It is promising to see that the potentially disastrous rollback of insulation levels is not moving forward, the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) says. Keeping the standards help ensure Kiwis will stay warmer and ensures Aotearoa’s energy grid is more resilient.
The consultation on the H1 insulation standards launched today ensures New Zealanders will continue to benefit from the latest insulation standards. It also abandons the restrictive schedule method for complying with the Building Code.
“There are absolutely challenges like cost and overheating that Minister Penk raised that need to be dealt with. However, the insulation standards were never the issue, it was how our industry was applying those standards,” says NZGBC chief executive Andrew Eagles.
Since news broke earlier in the year that the government was considering changes to the vital H1 insulation standards, we have been working closely with the Minister and his officials to ensure we don’t roll back insulation, but rather improve outcomes for the industry and Kiwis.
While today’s news is welcome, there remains some concern that the calculation method is still on the table as part of the consultation.
“The calculation method for complying with the Building Code is a step up from what many are doing now, but it’s nowhere near as effective as modelling. We’ll be getting more into the detail in our submission, but it’s important that we seize this opportunity to set New Zealand on the right path for the future.”
“Moving to modelling our homes would bring us in line with most OECD countries, and means our industry will be better equipped to tackle overheating, provide the right amount of insulation, and it paves the way for other improvements like better ventilation, efficiency, and emissions standards which is better for Kiwi families.”
“For decades we’ve effectively been building blind – totally unaware how the insulation, glazing, ventilation, and general design of our homes will actually perform for the families that will live in them. Modelling helps ensure we’re creating warm, comfortable, energy efficient homes.”
“Many in the industry are already modelling their house designs, including through green certification, and there are readily available tools for the sector to use which makes adoption far easier.”
“There is an opportunity to move to a full-modelling approach over time. We know there’s a strong industry and design community support for healthier, more comfortable homes, and we should be aiming to fully transition to modelling in a few years, providing time for the sector to gear up.”