Energy efficient buildings a top priority

Building Issues Minister Clayton Cosgrove has today announced a new package of work aimed at improving the energy efficiency of New Zealand homes and commercial buildings through insulation, solar, lighting and other technologies.

Mr Cosgrove said a Government priority is reducing the amount of energy required to heat new homes, to heat water in new and existing homes, and to light, heat, ventilate and air condition commercial buildings.

"This project complements other Government initiatives in this area including the current review of the New Zealand Building Code, and the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy," he said. "But while the new Code is still some time away, this project looks at a number of proposed measures that can be taken in the short-to-medium term to improve the energy efficiency of buildings."

The work programme consists of four initiatives, which are:
* Higher thermal insulation performance requirements for new homes
* Making it easier to install solar water heating systems
* Improving lighting in commercial buildings
* Improving heating, ventilation and air systems in commercial buildings

The proposed measures would involve changes to the Building Code and/or new Department of Building and Housing compliance documents.

Mr Cosgrove said significant cost saving can be achieved through better insulation.

"Increasing the insulation requirements for ceilings, walls and floors, as well as introducing double-glazing in new homes could lead to savings of up to 30 percent in the amount of energy required to heat a new home," he said. "These benefits would have the greatest impact in the South Island and cooler parts of the North Island."

Preliminary work by the Department indicates that building such an energy efficient home could cost an additional $3,000 to $5,000, but consumers would gain through lower power bills and increased capital value on their homes, Mr Cosgrove said.

Mr Cosgrove said he also wants to remove the current barriers to installing solar hot water systems in new and existing homes.

"A solar water heating system can lead to substantial savings in hot water energy costs but the absence of a compliance document to guide the installation of these systems means territorial authorities are less likely to grant the necessary building consents," he says. "We will be addressing this issue head on."

The Government is also considering raising the design standards for hot water systems in new houses and commercial buildings. The type of showerheads used, the configuration of pipes, the type of heating used and the water pressure are all contributing factors in the amount of energy needed to heat water.

Mr Cosgrove said greater energy efficiency could also be achieved in the workplace.

"Energy savings of between 10 percent and 30 percent can be made by reviewing the existing performance requirements for lighting in commercial buildings to take account of the new technologies available. For example, smart controls that take account of natural light in a building and adjust the illumination to meet lighting standards are now more readily available and reliable, as are energy efficient light bulbs."

Mr Cosgrove said the Department would also be investigating whether the requirements for commissioning and maintaining Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems in commercial buildings need to be changed.

"Research indicates that HVAC systems - which account for up to a third of energy used in commercial buildings - are often not properly set up or maintained, but they can use up to 50 percent less energy when they are," he said. "Further work is needed to establish exactly what the situation is in New Zealand and if changes are required."

Climate Change Minister David Parker said that improving the energy efficiency of homes and other buildings is also important for climate change reasons.

"New Zealand's energy-related greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase by 30 percent in the next 25 years under a 'business-as-usual' scenario," he said. "Given that residential and commercial buildings, and the appliances in them, consume nearly a quarter of all energy in this country, this is a key area where efficiencies can be made."

People will be offered a chance to voice their opinions on the suggested ways of lifting the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. A public discussion document is planned for November. The Government will consider the submissions and decisions on the proposed measures will be made by April 2007.

Background Information

What are the benefits of the proposals?
The major benefits include:
* Savings in energy bills
* Reduction in environmental impacts and in carbon emissions
* Warmer, dryer, healthier homes and workplaces
* Easier access to new and more efficient technologies

Are buildings really such large consumers of energy?
Residential and commercial buildings consume nearly a quarter of all energy used in New Zealand, and more than half of the electricity used in New Zealand is used in buildings in some way.
About $2.2 billion is spent on electricity in residential buildings each year. About a third of this is used to heat water, one third to heat space, and one third to power household appliances and lights. In commercial buildings, about one third of the electricity is used for lighting, one third for heating and cooling, and one third to power equipment.
The proposed changes for commercial buildings could lead to energy savings for New Zealand of about 104 Gigawatt-Hours (GWh) over a decade. This equates to enough power to run 1300 residential houses over that period. It also equates to savings of 20.1 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

What will it mean for the owners of new homes?
New homes will be more thermally efficient than is currently the norm. To achieve this, most new houses would need:
* Better wall insulation
* Double-glazed windows
* Any skylights double-glazed
Owners would then gain the benefits of lower energy usage over the life of the house and lower power bills, better temperature control (in hot and cold weather), and healthier living.

Is it proposed that the same rules apply in different regions with different climatic conditions?
The objectives of the rules will be the same across the country, but the practical ways in which that will be achieved will differ depending on the climatic conditions of each major region. In other words, new houses will have to meet the same standards for warmth, but this will be achieved in different ways, depending on where you live.
People in the South Island should be able to get the same level of comfort, health, and efficiency from their homes as those in the North, and vice versa.

What are compliance documents?
The New Zealand Building Code sets the standards buildings must achieve but does not prescribe how to do it. Compliance documents set out the way to design or build to meet the standards.

What are the next steps?
People will be offered a chance to voice their opinions on the suggested ways of lifting the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. A public discussion document is planned for November. The Department will consider the submissions and report back to the Government by the end of April 2007.