YOUR FUTURE HOME A Guide to Sustainable Homes
MARCH 2016
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here’s something of an eco home revolution going on in New Zealand right now, and it’s not before time.
A few years ago, when the Homestar rating was launched by the New Zealand Green Building Council, we were shocked to find that the average Kiwi home rated between two and three on the scale of ten. And, on a purely anecdotal level, who hasn’t heard an emigrant from the UK complain that the construction and heating systems of our homes seem to ignore the fact that we actually get a decent winter?
Contents
Rather than just throwing on a jersey and getting on with it, these days homeowners are demanding dry, warm and energy efficient homes, built with healthy materials which have themselves have been produced in an environmentally friendly manner. Outside, we’re putting in rain gardens, eco-friendly septic systems, permeable paving and native plants. It all adds up to a housing stock with a much lighter footprint, and true sustainability, which bodes well for the future.
James Russell Editor
Your Future Home james.russell@nzme.co.nz
Welcome to the first edition of Your Future Home, which will run qu uarterly in all regional NZ ZME papers.
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The fifth fuel Why energy efficiency should come first
Certified green Eco-home accreditation marks
We hope it inspires you to crreate a sustainable home off your own.
Insulation Assessing the options
The smart home Cloud-based digital control
To solar, or not to solar All you need to know
Ideal home The energy positive Passive House
For advertising enquiries contact: Michelle Betts
NZME Account Manager michelle.betts@nzme.co.nz Phone 07 577 7772
Chris Murgatroyd
NZME Account Manager chris.murgatroyd@nzme.co.nz Phone 07 577 7774
Energy efficient appliances Where your power bill goes
Solar sink Heating your home with the sun
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Use wisely Energy efficiency, sometimes known as the ‘fifth fuel’, is the first port of call when planning a build or renovation.
H
ere in New Zealand, the average person is responsible for the use of 3050kWh of electricity per year. In Iceland, the average is 2325kWh. In the UK, it’s 1939kWh. The Netherlands: 1484kWh.
It’s proof of the inefficiency of our housing stock - our homes’ ability to be warmed and stay warm, and the energy required to run them. The phrase ‘fifth fuel’, refers to energy efficiency being added to traditional fuels. Yet perhaps it makes more sense to call energy efficiency the first fuel - “Energy not required does not then have to be generated.” Tackling energy efficiency should be paramount when planning a new home build or renovation, but also before considering any form of micro energy generation system such as solar panels. An overhaul of appliances, light bulbs, heating and water heating systems (see page 10) and a time-of-energy-use assessment could mean the difference between installing a 1.5kW solar system, or something double that size, just to meet your energy needs. Energy efficient homes expert Claudia Kaltenstadler from Harakeke Consulting arrived to live in mid-winter Queenstown from her native Germany in 2006. It was with shock she noted the ice on the window frames - inside the house.
Energy not required does not then have to be generated. Energy efficient homes do not necessarily mean more expensive homes. “Any European will tell you the same - we love the country, but the houses are cold!” she laughs. Kaltenstadler says that energy efficient homes must begin with design and orientation on the section. “It’s also important that designs should be as simple as possible - it’s the best way to get a handle on the cost of the build.”
Kaltenstadler says that it’s a myth that energy efficient homes are too expensive. “It is possible to build a high-performance home for the same cost as a standard home, or even, in some cases, for less. You also have to consider the monthly running costs of that home. In the US and Europe banks will lend more money to people building energy efficient homes because they recognise they
will have more disposable income due to low running costs.” Kaltenstadler says that energy efficient homes not only lower running costs and emissions, but improve health and create mental benefits - people are happier. Here are some considerations when assessing energy efficiency.
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Passive design and thermal mass: The biggest source of free energy hangs there in the sky every day. Passive solar design makes use of thermal mass sinks such as concrete floors and walls, which absorb heat during the day and release the warmth when the sun goes down. If a home can be designed to retain that heat, it will require much less energy to heat. A carefully designed eave will keep the summer sun from warming a slab too much, but allow sunshine deep into a room throughout winter. Moisture and ventilation: Moisture in the home is considered to be more of a health issue than one of energy efficiency, but a damp home will require far more energy to heat. 30% of New Zealand homes are damp, and humidity levels in un-insulated homes rises to over 75%. A healthy home should have a humidity level of between 30% and 60%. A home with a high moisture level has serious health implications – it’s the perfect breeding ground for black mould (stachybotrys) and will harbour dust mites, which to survive must absorb water from the air. Ventilation: Ventilation is simple in summer – open some windows. In winter, however, it can be a challenge. The eight litres of water vapour produced each day by a family of four through showering, cooking and breathing generally stay indoors. Here’s where a ventilation system works by bringing in fresh outside air, filtering it and pushing it into your home, while driving out moisture. The majority of ventilation systems force air from the attic cavity into the home, relying on positive pressure to remove existing air out
through gaps in the building envelope and dry the home. Heat recovery ventilation systems go further, bringing in fresh air while drawing internal air from within the home. These two air streams then cross each other in a heat exchanging unit. The cooled internal air is then exhausted outdoors while the fresh, warmed air is supplied throughout the house. ‘Passive House’ homes are airtight, and rely on heat recovery ventilation systems to freshen the air inside, while ensuring no heat is lost. Widely used in cold European and Scandinavian countries, they are among the most efficient. While you may not want to pursue such high standards, it’s important to properly vent moist areas such as the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms with mechanical ventilation.
Find out the R-values of insulation suitable for your area – you may need an extra couple of centimetres more of thickness in the Waikato than you do in Northland. Find out more about insulation types on page 12. Glazing: Glazing has evolved to the point where there are thermal breaks between the aluminium on the inside and outside of the window frames, so heat cannot escape as effectively. In wooden frames this break is not necessary. In more expensive options efficiency can be further enhanced with the introduction of argon gas in the cavity between panes, which further decreases the heat conduction.
High quality timber window joinery with double or triple glazing also gives excellent thermal efficiency. Appliances: Ever more of an energy suck, energy efficient appliances can halve your bills. See page 10 for more information. Thermal bridges: Thermal bridges are those parts of a building where a heat conductor connects the inside and the outside of the building - for example an aluminium window pane. Advances in technology aims to close those bridges - in the case of the window through thermally broken aluminium, but also in such things as insulated concrete building slabs.
Rising damp: Moisture barriers under your home are recommended for homes whose floorboards sit less than half a metre from the ground, or are not well ventilated. Wallboards: Not all wallboards are created equal. The traditional gypsum wallboard, ubiquitous in New Zealand, is now facing some competition from other alternatives which claim to be stronger, have better insulation properties and be breathable. When you consider that 18-25% of heat is lost through walls, it’s a significant contributor to your home’s energy efficiency, or lack thereof. Insulation: In an uninsulated timber-framed house, 30–35% of heat is lost through the roof, 21–31% through the windows and the aforementioned 18–25% through the walls. The floor and air leakage account for the remaining heat loss.
Even some newly built homes suffer from damp and mould.
Efficient
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GreenStuf is made using a minimum of 45% recycled fibre (from PET plastic) and follows a zero waste manufacturing policy.
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Make your house a healthy home with New Zealand’s friendly fibre insulation! www.greenstuf.co.nz SM
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Green homes - guaranteed If you’re unsure of where to start when making your home sustainable, keep an eye out for these certifications. Homestar
Homestar is an independent rating system that assesses how well our homes perform to health, warmth and sustainability standards. It rates homes on a scale from 1 to 10 stars (10 being the best) in terms of energy, health and comfort; water; waste; home management; materials; and site. A six Homestar rating means a warm, dry, energy efficient home. It features insulation to above Building Code requirements, thermally performing windows, mechanical ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom and water efficiency measures. It would also likely include low VOC (volatile organic compounds) coatings, efficient lightbulbs, composting and recycling bins.
A Lifemark home may have extra nogs (timber beams) in the wall frame to which a grab rail in the bathroom could be attached, ready for when you might need it. It will also feature wider doors – making your home more accessible and easier to move around in. www.lifemark.co.nz
Environmental choice
Environmental Choice is a NZ eco labelling standard which assesses products and services – looking at their impact on the environment and the sustainability practices of manufacturers. So far, 2500 products and services have been awarded the Environmental Choice certification.
Try the free online self-assessment tool for a provisional rating and advice. Prepare for a shock; most existing homes rate around 2-3 Homestar. www.homestar.org.nz
Categories covered by Environmental Choice include paints, textiles, flooring, laminates, wood panels, gypsum plasterboards, cement and concrete, interior boards and lining, thermal building insulation and steel for construction. www.environmentalchoice.org.nz
Lifemark
FSC
A sustainable home isn’t just one that ticks the environmental boxes. With some planning at the conceptual stages, you could see out your days at home rather than the retirement village. Lifemark ratings of 3, 4 or 5 stars are awarded for how adaptable, accessible, usable and safe a home is, and if it offers lifetime value.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) promotes sustainable forest management through its international certification scheme. Certified wood products are sourced from responsibly managed forests - you’ll know some precious rainforest hasn’t been hacked down for your new deck. You’ll see three FSC standards on labels here. FSC 100% means material is only sourced
from FSC-certified forests; FSC Recycled is made from at least 85 per cent reclaimed materials. FSC Mix combines FSC-certified and reclaimed wood (at least 70 per cent), and controlled wood – which isn’t certified but has minimum ethical and legal requirements.
The New Zealand FSC website (www.nz.fsc.org) lists local retailers, printers and certified timbers; customers can also check a product is certified by entering its license code into an international database. (www.info.fsc.org)
For more ideas and inspiration, visit your local Chesters showroom. Phone 0800 700 601 or visit chesters.co.nz
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Solar: the nuts and bolts Thousands of New Zealand homes are now generating their own electricity, and reaping the rewards.
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very hour more energy hits the earth in the form of sunlight than the sum total of the planet’s energy needs for an entire year. Solar power for every home is, without doubt, a case of ‘when’, not ‘if’. Each year the price of solar panels drops, and electricity prices increase. The efficiency of photo voltaic (PV) panels also improves, as the arguments for not investing in solar weaken. Furthermore, the price of battery storage appears to be on the brink of an abyss, and set to plunge. For now, unless you’re determined to ditch the power companies altogether by purchasing battery storage and going off-grid, you’re more likely to remain grid-connected – the sun fires your electricity use during the day, while the power companies supply you by night. Late in 2014 Meridian and Contact Energy, the last two power companies paying a decent buy-back rate to their solar customers (the rate per kilowatt hour for any excess power exported back to the grid) both dropped their buy-back rates within a few days of each other.
Solar is a case of when, not if.
Unlike other countries, which have large subsidies designed to encourage investment in residential solar power, as well as government-subsidised high buyback rates, New Zealand’s residential
solar producers are on their own, which makes the mathematics behind the investment pretty clear. It also means there’s clear future forecast-ability; what you sign up for now is unlikely to change.
Sizing your solar system
Because power companies aren’t legally obliged to buy your power at an agreed rate, the safest option when considering solar is simply to offset the electricity you use during sunlight hours. This ensures the payback time – how long it will take to repay the investment – is as short as possible. The average NZ home uses 25kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity per day. A 2kW (kilowatt) solar PV system (made up of eight 250 Watt panels) will generate 2 kWh of power for every full hour of sunlight. It’s reasonable to assume five hours of sunlight per day as the North Island average. In a perfect world, with panels aligned due north, on a 30-degree slope, you’d get an average of 10Kwh a day. It’s more likely, therefore, to be 8kWh per day, or 2920 kWh a year. At 0.29c per kWh (about what the power companies charge you) this is $846 worth of power.
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If you use all the power your array produces in your home or business, you can divide the total cost of your system by your savings per year to get your return on investment. In our example above, a 2kW system costing $7500 will take 8.9 years to pay off ($7500 divided by $846), without taking into account rising power prices. For a system that operates for 25 or 30 years, that’s good going. Factor in the 4% average annual electricity price rises common of the last decade, and the picture improves further. For a home which uses 25 kWh each day, it’s not hard to imagine using up to half of that power during sunlight hours, particularly if people are at home during the day. If they aren’t, it’s possible to use timers for towel rails, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer – even water heating – while the sun is shining. Now, imagine tripling that solar array to 6kW. You’re producing 24kWh each day on average. You’re still using some of that power, but the rest is being exported to the grid. On a good day, your power company mostly pays 10c per kWh, but it may be as little as 3.5 cents per kWh. Now your return on investment isn’t so rosy, and payback times may be 15 years or more. If you’re grid-connected, it’s vital you don’t go too big.
The tier system
Not all solar equipment is created equal. Like a cheap plastic toy from the $2 shop, an extremely inexpensive system is likely to be a false economy – either breaking down, or being a poor producer. There are three tiers, but really only one worth dealing with. Choose Tier 1 equipment, and you’ll get a vertically integrated company, proper guarantees and solid after-sales service.
The brains
The ‘inverter” is the brains behind your system, converting the direct current (DC) generated by the panels to alternating current (AC) - which can be used in your home. Micro inverters have a small inverter attached to each solar panel. They convert power from DC to AC at the panel - rather than at one single point in the system. If in future you think you’ll invest in battery storage, micro inverters may not be the way to go - that power will have to be re-inverted before it can be stored in a battery.
an idea whose time has not yet come - at least not on a large scale. Yet batteries are being produced around the world
at a staggering rate, which means, you guessed it - expect precipitous falls in price - soon.
How powerful? Most solar panels (measuring 1.5 x 1 metres) are 250 Watts. One panel, in full sunlight, will power your LCD TV, slow cooker, or a couple of laptops. You’ll need two to run your vacuum cleaner,
washing machine or fridge, and five to run your dishwasher. If you’re the type who runs a clothes dryer on a sunny day, you’ll need 11 panels to do it.
Battery storage
Storing your electricity in a battery for use after the sun goes down is the next logical step. However, price and performance has meant it’s
What electricity companies pay When you use your own generated electricity, you save buying at the retail price. However, if you end up selling it back to your power provider, here’s what they’ll pay you for it; Contact:
8c per kWh.
Genesis:
4-7c per kWh depending on location.
Mercury:
8c per kWh
Meridian:
7c per kWh in summer (1 October to 30 April), 10c per kWh in winter.
Trustpower: 7c per kWh.
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Energy smart appliances
Energy efficient appliances can cut a swathe through your power bill.
The average Kiwi household spends over $2200 a year on power. With smart choices when it comes to appliances in the home, that can be slashed.
T
he depressing annual ritual each year of having your power company inform you that your bill is due to increase can be tempered somewhat by the knowledge you’re not going to use much of it.
There is a myriad of ways in which you can design efficiency into a new build, but as appliances wear out, it’s worth exploring the energy efficient options for replacement. A good place to start is those marked with the Energy Star, which means they are in the top ten per cent of their category in terms of energy efficiency. As more and more electronics come into our homes, choosing those that draw little power can pay dividends.
Water heating
Poor Conventional electric hot water cylinders: Often poorly insulated, these are inefficient. Older, smaller (<180litres) and low pressure cylinders are particularly bad offenders.
A heat pump water heater.
Average family household energy usage 30% 29% 12%
Better Instant electric water heaters: heat water on demand where it is used, eliminating loss from storage cylinders and pipes. Gas hot water storage systems: more efficient than electric cylinders and not affected by power cuts. Gas on-demand systems are even more efficient.
11% 8% 6% 4%
Water heating Space heating Electronics and other electrical uses Refrigeration Lighting Cooking Other appliances
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Best Heat pump water heaters: Moderate installation cost. Three to four times more efficient than electric water cylinders. Solar hot water: moderate to high installation costs, but low running costs. Free hot water when the sun is shining, but you have to revert to the traditional methods when it’s not.
Space heating Poor Electrical heaters: examples include panel heaters and oil-filled column heaters. The most expensive way to heat. Unflued gas heaters: make your home damp and therefore more difficult to heat. Open fires: Inefficient – most of the heat goes up the chimney. Better: Heat pumps: at 13-18 cents / kWh heat pumps are efficient and a good replacement for electric heaters. Pellet burners: efficient, carbon neutral. Pellets can be pricey. Wood burners: A range of highly efficient models are available . The cheapest heater to run and carbon neutral. Can also be combined with a wetback to provide hot water heating. Infra-red heaters: not at all common yet in New Zealand, but gaining traction fast overseas. Offer radiant heat, like a wood burner (or the sun), as opposed to convective heat, like a heat pump which blows hot air. Best Solar: passive solar heating is the free way to heat your home. Flooring materials such as concrete slabs and tiles absorb heat from
the sun, and release that heat during the evening. Some well designed New Zealand homes rely solely on passive solar heating.
year, while an energy-efficient fridge can use less than 400kWh. But avoid the in-door ice dispensers if you want to save power.
Electronics
Better: Models with high energy ratings (4 stars or more).
(Home entertainment, home office equipment and whiteware). Poor: Leaving electronics on standby and old models without Energy Star or efficiency rating.
Best: Models with the blue Energy Star label. As fridges can last up to 10-15 years selecting the most efficient model will save you plenty in the long run.
Inefficient television sets can suck large amounts of power.
Lighting
Better Products with low standby electricity consumption (turning them off is best). Compare and choose models with good energy ratings labels. The higher the stars, the more energy efficient the appliance. All energy rated products display annual energy consumption figure in kilowatt hours (kWh). Best Appliances with the blue Energy Star mark are among the top 10% of products in their category. Home monitoring and management systems, which utilise cheap power or solar power, and turn off appliances when they aren’t needed.
Refrigeration Poor: Old models with poor energy ratings; A 1980s fridge may use up to 1500kWh a
Y G R E NATER AND HOME FRHEEATEYOE UR W
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Poor Incandescent or tungsten bulbs: inefficient, converting just 5% of the energy they use into light. The remaining 95% is turned into heat. Short lifespan (1000 hours). Better New generation halogens: Lower wattage and more efficient, new gen halogens will last twice as long as incandescent and are 30% more efficient.
to run, an LED can last between 50,000 and 100,000 hours.
Cooking Poor Conventional flat top or coil electric hobs.
CFLs (compact fluorescent lights): CFLs use 80% less energy and last between 6,000 and 15,000 hours. Savings can amount to $111 over the life of the bulb. Best LEDs: Five times more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs, and super cheap
Better Ceramic-glass surfaces: by using halogen elements as the heat source, ceramic delivers heat instantly and responds quickly to changes in temperature settings. Gas: heats food instantly and the lower the BTU output (British Thermal Unit), the more energy-efficient the stove. Best Induction elements: by transferring electromagnetic energy directly to the pan, induction cooking uses less energy than gas or electric and boils water faster than both.
How would you like to heat your hot water and entire home from as little as a dollar per day? The sun provides an abundance of free energy that combined with the right technology can also be used during winter to heat your home.
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Making sense of insulation There is a bewildering array of different materials available for insulation, and it’s a murky world trying to figure out which are the most eco-friendly.
T
he energy savings and health benefits of insulation are well known, thanks in part to the Warm Up New Zealand government scheme, which saw over 250,000 homes insulated since 2009. Yet over 300,000 homes in New Zealand remain without insulation. A well-insulated home will not only be more comfortable to live in during both summer and winter, but it should save up to $400 per year. Here are some things to consider when choosing your insulation; production method and the energy embodied in it; materials used; performance as an insulator (measured as an R-value); lifespan; and end-of-life recyclability. It’s worth remembering that the effectiveness of an insulation material relies on its ability to trap air, which is a poor conductor of heat.
Here’s a few of the different insulation options: Polyester: Polyester batts generally have a reasonably high concentration of recycled plastic in them, and are in turn recyclable at the end of their life - ask your installer if they provide that service. They last a long time with some manufacturers offering a 50-year durability warranty, which makes them a reasonably eco-friendly option, despite being a petrochemical product.
Wool: Wool is becoming more popular as an insulation material, and is a popular eco choice, given that it’s a natural fibre and requires little added to it due to its naturally fire-retardant properties. Expect to pay a little more. Wool naturally biodegrades back into the biosphere. Sometimes wool is mixed with polyester. Fibreglass: Fibreglass - your standard glass batts - is still the undisputed king in terms of sheer numbers. Often made from large amounts of recycled glass, it’s a good example of a recycled product. At the end of its useful life it is usually landfilled. Polystyrene: Perhaps the least eco-friendly material for insulation, polystyrene is a petro-chemical-based material and is also a difficult material to dispose of. It is, in fact, able to be recycled, so pressure should be put on manufacturers to receive it and recycle it. It is impregnated with fire retardant. To its credit, it boasts high R values. Foam: Foam insulation is commonly a polyurethane foam sprayed into the wall cavities. While mostly made from petrochemicals, there are alternatives such as soyabean foam and castorbased foam, which have no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) or ozone depleting CFCs. Spray foams boast impressive R-values due to lots of trapped air.
There are a number of different insulation types with different properties and performance levels.
Paper: Shredded paper (from recycled sources) can be blown into cavities, but be aware that it is impregnated with fire retardants and pesticides. Other green insulation types include hemp and shredded denim, but these are not commonly available in New Zealand and little used yet.
What are R Values? An R-value is a rating which measures how well insulation can resist heat flow. ‘R’ stands for thermal resistance. The R-value depends on the type of material, its density and thickness.
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POROTHERM clay block wall construction. The ultimate cladding solution – just a solid wall… The latest BRANZ Report – ‘Measuring our sustainability progress: Benchmarking New Zealand’s residential housing stock’ by Roman Jaques was released just two weeks ago. The findings show we are no better off since 2005. In fact, our newest and latest homes are still seriously under-performing. Notably, ‘the difference between what could be easily achieved and what is currently being achieved in terms of active thermal performance is large…’
New Zealand is one of the most desirable country’s in the world to live. Our mountains, lakes, landscape and lifestyle is unmatched globally. Why are we still building and living in homes that are dangerous to our health and our economy? A study released by Otago University in 2013 concluded that the ‘winter death spike’ of 1600 NZers every year is directly attributable to cold & damp housing - even our newest homes and those currently under construction… There has never been a more critical time for NZ to look at the materials we are choosing to build & live with. While the Beacon Pathway NOW home has proven timber frame construction can easily be designed & built to greatly improve thermal performance – Porotherm Clay Construction takes thermal mass, indoor air quality, protection – seismic, fire & health, plus durability to a whole new level. The true ‘Fabric First’ approach means choosing building materials to support you and your family in every way. Not just for 10-15 years as under a NZ Master Builder’s or Certified Builder’s Guarantee for a timber frame home, but for your entire lifetime…and your children’s entire lifetime. Not just for ‘part’ of the wall system, but for the whole wall. Longevity, durability, 100% natural and affordable – eco sustainability & energy efficiency are key words associated with Porotherm Clay Construction blocks manufactured by Wienerberger, Europe. Now available for the first time on the NZ construction market through Stellaria NZ Ltd, Cambridge. The 249x500x250 clay ceramic block is finished with a plaster or brick veneer. No complex installation or cavity system is required. Porotherm will never rot nor deteriorate. Guaranteed for over 150 years, a Porotherm residential or commercial structure will still be standing in 300 years’ time or longer. We should no longer be accepting the minimum standard in the Building Code. Our buildings really should be designed & built for many generations. We should be no less than embarrassed by the condition of most of our housing stock. True sustainability is about using materials harvested and manufactured within transparent corporate eco sustainable principals. All building manufacturers &suppliers need to consider their moral responsibility towards home owners, investors & tenants when they build, buy or rent a home in NZ. Our homes need to offer long term protection & health benefits. Up until now, NZ’s choice has been limited to timber frame with various forms of veneer cladding, James Hardie cement board, concrete & aerated block. None of these systems offer the durability, health or thermal & acoustic benefits of Porotherm.
FUTURE BUILDING 1. BUILDING FOR LIFE 2. PURE & SUSTAINABLE 3. AFFORDABLE & FAST
PRECISION ENGINEERED TECHNOLOGY
POROTHERM Clay block acts as a thermo-metric regulator. Being the fabric or ‘skin’ of the building it is able to breathe and heat/cool itself easily to retain a temperate indoor climate. The clay is extruded to meet an R value dependent on the size and seismic requirement of the block. Simple passive solar design principles are perfect for Porotherm. The key elements are orientation and thermal mass. Construction is up to 4 times faster than conventional concrete construction making the finished wall cost m2 on a par with 140mm timber frame/brick veneer cladding. No toxic ‘out-gassing’ or formaldehydes with Porotherm Clay construction. It is 100% natural & sustainable - using 95% less water and 45% less waste. Any waste can be safely returned to the land. Polystyrene is an environmental disaster. Stellaria recommends two different plaster systems for Porotherm:
StoMiral Render System for interior and exterior plastering. Sto has CodeMark and will provide a 15 or 20 year guarantee with StoService Assurance.The system is designed to cover off all aspects of the exterior weather tightness envelope including joinery openings, foundations, penetrations parapets and exterior construction systems. Sto has a strong worldwide reputation. For greatly increased thermal performance of your Porotherm home - Ecoprofili Insulating Cork Plaster is a perfect match for Porotherm Blocks. Applied at the recommended thickness of 30mm interior and 50mm exterior – this base plaster will significantly reduce the humidity of your home at the same time dramatically increasing the R Value. Ecoprofili Plaster over Porotherm is a highly cost effective solution and perfect complement to natural clay blocks. Ecoprofili has a long standing reputation throughout Europe. Porotherm is highly suitable for apartments & multi-level construction, inter-tenancy walls, fire walls, schools and retirement homes. Blocklayers love handling the block being dry and precision engineered – the blocks fit together like lego. Construction of a wall is simple, fast and accurate. Stellaria provides experienced & trained Porotherm & Ecoprofili installers. Most NZers consider only the end cost of building their homes with little or no thought to the running costs. By building with Porotherm your maintenance and running costs can be reduced by $3-5,000 p/year. This coupled with the long term health and investment benefits of building with POROTHERM means you and your family are safe & protected for life. Stellaria NZ Ltd 07 8231516 Mobile: 027 532 6133
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Keeping tabs This year could be the one when home monitoring technology becomes ubiquitous.
By Diana Clement
D
igital devices are transforming our lives. With new launches on the starting blocks, 2016 could be the year that Kiwis make digital inroads into their power use and bills.
At one end of the spectrum smart meter users can monitor their power usage online, which encourages behavioural change leading to reduced home energy bills. At the other end smart devices and control boards allow householders to schedule the use of electricity sucking appliances or turn them on and off remotely. If you find yourself in Rio for the Olympics and remember your water heater is still running you can turn it off without leaving the stadium. The devices should, the manufacturers claim, pay for themselves over time. By turning appliances off and monitoring power usage via an app it’s possible to work out how much each appliance is using. Power companies such as Genesis Energy and Powershop have apps allowing customers with smart meters to log in and check their average daily or hourly usage. The next step forward is apps that measure real-time usage as you plug in or unplug devices, helping householders develop better energy reduction strategies. New kid on the block Flick Electric offers customers discounts according to when they use power instead of a flat per kWh charge.
Flick varies its charges according to the spot rate it pays at that time of the day/week. The argument is that electricity is more expensive to buy at peak periods and cheaper off peak and that should be reflected in the price a customer pays. Flick has seen customers “gaming it”, which has resulted in up to 30 per cent savings.
Smart devices
Smart plugs that can be controlled over Wi-Fi have a growing following. Newer heat pumps are often Wi-Fi enabled out of the box, meaning they can be controlled over the internet. For older style heat pumps Israeli company Sensibo has come up with a little device that turns remote-controlled heat pumps into smart appliances. The device, which attaches limpet-like to the heat pump, can be controlled using a phone and uses an algorithm to learn your habits and adjust your heating accordingly. The next step up is a home energy management system, which measures the electricity used by each appliance in the house by learning its consumption signature. Users can remotely power down devices when away from home and these systems can be programmed to automatically shut down devices when electricity usage drops to a point where it is likely the house is empty. That way if you’ve forgotten to turn
the TV off at the wall it’s not using so-called ‘vampire’ power. Some makers claim to save 12 per cent on energy bills by switching off electronics while you sleep. It can also monitor the energy being produced by solar panels. At the deluxe end, home automation systems schedule devices such as underfloor
heating, heat pumps, towel rails, and hot water cylinders from a central control box by the main switchboard. Appliances and circuits are wired in. These systems can be programmed with schedules and also ensure that standby items such as stereos, TVs, chargers, and other devices are turned off when the property is not occupied.
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The ideal house Warm. Dry. Self sufficient. Could this be the dream home?
A glimpse of the future home - self sufficient and net positive energy - complete with electric vehicle.
L
ee Ann Durbin, education and training manager at the New Zealand Green Building Council, practises what she preaches. Completed last year, the Beachlands, Auckland home she shares with her husband Murray and two children, is among New Zealand’s most sustainable.
A certified ‘Passivhaus’ (Passive House) home, the building is ‘sealed’ and airtight, so that any air entering the building during winter comes through a ventilation system, and the fresh air coming in is warmed by the stale air leaving through a heat exchanger. If you take a bath, the warm, moisture-laden air in the bathroom heats the cool, dry air entering the house and your bathtub essentially becomes a heater.
The result is a constant 20-23 degrees, summer or winter, without any air conditioning or heat source.
Where does all the steam go? The simple answer is... there isn't any! Steam is only created when you mix warm moist air, with cold air. Showerdome is the barrier between those two air masses, which means no steam in your shower, or your bathroom.
W
For a drier, warmer, healthier home, insist on Showerdome. A L S O AVA I L B L E F R O M
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It ensures that during winter any warmth in the building is not lost, thanks to the combination of the ventilation system, exceptional insulation, thermal bridging and triple-glazed windows. The result is a constant 20-23 degrees, summer or winter, without any air conditioning or heat source. In summer that same insulation ensures the house does not overheat, and remains at a pleasant temperature.
The power plant; the 8kW of solar panels on the roof produce more power than the home needs.
The building is largely self-sufficient, producing more electricity than it uses (nearly double on sunny days, thanks to a large bank of photo voltaic solar panels) and harvesting any rain which falls on it to be stored in two 25,000 litre tanks.
Insulation A certified Passive House will have insulation levels far above what is required in the Building Code. To accommodate the insulation, walls are built thicker than average and care is taken to ensure insulation fills every gap. This is then sealed and lined to make the walls airtight.
Visit www.idealhousenz. wordpress.com to find out more, and sign up for the next tour of the property.
The Durbins’ home has achieved an 8-star Homestar rating, which couples the performance of the home with other factors, such as permeable paving, native planting, composting and even building waste. The home bristles with the most economical appliances the Durbins could find, along with LED lights throughout. This also includes the ultimate appliance, an electric car, which is fueled for free by the 8kW of solar panels. The Durbins are committed to sharing their experience with those interested in sustainable homes, holding regular open days to the public and trade visitor.
This home has achieved an 8 Homestar rating - among the best in the country.
The cost? About $3000 per square metre, 20% more than the average home build. With never another power bill. Ever.
WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE DECKING
• Environmentally friendly - Futurewood is produced from recycled HDPE plastic, discarded rice husk and wood fibre. • Low maintenance - Futurewood does not require painting, staining and does not leach nasty chemicals. • Futurewood carries a 15 year warrantee against splitting, splintering and colour fastness • Futurewood is supplied in long 5.4m lengths with a hidden fixing system giving a clean uniformed look • Being 100% recycled, using Futurewood is reducing the dependence on precious timber species For further information visit our website or call us direct. www.futurewoodnz.co.nz | 0800 88 88 42
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Sun lover This home in Coatesville makes the very most of passive solar heating.
T
he Coatesville Passive Solar House in Rodney, North of Auckland, is a stunning home situated on a 1.5-acre property with bush and valley views. But perhaps more impressive is the way in which it functions. The roof is a series of stacking saw-tooth roofs designed to capture every possible bit of sunlight during winter and naturally exhaust warm air through a series of clerestories (high windows) during summer.
to a set of lungs which breathe for the home, providing fresh air to the occupants.” Internal temperatures passively peak at 24° during later afternoon mid-winter with the extreme low being 17° during early morning.
The liberal use of polished concrete floors and slab walls provides natural heat sinks for the winter sun, which is released as the evening falls.
Green technologies and features which have been incorporated into the house include a tiger worm composting system that treats black and grey water, heat pump water heater, 54,000 litres of rainwater harvesting capacity, bio-paints for interior finishes, above-code insulation for walls and roof, long-lasting, low-maintenance bricks for the exterior, cedar fascia boards at roof and deck edges, energy efficient appliances and water-efficient tapware used in bathrooms and kitchen. The addition of 4kW of solar panel systems will render the house energy self-sufficient.
Passive solar gain Passive solar gain uses the abundant free radiant energy from the sun, of which New Zealand has plenty. Concrete floors and walls (thermal mass) are like re-chargeable batteries that use sunlight instead of electricity for heating. During the day time sunlight is beamed onto a floor or wall, this energy is then absorbed. When external temperatures cool at night, heat is then released from the slab. This idea is central to the design of a passive solar house.
The house relies on exposed insulated concrete slabs and large insulated vertical precast concrete walls for optimal passive solar gain and heating during winter. The roof shapes and windows function as clerestories, allowing a natural stack effect to cool down the interior and naturally ventilate the bedrooms and living spaces over summer. “Cross ventilation is the most straightforward form of natural cooling,” says the home’s designer Duncan Firth of Solarei. “This entails understanding what direction the seasonal winds will come from and allowing for the maximisation of this air flow through the home, mainly during summer. The ‘stack effect’ works on the principle that external cool air is always on the ground level and will be pulled into a home as warm air heats, rises and exits. This in turn creates a continuous movement of natural ventilation with constant cycles of fresh air entering and exiting the house. The motion can be likened
The eco-friendly design and efficiency of this home sits nicely in its rural setting.
Join the revolution in high performance, energy efficient homes. Harakeke offers advice on every aspect of building energy-efficient homes, from foundations to wall panels; different heating resources; solar panels; non-toxic materials; rainwater collection; everything in-between.We work only with architects, designers, builders and suppliers who share our passion to make a difference, and are committed to building healthier, energy-efficient homes.
Harakeke Consultants Claudia Kaltenstadler Mobile: +64 21 118 4843 Email: info@harakekeconsultants.co.nz www.harakekeconsultants.co.nz
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The sun is 15 million degrees centigrade We use that to warm up your new home Take advantage of some of the best energy-efficient thinking under the sun. Design Builders can create a one-off home for you that’s warm, healthy, comfortable and costs less to run. During the design process, we’ll find ways to position your home to take advantage of the sun’s path across the sky. And we’ll look at how windows can be perfectly placed to make the most of sunlight. As well as passive energy- efficient features, we can show you the latest innovations like solar Photo-voltaic Panels, Grey Water Collection Systems and more. For more inspiring ideas please check out our website, and get in touch to find out how you and your family can enjoy all the advantages of an Eco-living Home by Design Builders.
w w w. d e s i g n b u i l d e r s . c o . n z A home built around you DB0039