POWERHAUS APP
Turn your NatHERS model into better design decisions
Powerhaus turns your project’s initial NatHERS model into an interactive dashboard. Architects, designers and builders can explore different specifications, explain the trade-offs visually and bring clients into the decision-making process—before the design is locked in.
Help clients see not only what you recommend, but why it is right for their project.
Included with Powerhaus Designer and Premium packages.
BEYOND THE STAR RATING
A NatHERS certificate gives you a result. Powerhaus helps you decide what to do next.
A conventional assessment tests one set of assumptions. Powerhaus makes the initial project model explorable, so the team can see which design and specification choices materially change the outcome.
One model. Many questions.
Explore alternatives without treating the first specification as the only answer.
See the impact immediately.
Changes update the indicative star rating and energy use effectively instantly.
Certify the resolved design.
The final compliant model and certificate remain with your Powerhaus assessor.
Window performance
Insulation + airtightness
Comfort + energy use
BRING CLIENTS INTO THE PROCESS
Turn technical advice into a conversation clients can take part in
Professionals often know the moves that would improve a home. The challenge is helping clients balance performance with budget, aesthetics and comfort—and understand why a recommendation matters.
Powerhaus gives the project team a shared visual language. Compare options together, show what each choice changes and help the client support the final specification with confidence.
Instead of asking clients to accept a recommendation, take them on the journey to a decision everyone understands.
Make performance visible
Turn an abstract rating into clear visual information about heat loss, energy use, windows, insulation, systems and solar.
Compare trade-offs together
Show what each option improves, what it compromises and whether it materially changes the outcome.
Build confidence and ownership
Help clients participate in the decision and confidently support the final specification.
QUESTIONS THE DASHBOARD HELPS ANSWER
See the design decisions behind the rating
Powerhaus turns technical modelling into practical questions the whole project team can understand.
Where is performance being lost?
See how walls, floors, roofs, windows and air leakage contribute to heating and cooling demand, so attention can go to the areas that matter most.
Which specifications are worth considering?
Compare insulation levels, window U-values and SHGCs, glazing area and airtightness targets without treating the first specification as the only option.
How will the systems work together?
Explore heating, cooling, hot water and household energy choices alongside solar production and monthly energy use.
When have we gone far enough?
Understand the return from further changes and choose the level of performance that suits the project’s goals and budget.
MODEL ONCE. EXPLORE MANY OPTIONS.
Test the choices that shape home energy performance
Powerhaus creates the initial model from the project plans and proposed building details. Once the dashboard is ready, users can explore alternatives themselves and see the indicative result immediately.
- Explore wall, floor and ceiling insulation
- Optimise window U-values and SHGC
- Balance glazing area by orientation
- Test airtightness targets
- Compare heating, cooling and hot water
- Size solar for monthly net zero
No NatHERS software experience is needed. The useful decisions stay visible while the detailed model remains behind the dashboard.
BEYOND THE BUILDING ENVELOPE
See how the home uses and produces energy across the year
Building fabric is only part of the picture. Powerhaus can also compare heating, cooling and hot-water systems, household loads and solar size, showing how energy use and production change from month to month.
Use it to explore the solar size needed to move towards monthly net zero—not just a good annual total that disguises seasonal demand.
FROM PLANS TO CERTIFICATE
How Powerhaus fits into your NatHERS project
Dashboard access is included with Powerhaus Designer and Premium packages.
01
Share plans and details
We review the plans, design goals and proposed specifications.
02
Build the initial model
Powerhaus creates the project-specific NatHERS model and dashboard.
03
Explore with your client
Compare options together and make the trade-offs visible.
04
Finalise and certify
Our assessor resolves the design and completes the compliant certificate.
Have a project ready to assess? Bring the plans and proposed details—we’ll build the model from there.
Better decisions for the whole project team
One shared model gives every participant a clearer way to understand and discuss the design.
Design intent
Buildability
Lived comfort
For architects and designers
Make performance recommendations visible without losing sight of design intent. Help clients understand why particular specifications matter before decisions become expensive to change.
For builders
Show how construction, product and system choices influence the outcome. Support clearer selections and fewer late-stage misunderstandings.
For homeowners
See the options, understand the trade-offs and participate in performance decisions with greater confidence.
What project teams say about Powerhaus
“The Powerhaus App has been a gamechanger for our Architecture Practice. It puts the power back in our hands to test and optimise the design, and then seamlessly communicate that value to our clients.”
Sarah Lebner, Cooee Architecture
“It was a great way to educate and explain to the client how certain aspects of the build can have big effects on how the house will perform. Seeing the rating change on the fly, particularly with the window specifications and things like hot water systems is golden!”
Tim Baxter, Baxter Design
“Making tweaks to various design parameters gave immediate feedback on impact to star rating so we could make quick and direct comparisons.”
Rhianna, owner-builder
Two ways to use Powerhaus
Choose the path that matches your project.
INCLUDES THE INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD
As part of a Powerhaus NatHERS service
The dashboard is included as standard with our Designer and Premium packages, alongside project modelling, professional advice and final certification.
Use Powerhaus on its own
Planning a new home or renovation independently? Powerhaus is also available as a standalone self-service experience, with an indicative NatHERS model and full access to the interactive dashboard.
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Is the Powerhaus app included with a NatHERS assessment?
It is included as standard with Powerhaus Designer and Premium packages. Other assessment packages may not include dashboard access.
Are the dashboard results an official NatHERS rating?
The dashboard starts from an initial NatHERS model and shows indicative results as you explore different choices. These update effectively instantly, but a small margin of difference may remain until the final design is officially modelled and certified by a NatHERS assessor.
What if we have not selected every product or specification yet?
That is fine. We use the proposed project details where they are available and suitable default values where decisions have not yet been made. You can then explore alternatives through the dashboard.
What can I change in the dashboard?
Options include insulation levels, window U-values and SHGCs, window area by façade orientation, airtightness, heating and cooling systems, hot water and solar size. Available options depend on the project and model.
Do I need technical or NatHERS modelling experience?
No. Powerhaus is designed to make the useful parts of the energy model clear to architects, designers, builders and homeowners without requiring them to operate NatHERS software.
Can I use Powerhaus without commissioning a Powerhaus NatHERS service?
Yes. Standalone access is available through powerhaus.app for people who want a self-service indicative model and interactive dashboard for a new home or renovation.
Award-winning. Shared nationally.
Recognised for innovation, energy efficiency and sustainable building performance, with early support from a Canberra Innovation Network Innovation Connect Grant.
SHOWCASED WITH
Sustainable Builders Alliance National Energy Efficiency Conference Australian Institute of Architects Sanctuary BDAA National Conference HIA GreenSmart Awards
Bring better information—and your client—into the design process
Use Powerhaus to test the design, communicate the trade-offs and help the whole project team make informed decisions together.