, 7b, 8, or  9 buildings to have dedicated electrical distribution boards for electric 
vehicle charging. Let’s  learn about the requirements in detail:
Distribution board specifications
● The updated NCC  BCA Section J specifies  that each  car in each  storey 
must be  equipped with dedicated electrical distribution boards.
● It’s mandatory to clearly label the distribution boards to indicate their 
purpose for EV  charging equipment.
Charging control system and circuit capacities
The car parks must have distribution boards with a charging control system to 
manage and  schedule electric vehicle charging according to the building’s total 
demand.
Future expansion and sub-circuit metering
● The size of distribution boards should be ideal enough to accommodate the 
electric  vehicle chargers that will likely be installed in the coming years.
● In addition, distribution boards must have sufficient space to accommodate 
individual  sub-circuit electricity metering to monitor electricity usage from EV 
charging equipment  accurately.
Features for Generating and Storing On-Site Renewable 
 Energy
Another critical aspect that the updated NCC BCA Section J emphasised is the 
inclusion of  features facilitating on-site renewable energy generation and storage 
installation. Let’s learn  about the requirements in detail:
Main electrical switchboard specifications
● The building’s main electrical switchboard must have at least two slots for an 
empty  three-phase circuit breaker and four DIN rail spaces labelled for 
particular purposes.
● The labelled spaces should be designated for installing a solar photovoltaic 
(PV) and a  battery system.
Roof area allocation for solar photovoltaic panels
It’s mandatory to leave a minimum of 20% of the building’s roof area to install solar 
photovoltaic  panels to promote renewable energy generation.
However, the updated NCC BCA Section J report specifies exceptions for buildings 
with solar  panels covering at least 20% of the roof area.
In addition, the buildings generating equivalent capacity of solar power generation 
elsewhere  on-site, highly shaded roofs, roofs primarily used as car parks, roof 
gardens, terraces, or roof  lights, or rooftops with an area not exceeding 55 m2, 
come under the exception.
To sum up it all
The inclusion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and features for generating 
and storing  on-site renewable energy will lead to a forward-thinking approach to 
sustainable construction  practices. The updated NCC BCA Section J report not only 
helps promote a greener future but  also meets the increasing demand for energy-
efficient and environmentally responsible  buildings and commercial spaces.
As a construction business owner or a professional architect, it’s your responsibility 
to help your  clients build a building according to Australia’s building code.
You can do the same by updating yourself about the changes introduced by NCC 
2022 in  Section J-Energy Efficiency in Class 3 to 9 buildings and commercial spaces. 
Knowing about  updated NCC 2022 Section J-Energy Efficiency requirements will 
guide you to construct  energy-efficient and sustainable buildings.
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