Housing and occupant wellbeing The impact of housing performance on a sense of home and well-being is increasingly recognised in research. The association between health and house performance has prompted a raft of policy and regulatory responses, both in New Zealand and elsewhere.
IN THE KNOW —
Housing should provide a safe, healthy living environment for its occupants. The design and integrity of construction, insulation levels, ventilation and heating systems, and general state of repair will affect the efficacy with which a dwelling fulfils that role.
Spotlight on research
National housing assessment surveys have provided important data on the condition of the New Zealand housing stock for a quarter of a century. However, our understanding of the exposure of New Zealand’s In September 2021 two of BRANZ’s research scientistspopulation presented to thehousing Building Research Advisory to different conditions has been relatively limited.
Council on housing and occupant wellbeing and innovative low-carbon water heating. Below is a snapshot In 2018/19 BRANZ partnered with Stats NZ to help address this of these presentations. information gap and undertake a national housing assessment
esearch
survey in parallel with the General Social Survey (GSS). The Vicki White, a Research Scientist at BRANZ, provided an combination of GSS data and that from the housing assessments overview of the research and analysis BRANZ has undertaken. provides opportunity to gain greater insight into how housing Findings were shared and insights on the learning and value of conditions distribute across the New Zealand population. This will a collaborative, co-funded approach, being agile and adaptive in advance our understanding of the interface between population, our research to ensure it aligns with evolving government priorities. dwelling performance and wellbeing.
Housing and occupant wellbeing The impact of housing performance on a sense of home
ntists presented toand thewell-being Council. is increasingly recognised in research. The
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association between health and house performance has prompted a raft of policy and regulatory responses, both in New Zealand and elsewhere.
me and e association ed a raft of policy lsewhere.
mportant data a quarter of a of New Zealand’s latively limited.
address this assessment S). The assessments w housing ation. This will n population,
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The 201 dwelling
This project evaluates a number of emerging hot water systems to see how well they perform in energy efficiency, financial and environmental areas. The project will also assess the practicalities of using these technologies compared with traditional types.
Andrew results o Residen costing has bee increasi instant g
Zealand homes costing around 1.6 billion dollars every year. Traditionally this has been provided inefficiently by electricstorage cylinders. An increasing trend over the last 5-10 years has been the popularity of instant gas systems which now Innovative water heating make up over 40%low-carbon of the systems sold.
ment for its insulation levels, f repair will ole.
d an overview . Findings were ollaborative, r research to
Vicki White, a Research Scientistwater at BRANZ, provided an overview Innovative low-carbon heating of the research and analysis BRANZ has undertaken. Findings were Andrew Pollard, a BRANZ Building Physicist, presented shared and insights on the learning and value of a collaborative, the early results of the Innovative low-carbon water heating co-funded approach, being agile and adaptive in our research to project. Residential water heating is a major cost to New ensure it aligns with evolving government priorities.
This pro to see h environm using th
The 2018/19 housing survey assessed the condition of over 800 dwellings throughout The 2018/19 housing survey assessed the condition of over 800 New Zealand dwellings throughout New Zealand
Housing should provide a safe, healthy living environment for its occupants. The design and integrity of construction, insulation levels, ventilation and heating systems, and general state of repair will affect the efficacy with which a dwelling fulfils that role. National housing assessment surveys have provided important data on the condition of the New Zealand housing stock for a quarter of a century. However, our understanding Andrew Pollard, a BRANZ Building Physicist, presented the early of the exposure of New Zealand’s population to different results of the Innovative low-carbon water heating project. housing conditions has been relatively limited. Residential water heating is a major cost to New Zealand homes
costing around 1.6 billion dollars every year. this In 2018/19 BRANZ partnered with Stats NZTraditionally to help address has been provided inefficiently by electric-storage cylinders. An this information gap and undertake a national housing increasing trend overin the last 5-10 has beenSocial the popularity assessment survey parallel withyears the General Survey of instant The gas systems which of now make up over thethe systems sold. (GSS). combination GSS data and 40% that of from housing assessments provides opportunity to gainhot greater into This project evaluates a number of emerging waterinsight systems how distribute across the New Zealand to seehousing how wellconditions they perform in energy efficiency, financial and population. This will advance ourwill understanding the interface environmental areas. The project also assess theofpracticalities of between population, dwelling performance and wellbeing. using these technologies compared with traditional types. The technologies under investigation include: ¬ two models of directly connected photovoltaic (PV) systems ¬ one directly connected PV system (based on a typical AC inverter) ¬ one high efficiency air-to-water heat pump system.
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The tech
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¬ one d The test building housing the hot water systems under investigation on a sunny winter’s day. Three of the hot water systems are connected to the solar photovoltaic panels on the roof
The test building housing the hot water systems under investigation The technologies under on a sunny winter’s day. Threeinvestigation of the hot waterinclude: systems are connected to theof solar photovoltaic panels on the roof(PV) systems • two models directly connected photovoltaic
• one directly connected PV system (based on a typical AC inverter) • one high efficiency air-to-water heat pump system. These systems have been installed into a test facility at BRANZ and will undergo a variety of scenarios, over the next year, to test their performance under different conditions. Initial winter data from the largest PV system (3.2 kW) shows all hot water needs of a 4-person household can be met with solar energy on a sunny Wellington winter’s day. BRANZ is an independent and impartial research, testing and consulting organisation inspiring the building and construction industry to provide better buildings for New Zealanders. We achieve this by transforming insightful research into actionable, accessible knowledge. For more information visit www.branz.co.nz
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These s and will their pe from th a 4-per Wellingt
