The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has published its response to the government’s H1 Building Code consultation, arguing it needs to take action to avoid building tens of thousands of overheating homes.
“The proposed changes have shifted the dial slightly but fail to prevent new build homes from overheating. This growing issue is leaving Kiwi families experiencing dangerously high temperatures in their homes,” NZGBC chief executive Andrew Eagles says.
“There’s a huge opportunity to remove flawed methods which add costs and fail homeowners. As families experience sweltering indoor temperatures, this Building Code update offers our industry a chance to move to modelling the performance of our homes to help prevent overheating and deliver comfortable, healthy homes.”
The reform follows concern from Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk that insulation was pushing up building costs, and new homes were overheating.
While this consultation has made clear insulation levels aren’t the issue, it fails to provide an adequate solution for the Minister’s concerns about overheating.
“For example, a huge part of how a home performs depends on which way the building faces, how big the windows are, and if there’s adequate air flow. The proposed changes do nothing to ensure those factors need to be considered. If more isn’t done, we’ll continue to see homes with too much glazing, inadequate ventilation or shading, and homeowners dealing with unbearably hot homes in the summer.
“We need stricter rules for buildings with lots of windows to prevent overheating – a growing problem with higher density housing and climate change. We’re hearing stories of 50 degrees in some homes with people complaining that their home is like an oven.”
“The government has an obligation to ensure homes are healthy, which is a stated aim of the Building Code. The government must seize this opportunity to ensure new build homes are comfortable, healthy, and safe.”
In a move supported by the wider industry, including the New Zealand Construction Industry Council, BRANZ, Architectural Designers New Zealand, and Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, the New Zealand Green Building Council is calling for a 20 month transition to modelling to ensure those designing our homes are factoring in overheating.
“Thousands of home builders are already relying on modelling to ensure comfortable, healthy spaces. With hundreds of thousands of homes expected to be built in the coming decades, there’s absolutely no reason not to roll this solution out to every future home.”
The New Zealand Green Building Council is encouraging the community to have their say before consultation closes 28 February.