Gas efficiency activity and other changes commencing 19 September 2022

We have released updated guidance documents and VEEC assignment forms to reflect the release of VEU Specifications 2018 - Version 13.0

19 September 2022

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (the Department) has released the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) Specifications 2018 - Version 13.0 which come into effect from Monday, 19 September. The key change to the specifications is to include revised minimum thermal efficiency requirements for gas-fired steam boiler and gas-fired water heater activities (activity 37 and 38). The change introduces alternative compliance pathways for eligible products to facilitate grater activity uptake while maintaining high efficiency standards. Other wording amendments have been made in the specifications for other VEU activities for legal clarity.

Revised minimum efficiency requirements for gas efficiency activities - activity 37 and activity 38

The Department has made the following updates to gas-fired steam boiler (activity 37) and gas-fired hot water boiler or gas-fired water heater (activity 38):

A requirement that the decommissioned product under the activity be manufactured at least 10 years before the date it is decommissioned.
Changes to the minimum gross thermal efficiency requirements for the activity to allow for the product to meet one of three set criteria - an expansion on the previous one efficiency requirement criteria.
Addition of condensing boiler definition to the specifications for these activities.

Updated program documents

We have released updates of the following documents, which come into effect from 19 September, to reflect the changes to the VEU specifications for these gas-efficiency activities.

Other updated activity guides

We have also updated the following documents to reflect the minor amendments made to the VEU Specifications. Table A below details some of the changes made in the VEU Specifications for other activities.

Table A

Activity	Change
Weather sealing (Activity 15)	Amendment to provide that product to be installed must be covered by warranty against defects for a period of at least two years from the date of installation - addition of ‘from the date of installation’. Amendments to clarify requirements which are product requirements vs installation requirements
Gas heating ductwork (Activity 28)	Amendment to provide that product must be tested and certified by an approved laboratory - addition of words ‘tested and’. Addition of reference to Part A6 of Volume 1 of the Building Code for building classifications.
In-home display unit (Activity 30)	Amendment to clarify that installed unit needs to comply with the ZigBee Smart Energy Standard version 1.2 – addition of ‘version 1.2’.
Refrigeration fan motor and ventilation fan motor (Activity 33)	Amendment to clarify that product must be designed to be installed into a fan in a refrigerated cabinet or cold room (Category 33A) or designed to be installed into a ducted fan or partition fan in an air-handling system as defined in ISO 13349:2010 (Category 33B).
Building based lighting upgrade (Activity 34)	Amendment to clarify that scenario 34D involves removing, and not replacing no more than half the lamps from a luminaire which houses multiple lamps, and decommissioning any associated control gear – addition of ‘and not replacing’.
Water efficient pre-rinse spray valve (Activity 36)	Amendment to product criteria to include more detailed reference to sections 18, 19 and 26 of the Water Efficiency Labelling Standards Act 2005 (Cth).

We have released updates to the following documents to reflect the latest amendments published in VEU Specifications 2018 - Version 13.0.

Where to get help

If you have any questions on this program update, please contact VEU Support on (03) 9302 1300 or send an email to veu@esc.vic.gov.au