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NZ brings in green measures - 4 May 2007

Building a new house is about to become a little more costly thanks to new government measures aimed at making homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer...

When New Zealanders build new houses, it's going to cost another $3,000-$5,000 to make houses more comfortable and energy-efficient.

It's a development the government is trumpeting as the most significant improvement in energy-efficient housing since insulation was made compulsory 30 years ago, and fits the grand scheme for New Zealand's carbon footprint.

Prime Minister Helen Clark says it is part of the government's aspiration for making New Zealand a carbon-neutral country.

But builders sound a note of caution. "The degree of difficulty in constructing your house is going to be increased because they're technically more complex," says David Brown, a certified builder.

Tougher requirements will mean insulation in the walls will have to keep out the cold more effectively.

Energy efficient housing tops agenda

Double glazing will be needed in the colder parts of the country. From November, new houses in the South Island and the North Island's Central Plateau will need more insulation and double-glazing.

Improvements to house insulation in the North Island will take effect in most of the North Island in July 2008 and for Auckland and further north from October next year.

Red tape can make solar heating a challenge to install and that red tape will be removed. There will be a new Compliance Document making it easier to install solar water heating systems across New Zealand, cutting the price of installation by as much as $500.

There will be new requirements for energy efficient lighting in new and refitted commercial buildings, a move expected to save building owners around $8 million a year in energy costs nationally. Equipment will dim lights where natural light is available at different times in these buildings.

All this will cost money, but there will be no financial help from the government which has its own spin on that question.

"The main help comes with the pay-back from having these 30% smaller energy bills. And in Dunedin it's estimated the pay-back would come within about three years. In Auckland with its warmer climate probably around seven years. So it is a very good investment," says Clark.

Added value

Building Minister Clayton Cosgrove has another spin on the extra building expense. "It adds value, capital value, if you come to sell your house."

Despite the extra costs, the building industry says measures like double-glazing requirements will pay off.

"The window manufacturers are going to shoot me but I know double-glazing could possibly cost. The glass itself is nearly twice as much as normal glass but the benefits, especially in the South Island, are going to be huge," says Brown.

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