4671.0 - Household Energy Consumption Survey, User Guide, Australia, 2012  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/09/2013  First Issue
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CLIMATE ZONE

The climate zone classifications used for both the HECS and Business Survey of Residential Electricity Distribution (BSRED) Experimental Estimates are based on the eight climatic zones defined by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB). Each climatic zone is based on humidity, temperature and rainfall characteristics and are as follows:

  • Zone 1 – High humid summer, warm winter (highly humid with a degree of ‘dry season’, high temperatures year round, minimum seasonal temperature variation, lowest diurnal temperature range.)
  • Zone 2 – Warm humid summer, mild winter (high humidity with a definite ‘dry season’, hot to very hot summers with mild winters, distinct summer/winter seasons, moderate to low diurnal temperature range. This can vary significantly between regions e.g. inland to coastal.)
  • Zone 3 – Hot dry summer, warm winter (distinct wet and dry seasons, low rainfall and low humidity, no extreme cold but can be cool in winter, hot to very hot summers common, significant diurnal temperature range.)
  • Zone 4 – Hot dry summer, cool winter (distinct seasons with low humidity all year round, high diurnal temperature range, low rainfall, very hot summers common with hot, dry winds, cool winters with cold dry winds.)
  • Zone 5 – Warm temperate (low diurnal temperature range near coast to high diurnal range inland, four distinct seasons, summer and winter can exceed human comfort range, spring and autumn are ideal for human comfort, mild winters with low humidity, hot to very hot summers with moderate humidity.)
  • Zone 6 – Mild temperate (low diurnal temperature range near coast to high diurnal range inland, four distinct seasons, summer and winter can exceed human comfort range, spring and autumn are ideal for human comfort, mild to cool winters with low humidity, hot to very hot summers, moderate humidity.)
  • Zone 7 – Cool temperate (low humidity, high diurnal range, four distinct seasons, summer and winter exceed human comfort range, variable spring and autumn conditions, cold to very cold winters with majority of rainfall, hot dry summers.)
  • Zone 8 – Alpine (low humidity, high diurnal range, four distinct seasons. winter can exceed human comfort range, cold to very cold winters with majority of rainfall. Some snowfall, warm to hot, dry summers, variable spring and autumn conditions.)



To concord the ABCB climate zones, HECS used 2006 Collection Districts (CDs) from the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC). There are some small differences between climate zones using the HECS and ABCB versions due to differences in the CD and climate zone boundaries. When a CD contains two or more climate zones, the climate zone was assigned based on the centre point of the CD.

Estimates for Zone 8 (alpine) are included in estimates for the climate zone which mostly surrounds the area. In most cases this is Zone 7 (cool temperate).

Note that BSRED Experimental Estimates approximate climate zones using the Australian Statistical Geography Standard, as described in the BSRED Experimental Estimates section of this user guide.