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our Daikin they quoted was 3 phase BRC24Z4, four zones, R1.5 ductwork & R0.4 insulated fittings is $20,152.
Not sure what is the difference.
Hey Rachel, that particular unit is the premium inverter. Better performance and efficiency than the standard inverter. I am just a heating/cooling snob and wanted the best I could get without getting split systems on every wall!
our Daikin they quoted was 3 phase BRC24Z4, four zones, R1.5 ductwork & R0.4 insulated fittings is $20,152.
Not sure what is the difference.
Hey Rachel, that particular unit is the premium inverter. Better performance and efficiency than the standard inverter. I am just a heating/cooling snob and wanted the best I could get without getting split systems on every wall!
Hi
JayxZara, I can see you are paying a lot of attention to the HAVC system. Just out of curiosity - have you looked into the Daikin VRV systems? My perception is that the VRV system could achieve better zone controls (basically individual indoor unit in each room) and efficiency (no energy loss in the duct). But am wondering why it doesn't look like a popular topic - maybe the price is sky high and out of reach? Thanks.
Hey Rachel, that particular unit is the premium inverter. Better performance and efficiency than the standard inverter. I am just a heating/cooling snob and wanted the best I could get without getting split systems on every wall![/quote]
Thank you so much for your reply. Good to know. had no idea 😀
Hey Rachel, that particular unit is the premium inverter. Better performance and efficiency than the standard inverter. I am just a heating/cooling snob and wanted the best I could get without getting split systems on every wall!
You should ask them to spec up an Airsmart system then if you are a HVAC snob
See how that one goes for you.
our Daikin they quoted was 3 phase BRC24Z4, four zones, R1.5 ductwork & R0.4 insulated fittings is $20,152.
Not sure what is the difference.
Hey Rachel, that particular unit is the premium inverter. Better performance and efficiency than the standard inverter. I am just a heating/cooling snob and wanted the best I could get without getting split systems on every wall!
Hi
JayxZara, I can see you are paying a lot of attention to the HAVC system. Just out of curiosity - have you looked into the Daikin VRV systems? My perception is that the VRV system could achieve better zone controls (basically individual indoor unit in each room) and efficiency (no energy loss in the duct). But am wondering why it doesn't look like a popular topic - maybe the price is sky high and out of reach? Thanks.
Oh yeah, I did look into that, but it will get very expensive as the piping from the outdoor unit (in one corner of the house) will have to run to 8 or 9 individual units, with a couple at the very opposite corner of the house. Unless I was to get multiple outdoor compressors, but then that defeats the purpose of having the multi-head haha.
The order of effectiveness/efficiency is Split system > Multi-head Split > Ducted RCAC, and to me personally is also the order of least to most aesthetic. It was just a balance of aesthetics & effectiveness for me, which means not having wall units/ceiling casettes/bulk heads but still being able to properly control each zone (in our case, each bedroom and living space is its own zone).
Hey Rachel, that particular unit is the premium inverter. Better performance and efficiency than the standard inverter. I am just a heating/cooling snob and wanted the best I could get without getting split systems on every wall!
You should ask them to spec up an Airsmart system then if you are a HVAC snob
See how that one goes for you.
Haha I don't think I can handle a dollar more than the Actron. I am actually not particularly a HVAC snob, just that I am basically goldilocks when it comes to temperature lol. Has to be just right
Thank you for staring this thread JayxZara. Yr layout looks great and so is your facade of choice! I'll be following along yr journey
We signed with TA in March and still yet to get any plans after our PSQ. It is supposedly coming mid Aug so our journey seems a long way to go. Can i please ask if you could share your costs for the following:
- changing the kitchen splashback to stone?
- To add overhead cabinets (and i presume bottom cabinets and a benchtop as well) to the butlers pantry?
- To raise the bottom cabinets in the laundry to add a hanging rail
- Changing to triple pot drawers on island bench and rear kitchen bench? We are going with the S2 kitchen (and thinking of changing from the S5 island to a S2 but would like a waterfall edge and pot drawers as well).
Sorry for the many questions. I have tried to ask TA for an indicative amount but hmmm they came back with joinery options and not really being able to answer my questions.
Hey
Aang Sure I can share the rough prices, but they are particular to our spec so take them with a grain of salt for you! But whatever I can do to help
1. Costing us about $5k to have backsplash to ceiling in natural stone (just behind the cooktop area, not butlers)
2. The benchtop and bottom cabinet were included in our design, we just added the overhead cabinetry for about $2k (including finger pulls)
3. About $140 for raising the cabinetry and for installing the bar in laundry
4. So it's $2.3k for the S2 island, and cost us $667 to have the both Kitchen island & rear kitchen bench (stovetop/oven) to be all drawers.
Hopefully that helps you out!
Thank-you for sharing, will be following along with interest as we are looking at a very slightly modified Nouveau.
We are in the early stages with TAH. Trying to get the design right, along with preliminary costs.
Hopefully there is someone here who can answer your questions. You could post on the previously posted threads of people who have built with TA.
I didnt realize you had to pay for changes at tender stage. That sucks.
Good luck with build, such an exciting time.
Hey! Thanks for following along. Hopefully we can help anyone that may be in a similar situation to us or looking for the same info we were seeking.
You get 1 variation to the tender included. Find it a bit weird given they wont quote on multiple things (for example, multiple natural stone types), so you get put into a scenario like we are in, We got the price for 1 stone (Tender V1), but want a quote for another stone (Tender V2), but if we want to revert to the first stone, this will be Tender V3 and we will have to pay. Feels a little unfair and forced to me.
Once i get my head around our build a little more, i will also post my build journey. First time building for us, its so exciting but also completely new, can i say i hate budgets haha.
Can i ask how much it cost for:
- carpet upgrade?
- square set - whole house
- flooring? Is it through made by story?
Before ths style appointment do they give you a list of options of different products for each space ? I think id be uncomfortable making a definite decision on the day of style apt, without looking through options first. How will i look up make and model of items haha.
We are looking to get 3m ceiling to gf but worried it will blow the budget!!
Yeah! Definitely nerve racking for us too! Our first house build as well, but luckily for my wife I love budgeting & costing spreadsheets lol (she haaaates it!)
Carpet upgrade:
Roughly $3k to all carpeted areas
Square set: (this one hurt me lol)
Roughly $8k for full house
Flooring:
Roughly $13.5k + $700 for skirting to be installed after
The flooring is "Baxter" engineered oak that is being directly stuck down. If we wanted "Made by Story", we would be doubling that figure.... not for my first house build!! Haha
They lumped our ceiling height increase (2735mm) into a figure with other structural changes, but from memory in our PSQ it was about $4k.
Hi there,
Love your house plan and wish you all the best with building! We are in early stage of choosing a builder, can I ask whether TA do any promotions or discounts at all?
Thank you
Thank you for staring this thread JayxZara. Yr layout looks great and so is your facade of choice! I'll be following along yr journey
We signed with TA in March and still yet to get any plans after our PSQ. It is supposedly coming mid Aug so our journey seems a long way to go. Can i please ask if you could share your costs for the following:
- changing the kitchen splashback to stone?
- To add overhead cabinets (and i presume bottom cabinets and a benchtop as well) to the butlers pantry?
- To raise the bottom cabinets in the laundry to add a hanging rail
- Changing to triple pot drawers on island bench and rear kitchen bench? We are going with the S2 kitchen (and thinking of changing from the S5 island to a S2 but would like a waterfall edge and pot drawers as well).
Sorry for the many questions. I have tried to ask TA for an indicative amount but hmmm they came back with joinery options and not really being able to answer my questions.
Hey
Aang Sure I can share the rough prices, but they are particular to our spec so take them with a grain of salt for you! But whatever I can do to help
1. Costing us about $5k to have benchtop to ceiling in natural stone (just behind the cooktop area, not butlers)
2. The benchtop and bottom cabinet were included in our design, we just added the overhead cabinetry for about $2k (including finger pulls)
3. About $140 for raising the cabinetry and for installing the bar in laundry
4. So it's $2.3k for the S2 island, and cost us $667 to have the both Kitchen island & rear kitchen bench (stovetop/oven) to be all drawers.
Hopefully that helps you out!
Many thanks for this
Jayxzara! IT has been helpful indeed. May i know which kitchen option did you go for? I thought all their options already has overhead cabinetry in the butlers (separate to the pantry). I was thinking of adding a benchtop and cabinetry to the pantry but I'll have to work out if it'll be cheaper to do post handover. Pardon my ignorance too but is natural zone a much higher category than their S1 and S2 range?
Hi there,
Love your house plan and wish you all the best with building! We are in early stage of choosing a builder, can I ask whether TA do any promotions or discounts at all?
Thank you
Hi
Legochan - Thanks!
I don't believe they do any promotions/discounts like you see with other volume builders. I'd take caution with those though, a lot of the time they make up the "saving" elsewhere in your build.
Good luck on deciding!
Thank you for staring this thread JayxZara. Yr layout looks great and so is your facade of choice! I'll be following along yr journey
We signed with TA in March and still yet to get any plans after our PSQ. It is supposedly coming mid Aug so our journey seems a long way to go. Can i please ask if you could share your costs for the following:
- changing the kitchen splashback to stone?
- To add overhead cabinets (and i presume bottom cabinets and a benchtop as well) to the butlers pantry?
- To raise the bottom cabinets in the laundry to add a hanging rail
- Changing to triple pot drawers on island bench and rear kitchen bench? We are going with the S2 kitchen (and thinking of changing from the S5 island to a S2 but would like a waterfall edge and pot drawers as well).
Sorry for the many questions. I have tried to ask TA for an indicative amount but hmmm they came back with joinery options and not really being able to answer my questions.
Hey
Aang Sure I can share the rough prices, but they are particular to our spec so take them with a grain of salt for you! But whatever I can do to help
1. Costing us about $5k to have benchtop to ceiling in natural stone (just behind the cooktop area, not butlers)
2. The benchtop and bottom cabinet were included in our design, we just added the overhead cabinetry for about $2k (including finger pulls)
3. About $140 for raising the cabinetry and for installing the bar in laundry
4. So it's $2.3k for the S2 island, and cost us $667 to have the both Kitchen island & rear kitchen bench (stovetop/oven) to be all drawers.
Hopefully that helps you out!
Many thanks for this
Jayxzara! IT has been helpful indeed. May i know which kitchen option did you go for? I thought all their options already has overhead cabinetry in the butlers (separate to the pantry). I was thinking of adding a benchtop and cabinetry to the pantry but I'll have to work out if it'll be cheaper to do post handover. Pardon my ignorance too but is natural zone a much higher category than their S1 and S2 range?
no worries!
We did a custom joinery setup for the kitchen, wasn't really one of their options. We just told them exactly what we wanted. Most of their joinery options have a length limit, and anything longer than that you will have to pay for. In our case, the overhead cabinetry to the rest of our butlers pantry was indeed over that limit.
We initially had an S4 quartz (not natural stone) in place of natural stone, as we were told it would be a ridiculous price. We asked for a natural limestone to be quoted so we could compare the price, and it came in at the same price (or maybe even cheaper) which I found so weird.
Limestone may not be the 'best' stone (and I know limestone is a little more sensitive to stains/etching), but it looks a hell of a lot better (in my opinion) compared to the quartz stone. The stone we chose is also quite busy so you would have to really look hard for etching. The stone company said that as long as we seal it every 6 months and make sure to wipe up things straight away we should be fine.
Some questions we have for the experienced here!
- How long was it between your ‘Site start’ after receiving ‘final tender’?
- I can see a lot of you have beautiful landscaping, and was wondering how much we should be budgeting for landscaping (especially if you had to have a retaining wall at the back)?
- We are thinking of engaging Darbecca as our private building inspector, but didn’t seem to make Thomas Archer too happy. Did you use your own private inspector? And if so, how was it? Do you recommend it?
- Did anyone do their WIR post handover? Any recommendations? Any idea on ballpark pricing here?
- Has anyone done ‘Crimsafe’ security doors? Are they worth it?
- Did you have to get a Power pit installed? If so, how much did you get quoted?
Exciting - congrats. To answer your questions....
1. Our was just under five months. We got back final version of tender in October and started on site in March.
2. We have budgeted $85k for landscaping
3. LOL. Yes, I don't believe TA likes Darbecca much. Darbecca lists TA as a builder they are critical of here -
https://www.darbecca.com.au/which-builder-.html I can't imagine that would make them particularly happy. That being said, many people I know who work for builders refer to private inspectors like Darbecca as a "necessary evil". They hold builders and a generally poor performing industry to account. Don't buy into the independent consultant argument either. Yes - they are there to sign off but they are not impartial. Darbecca has picked up a number of issues on our build. TA has not always agreed with them and I've taken a pragmatic approach - is it critical or can we accept it? Our site supervisor has actually been great in this regard. He clearly doesn't like the nit-picking, but accepts it and fixes most things.
4. No.
5. No.
6. Yes. $6.5k for us - and that included a pole across the road.
@Aang no worries!
We did a custom joinery setup for the kitchen, wasn't really one of their options. We just told them exactly what we wanted. Most of their joinery options have a length limit, and anything longer than that you will have to pay for. In our case, the overhead cabinetry to the rest of our butlers pantry was indeed over that limit.
We initially had an S4 quartz (not natural stone) in place of natural stone, as we were told it would be a ridiculous price. We asked for a natural limestone to be quoted so we could compare the price, and it came in at the same price (or maybe even cheaper) which I found so weird.
Limestone may not be the 'best' stone (and I know limestone is a little more sensitive to stains/etching), but it looks a hell of a lot better (in my opinion) compared to the quartz stone. The stone we chose is also quite busy so you would have to really look hard for etching. The stone company said that as long as we seal it every 6 months and make sure to wipe up things straight away we should be fine.
Limestone... ballsy!
Thank you for sharing!!! Very informative. We are in an earlier stage; so would not be able to answer your questions. But I have some questions for you, if you don't mind:
- ActronAir Platinum Que 21KW (3 phase) Ducted RCAC with 8 zones with individual thermostats. What is the cost to upgrade from the standard inclusion to this? And, may I ask why you are not choosing the Daikin system?
- Finger pulls on all cabinetry (cost surprised me!) Curious to know how much?
- Heat pump hot water system / 2000L Water tank I heard that you have to include the water tank if you opt for heat pump hot water system - is it true? Are you taking the Rinnai heat pump? How much do these 2 items cost you?
- Pre-wire for garden lights & electric front gate How much does this cost?
Thanks a lot!
Hey! Awesome! How have you found it so far?
1. This upgrade is easily the biggest for us. Just under $28k! The Daikin came in at about $16.5k. I chose the ActronAir system because of the functionality behind its zone control, better efficiency (input to output Kw ratio) and the ability to work at just 20% capacity for even better efficiency when conditioning 1 or 2 rooms. Efficiency is very important in the long run for us with the house being fully electric. Designed, fabricated, built in Australia, and built to deal with our climates. Another bonus is the outdoor compressor unit discharges vertically, so it doesn't create a sauna in the side of your house
2. I think it ended up coming up to like 3k for the entire house. About 2k for the kitchen alone! I was like, it costs me this much to remove handles!?!? haha. It's because they have to cut each panel with a 45 degree angle to allow for the finger pulls I suspect. Still, blew my mind.
3. Originally I wanted a different heat pump hot water system, but unfortunately TA doesn't supply anything other than the Rinnai. I did opt for the 315L version though. The heatpump upgrade itself wasn't much, about $500. The water tank was the killer, over $5k for it. The tank is needed to reach 6 star energy rating because of the removal of the solar HWS, because for some reason, building regulations (which are outdated imo) don't recognise the heat pump system as an eco-friendly option, when it is actually very enviro friendly and efficient. I find this so silly as Heat pump hot water systems get a government rebate in the "Solar water heater" category.. haha.
4. This technically isn't a full prewire - more like outdoor GPO's that the landscaper can tap into when doing the garden lights/gate. We also asked the outdoor GPO to be able to be shut off by a switch inside the house, which would mean we could turn the garden lights on/off from inside. This was about $200 for the outdoor GPO.
Hopefully that helps! Happy to answer anything else
We are building with TA and they are doing the Sanden heat pump hot water unit.
Despite this, we are NOT putting in a water tank plumbed to the toilet as per the VBA regs. There is a loophole in the regs that allows this approach. I got independent advice and was able to convince TA on this. As you mentioned, the regs are outdated anyway. The government is actively looking to change these. Penalising people for moving away from gas doesn't make sense.
We're still putting in a water tank but via the landscaper and for irrigation. For us it was approx $6k for a tank plumbed to toilets. I couldn't justify this cost.
Also, just a point of clarification - the HWS or water tank doesn't impact your star rating. TA had mentioned something similar to me in the past, but it's technically not correct. The legislated six star NaTHERS rating minimum (national building code) is seperate to this requirement (set by the state-based VBA). Many other builders also try to claim that six stars is sustainable - this really aggravates me - it's the minimum requirement under the building code!
Thank you for sharing!!! Very informative. We are in an earlier stage; so would not be able to answer your questions. But I have some questions for you, if you don't mind:
- ActronAir Platinum Que 21KW (3 phase) Ducted RCAC with 8 zones with individual thermostats. What is the cost to upgrade from the standard inclusion to this? And, may I ask why you are not choosing the Daikin system?
- Finger pulls on all cabinetry (cost surprised me!) Curious to know how much?
- Heat pump hot water system / 2000L Water tank I heard that you have to include the water tank if you opt for heat pump hot water system - is it true? Are you taking the Rinnai heat pump? How much do these 2 items cost you?
- Pre-wire for garden lights & electric front gate How much does this cost?
Thanks a lot!
Hey! Awesome! How have you found it so far?
1. This upgrade is easily the biggest for us. Just under $28k! The Daikin came in at about $16.5k. I chose the ActronAir system because of the functionality behind its zone control, better efficiency (input to output Kw ratio) and the ability to work at just 20% capacity for even better efficiency when conditioning 1 or 2 rooms. Efficiency is very important in the long run for us with the house being fully electric. Designed, fabricated, built in Australia, and built to deal with our climates. Another bonus is the outdoor compressor unit discharges vertically, so it doesn't create a sauna in the side of your house
2. I think it ended up coming up to like 3k for the entire house. About 2k for the kitchen alone! I was like, it costs me this much to remove handles!?!? haha. It's because they have to cut each panel with a 45 degree angle to allow for the finger pulls I suspect. Still, blew my mind.
3. Originally I wanted a different heat pump hot water system, but unfortunately TA doesn't supply anything other than the Rinnai. I did opt for the 315L version though. The heatpump upgrade itself wasn't much, about $500. The water tank was the killer, over $5k for it. The tank is needed to reach 6 star energy rating because of the removal of the solar HWS, because for some reason, building regulations (which are outdated imo) don't recognise the heat pump system as an eco-friendly option, when it is actually very enviro friendly and efficient. I find this so silly as Heat pump hot water systems get a government rebate in the "Solar water heater" category.. haha.
4. This technically isn't a full prewire - more like outdoor GPO's that the landscaper can tap into when doing the garden lights/gate. We also asked the outdoor GPO to be able to be shut off by a switch inside the house, which would mean we could turn the garden lights on/off from inside. This was about $200 for the outdoor GPO.
Hopefully that helps! Happy to answer anything else
We are building with TA and they are doing the Sanden heat pump hot water unit.
Despite this, we are NOT putting in a water tank plumbed to the toilet as per the VBA regs. There is a loophole in the regs that allows this approach. I got independent advice and was able to convince TA on this. As you mentioned, the regs are outdated anyway. The government is actively looking to change these. Penalising people for moving away from gas doesn't make sense.
We're still putting in a water tank but via the landscaper and for irrigation. For us it was approx $6k for a tank plumbed to toilets. I couldn't justify this cost.
Also, just a point of clarification - the HWS or water tank doesn't impact your star rating. TA had mentioned something similar to me in the past, but it's technically not correct. The legislated six star NaTHERS rating minimum (national building code) is seperate to this requirement (set by the state-based VBA). Many other builders also try to claim that six stars is sustainable - this really aggravates me - it's the minimum requirement under the building code!
This pisses me off so much lol. It just wasn't making sense to me, they tried to explain it to me but I just couldn't understand why replacing the solar/gas system with a heatpump would change the star rating of the house.
I don't even know what to do now, our BC is awaiting my email to confirm our final Tender. I wanted to get the Reclaim hot water system, and was told "
I have obtained clarification from our procurement manager that we only source the Rinnai Heat Pump EHPA250VM as they are out hot water unit service provider." I find this crazy because it's like, I have no choice? Haha. And I thought TA could do fully custom homes...? Are you telling me if I went down this route and spent 1.5mil I couldn't choose which hot water system I could get? Out of curiousity, how much did they charge you for the Sanden system? I know they are one of the best
Thank you!! All the best for your building too!
Thank you for sharing!!! Very informative. We are in an earlier stage; so would not be able to answer your questions. But I have some questions for you, if you don't mind:
- ActronAir Platinum Que 21KW (3 phase) Ducted RCAC with 8 zones with individual thermostats. What is the cost to upgrade from the standard inclusion to this? And, may I ask why you are not choosing the Daikin system?
- Finger pulls on all cabinetry (cost surprised me!) Curious to know how much?
- Heat pump hot water system / 2000L Water tank I heard that you have to include the water tank if you opt for heat pump hot water system - is it true? Are you taking the Rinnai heat pump? How much do these 2 items cost you?
- Pre-wire for garden lights & electric front gate How much does this cost?
Thanks a lot!
Hey! Awesome! How have you found it so far?
1. This upgrade is easily the biggest for us. Just under $28k! The Daikin came in at about $16.5k. I chose the ActronAir system because of the functionality behind its zone control, better efficiency (input to output Kw ratio) and the ability to work at just 20% capacity for even better efficiency when conditioning 1 or 2 rooms. Efficiency is very important in the long run for us with the house being fully electric. Designed, fabricated, built in Australia, and built to deal with our climates. Another bonus is the outdoor compressor unit discharges vertically, so it doesn't create a sauna in the side of your house
2. I think it ended up coming up to like 3k for the entire house. About 2k for the kitchen alone! I was like, it costs me this much to remove handles!?!? haha. It's because they have to cut each panel with a 45 degree angle to allow for the finger pulls I suspect. Still, blew my mind.
3. Originally I wanted a different heat pump hot water system, but unfortunately TA doesn't supply anything other than the Rinnai. I did opt for the 315L version though. The heatpump upgrade itself wasn't much, about $500. The water tank was the killer, over $5k for it. The tank is needed to reach 6 star energy rating because of the removal of the solar HWS, because for some reason, building regulations (which are outdated imo) don't recognise the heat pump system as an eco-friendly option, when it is actually very enviro friendly and efficient. I find this so silly as Heat pump hot water systems get a government rebate in the "Solar water heater" category.. haha.
4. This technically isn't a full prewire - more like outdoor GPO's that the landscaper can tap into when doing the garden lights/gate. We also asked the outdoor GPO to be able to be shut off by a switch inside the house, which would mean we could turn the garden lights on/off from inside. This was about $200 for the outdoor GPO.
Hopefully that helps! Happy to answer anything else
We are building with TA and they are doing the Sanden heat pump hot water unit.
Despite this, we are NOT putting in a water tank plumbed to the toilet as per the VBA regs. There is a loophole in the regs that allows this approach. I got independent advice and was able to convince TA on this. As you mentioned, the regs are outdated anyway. The government is actively looking to change these. Penalising people for moving away from gas doesn't make sense.
We're still putting in a water tank but via the landscaper and for irrigation. For us it was approx $6k for a tank plumbed to toilets. I couldn't justify this cost.
Also, just a point of clarification - the HWS or water tank doesn't impact your star rating. TA had mentioned something similar to me in the past, but it's technically not correct. The legislated six star NaTHERS rating minimum (national building code) is seperate to this requirement (set by the state-based VBA). Many other builders also try to claim that six stars is sustainable - this really aggravates me - it's the minimum requirement under the building code!
Would you mind sharing the relevant "'VBA regs" and the "loophole"? Also found $5k+ for a tank due to moving away from gas doesn't make any sense...
Re the Sanden unit - the additional cost for the Sanden was $850. The Rinnai was offered to us initially, but I didn't want it (Sanden is far more efficient according to my data, has the tank and exchanger separate, and is the best quality). The Rinnai was $430 and is an excellent unit, but the Sanden is better - the Stiebel Eltron range is also excellent. This video was helpful -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Rovg4cyyY - as well as advice from some friends who work in the industry.
Keep in mind that the costs from TA were from about 12 months ago and I have no insight whatsoever to their current procurement....
The good thing was that we got a credit back from not needing a gas connection - approx $2k from memory, so we actually ended up being ahead!
VBA Practice Note 55 (the regs) -
https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/__data/asset ... asures.pdfThe "loophole" in the regs apparently only works with the Sanden unit - it
does not have a backup element so it only heats water with solar energy (solar energy stored in the environment via the copper heat exchanger which runs a refrigerant gas - CO2). None of the heat comes from anything connected directly to the mains electricity supply. This therefore technically complies with the VBA regs (according to my independent advice).
Re the Sanden unit - the additional cost for the Sanden was $850. The Rinnai was offered to us initially, but I didn't want it (Sanden is far more efficient according to my data, has the tank and exchanger separate, and is the best quality). The Rinnai was $430 and is an excellent unit, but the Sanden is better - the Stiebel Eltron range is also excellent. This video was helpful -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Rovg4cyyY - as well as advice from some friends who work in the industry.
Keep in mind that the costs from TA were from about 12 months ago and I have no insight whatsoever to their current procurement....
The good thing was that we got a credit back from not needing a gas connection - approx $2k from memory, so we actually ended up being ahead!
VBA Practice Note 55 (the regs) -
https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/__data/asset ... asures.pdfThe "loophole" in the regs apparently only works with the Sanden unit - it
does not have a backup element so it only heats water with solar energy (solar energy stored in the environment via the copper heat exchanger which runs a refrigerant gas - CO2). None of the heat comes from anything connected directly to the mains electricity supply. This therefore technically complies with the VBA regs (according to my independent advice). Thanks a lot - very helpful.