Understand Australia’s energy and emissions — then measure your own
A free learning hub for students and non-experts. Learn how Australia counts greenhouse gas emissions under the NGER scheme and how homes earn NatHERS energy star ratings — then try it yourself with two interactive calculators built on the official Australian Government data.
Greenhouse gas emissions & NGER
Every year Australia’s biggest companies must measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme. The same official method — energy used × an emission factor — can estimate the footprint of a home, school or small business.
- What Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are
- What “tonnes of CO₂-e” actually means
- The exact formula, with worked examples
- Why electricity is cleaner in Tasmania than Victoria
Home energy ratings & NatHERS
New Australian homes must now achieve a 7-star NatHERS rating. The stars measure how well a home’s design — orientation, insulation, windows, shading — keeps it comfortable with the least heating and cooling energy, in its own climate zone.
- How the 0–10 star scale works
- Australia’s 69 NatHERS climate zones
- What the NCC 2022 7-star rule requires
- Design choices that win (or lose) stars
Built for learning
Everything here is written in plain English for students and non-experts, uses current official Australian Government data (the NGER Measurement Determination for the 2025–26 year and the 2022 NatHERS star bands), explains every result it produces, and cites its sources in APA 7 style. The calculators are educational estimates — clearly labelled — not compliance reports or official ratings.