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When the Window Shading Association of Australia (WSAA) launches its WincovER simulator at SuperExpo in June this year, it will mark a significant milestone for the window shading sector. More than a sales tool, WincovER is designed to give the industry something it has long lacked: credible, measurable data that clearly articulates the energy performance of blinds, curtains, shutters and other window shading products within Australia’s national energy-efficiency framework.
Speaking at the WSAA Annual General Meeting in October, Co-President Jason Lewis described WincovER as both an advocacy platform and a commercial enabler, capable of strengthening the industry’s voice with government, regulators and consumers alike.
“Our ability to advocate for our industry and talk to government is crucial,” Lewis said. “We need to have tools and measurable data to effectively do so.”
Lewis placed WincovER squarely within the broader economic and policy discussion facing the building and construction sector.
“On the economic side, it’s important to consider the size of the industry, the number of people employed, and the amount of money contributed,” he said. “On the energy side, we must also take into account the potential savings for our consumers and customers through the products we manufacture and install.”
At the heart of WincovER is extensive modelling undertaken with specialist firm Hubble, who are experts in data science with a focus on energy efficiency. According to Lewis, the scale of the modelling is unprecedented for the window shading sector.
“We modelled 525,000 variations of window shading installations across four different archetypes,” he said.
Those archetypes include single-storey brick veneer homes, single-storey cavity brick homes, double-storey houses and apartments, providing coverage across the majority of Australian housing types.
The modelling spans 19 climate zones nationwide and aligns with the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) assumptions, allowing results to be expressed in terms familiar to regulators and energy assessors.
“It’ll be a percentage saving based on the NatHERS typical schedule,” Lewis explained. “This will give you a result of the percentage of savings you can make per year on your power and CO2. It will also provide more detailed information on summer and winter savings.”
A tool for consumers and sales teams
WincovER is being developed as a web-based interactive simulation tool exclusive to WSAA members that allows members to step through a small number of inputs with consumers and receive a clear performance outcome.
“This tool will allow consumers to better understand energy efficiency,” Lewis said. “It will provide our salespeople with an additional tool.”
Importantly, Lewis was realistic about its role in the sales process.
“This tool will not close every deal,” he said. “But it will help close some deals and engage with customers. It will become part of the conversation when we are trying to close a sale.”
By embedding energy performance into everyday sales discussions, WSAA believes WincovER can help reposition window shading as a core element of the building envelope rather than a purely decorative afterthought.
Competing in the energy conversation
One of the key drivers behind WincovER is the need for window shading to compete more effectively with other energy-related building solutions, particularly insulation and double glazing.
“We want to be able to compete with the solar companies, insulation companies, and glass companies,” Lewis said. “Because, at the moment, the glass companies seem to get everything.”
By contrast, the energy contribution of internal shading solutions has largely gone unrecognised in formal schemes, despite their ability to deliver meaningful reductions in heating and cooling demand.
“Our goal is to become a leader in the energy market,” Lewis said.
Designed for simplicity and accuracy
The WincovER simulator interface has been deliberately designed to minimise complexity while preserving accuracy. Users select a building type, enter their postcode, which accounts for both climate zone and state-based energy tariffs, and identify the age of the home. From there, users select window shading types, mounting positions and other key attributes to generate a performance outcome.
Lewis acknowledged the complexity involved in translating diverse products, installations and climates into a simple, user-friendly output.
“We have dedicated a significant amount of time building the WincovER simulator so it’s as user-friendly as possible,” he said.
Preparing for existing-home ratings
WincovER also anticipates major policy shifts already underway. While around 140,000 new homes are built each year, Australia has approximately 11 million existing dwellings with an average star rating of just 1.8 stars.
“There are 11 million existing dwellings with most homes built before strict energy efficiency requirements were introduced into the National Construction Code (NCC), and it would be better for us to focus on them rather than the 140,000 new ones,” Lewis said.
NatHERS has been developing an energy-rating framework for existing homes, potentially requiring assessments at point of sale or lease.
“The proposed model involves sending assessors to every house to evaluate its energy efficiency,” Lewis said.
This raised a critical challenge: how can assessors consistently evaluate window shading without deep product knowledge?
Four assessable inputs
Working with energy scientists, including Dr Rebecca Powles, WSAA identified four universal characteristics that apply to all window shading.
“The way that it appears to the street; light, mid-colour, dark or metallised,” Lewis said, “its airtightness and how tightly it is installed, how insulating the product is, and the light allowed through.”
Products such as honeycomb blinds and lined curtains, Lewis noted, perform differently because of the insulating air layer they create.
“The more airtight the window shading around the window, the less air that can move through,” he said. “This means that the heating and cooling stays consistent.”
By simplifying assessment to these four inputs, WincovER creates a common framework that assessors, retailers and homeowners can all understand.
A measured rollout
WSAA plans to conduct industry focus groups next month to refine terminology and delivery before launching WincovER publicly at SuperExpo2026.
“It gives us a nice runway to make sure we get this right,” Lewis said.
For an industry that has long known the energy value of its products, WincovER represents a pivotal step – transforming that knowledge into measurable outcomes that can be clearly communicated, compared and trusted.
WINCOVER: 5 FAST FACTS
1. Industry-led energy rating
WincovER is an energy-rating tool developed by the Window Shading Association of Australia (WSAA) to measure the real-world energy performance of internal window shading, including blinds, curtains and shutters.
2. Built on large-scale modelling The tool is underpinned by modelling of more than 525,000 window shading scenarios, covering four housing archetypes and 19 Australian climate zones.
3. Aligned with NatHERS
WincovER reports results using NatHERS typical operating schedules, translating product choices into estimated annual savings on household energy use, power costs and CO2 emissions.
4. Designed for existing homes While new homes already have energy ratings, WincovER is designed to support the emerging push to rate Australia’s 11 million existing dwellings, particularly at point of sale or lease.
5. Simple, assessable inputs Window shadings are assessed using four consistent characteristics: external appearance, airtightness, insulation level, and light transmission, making the system practical for energy assessors, retailers and consumers alike.
