Design high-performance, sustainable homes

Optimise homes for comfort, health, resilience, and to achieve zero operational carbon.

  • Design for comfort and health.
  • Ensure long-term climate-resilience.
  • Best bang-for-buck sustainability and efficiency
  • Two NatHERS star ratings
  • Access to the Powerhaus home design app
Image of a high performance home with large north facing windows.

Confidently design and build high performance homes: light-filled, comfortable, healthy and zero carbon.

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Highly recommend getting Powerhaus involved early on so you can incorporate decisions into your final design, rather than just getting them to supply a NatHERS certificate.
Rhianna H.
Homeowner
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Powerhaus will give you the detailed advice to go beyond star-ratings and compliance to fine tune your home to get the best possible outcome.
Tristan Ryall
Architecture Republic
Image of a high performance home corridor with large windows and sunlight streaming in.
Sustainable renovation by Joanna Nelson Architect.

Let’s be real – you’re here for one reason:
you want to design a high-performance, sustainable home that’s built to last.

  • For homeowners: You’re building your forever home and want it to be comfortable, healthy, and energy-efficient for decades to come.
  • For architects: You’re looking for reliable ways to integrate energy efficiency and sustainability into your designs without sacrificing style or functionality.
  • You’re navigating a sea of conflicting advice—focus on star ratings? Off-grid solutions? Passive House? What’s the right path for your project?
  • You want to get it right the first time—sustainable, efficient, and future-proof—without blowing the budget or making decisions you regret.

You’re right to be thinking about these things. The choices you make today will shape the lived experience in your home or design for years. But here’s the good news: we make it easier.

How can you design or build a home that hits the mark on comfort, sustainability, and energy efficiency—without breaking the bank?

Glad you asked. Here’s how Powerhaus makes it simple.

how it works

We help you design high-performance, sustainable homes using a two-stage energy rating process

stage 1: During development of your Design

Image of a computer screen with the Powerhaus app mockup on screen.

FIRST ENERGY RATING & ENERGY Efficiency DESIgn APP

We use your plans to do an initial NatHERS star rating, and allow you to optimise the design using the Powerhaus app.

We provide an energy rating at the design phase, so that you know how your design will perform. You can make changes to improve the performance and comfort, and avoid expensive revisions or building upgrades later in the process.

Use the Powerhaus energy efficiency design app to:

  • See in real-time optimisation for your design
  • Explore efficiency decisions
  • Get your design and build team on the same page

stage 2: During Final building approvals

Image of sustainable house sketch transforming into a built luxury home.

Second energy rating & certificates

We finalise your paperwork, with the final thermal modelling and NatHERS star rating.

With your insights from design stage, the project moves through final NatHERS compliance (or Performance Solution) quickly and easily.

Additional services to maximise performance

Powerhaus home optimisation session for high performance home design showing computer screen and hands operating controls.

Design optimisation session

Collaborate with our experts to refine your design early and avoid costly mistakes. Maximise energy efficiency and stay true to your vision.

Happy kids in comfortable home cubby.

Comfort and health strategy

A detailed look at your systems: heating, cooling, air-quality management and energy resilience. Plan for comfort, health and safety.

What is a high-performance, sustainable home?

A high-performance, sustainable home is designed for long-term comfort, health, and energy efficiency. It takes a holistic approach to building, focusing on optimising every element of the home to reduce energy consumption, improve indoor comfort, and cut reliance on fossil fuels.

  • The optimal level of insulation for your climate and comfort.
  • Orient and size windows correctly for passive solar gain, natural light and cross ventilation.
  • Select optimal glazing, frames and opening types.
  • Advice on airtightness levels and detailing, including selection of wall wraps.
  • Size solar systems to cover your use all year round, or plan for an off-grid home.
  • Choosing the best heating and cooling systems for efficiency and comfort.
  • Minimise the fossil fuel consumption of your home and plan for an EV.
  • Evaluation of thermal mass and use of new building materials.

Benefits

What do you get out of it?

Here’s how our approach will benefit your design

Energy efficiency, guaranteed

Reduce energy use and costs for the life time of your home

Improved comfort and health

Create a home that feels great to live in and promotes well-being

Highest return investment

Achieve your star rating and sustainability goals without compromising on design or budget

Long-term climate resilience

Your home will be built to withstand future climate challenges.

Have some questions?

  • Homeowners: You want a comfortable, energy-efficient, and future-proof home that balances sustainability with long-term cost savings. You also want someone to walk with you through the process, offering expert advice to achieve the best possible outcome for your design.
  • Architects: You need to seamlessly integrate energy efficiency and sustainability into your designs without sacrificing aesthetics or functionality, working with a partner who can go beyond compliance to achieve high-performance, liveable homes.
  • Builders: You want to deliver better, more sustainable homes while still managing budgets and achievability, ensuring energy efficiency without compromising on timelines or costs.
  • Project Managers: You manage complex projects and need to meet energy efficiency targets without causing delays or escalating costs, while ensuring that all stakeholders stay aligned.
  • Governments: You’re aiming to meet sustainability regulations and climate resilience goals by promoting energy-efficient, zero-carbon homes across communities and developments.

A high-performance home is designed to maximise energy efficiency, comfort, and health while minimising environmental impact. These homes are built to maintain a comfortable indoor climate, reduce energy use and costs, and ensure long-term resilience against changing weather patterns. High-performance homes also focus on air quality, thermal comfort, and sustainability, making them better for both people and the planet.

Passive House is a rigorous, voluntary building standard focused on energy efficiency, comfort, and air quality. It’s an excellent pathway to achieve high-performance home standards, but it’s not the only option. At Powerhaus, we provide a flexible approach that considers multiple design philosophies—including Passive House, star ratings, and off-grid solutions—to create homes that are sustainable and tailored to your unique needs.

Even if you don’t need compliance, our services go beyond star ratings and regulations. We help you optimise your home for comfort, health, and long-term energy savings. By making smart design decisions early on, you can create a home that’s more comfortable to live in, costs less to run, and is future-proofed against rising energy costs and climate challenges.

We understand that designs can evolve, and we’re here to adapt with you. Our two-stage process allows you to make adjustments early in the design phase. By conducting an energy rating at the design stage, we help you identify changes that could improve your home’s performance before construction begins. If your plans change after this, we’ll work with you to adjust and ensure you still meet your goals.

The Powerhaus App gives you real-time access to your home’s energy performance data. It allows you to track energy efficiency, monitor daily net-zero progress, and make informed decisions that help optimise your home’s comfort and sustainability. The app is included in both our packages, ensuring you have the tools to meet your energy goals.

The timeline depends on the scope of your project and the services you select. For a typical two-stage energy rating, the first rating at the design stage can be completed within 5-10 business days, depending on complexity, provision of all details and how many projects we have on.

The final certification is done when you’re ready to go ahead with your final approvals.

If you choose additional services like the Optimisation Session or Comfort & Health Strategy, we’ll work closely with you to integrate these into your project timeline. Generally we like to include them in the first, design stage, however some clients like to consider their comfort, heating and cooling choices after the approvals stage .

The cost varies based on the package or services you select. We offer flexible packages to suit different needs:

  • The Designer Package includes essential energy ratings and app access.
  • The Premium Package provides a comprehensive solution with design optimisation and health strategies.

For a customised quote based on your project, contact us or request a free quote on our website.

Ready to start your journey?

We’ve made it easy for you to take the next step. Whether you’re an architect, homeowner, or builder, our services are designed to guide you from start to finish, ensuring your home is comfortable, healthy, sustainable, and ready for the future.