SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

from Build & Renovate Issue #32

by Academy Group

PASSIVE BUILD

Sustainable savingsBy Natasha Parrant

Craft Homes’ high performance home in Red Beach, Auckland.

Ph 0800 000 661

Reliable Garage Doors & Openers

We at Garador Blenheim are proud to be part of one of the largest and longest serving Garage Door Dealer networks in New Zealand.

• Garador garage doors including: Domestic Sectional,

Roller doors, Tilt doors, Automatic garage door openers. • Commercial/Industrial doors. • Repairs and maintenance service on most makes of garage door or garage door opener.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

22 Bomford Street, Mayfield, Blenheim, New Zealand www.garador.co.nz

Building environmentally friendly homes doesn’t have to cost the earth

Many Kiwis want to live more sustainably, as it’s energy-efficient, waterefficient, recyclable, reduces waste, and there’s less air pollution, which is better for the environment.

What a lot of Kiwis question is whether it’s more expensive to live sustainably? The costs of an energy-efficient house depend on someone’s wants, needs, and budget. No matter how big or small a project is, builders can use various sustainable resources that aren’t necessarily budget-heavy.

CREATORS OF THE ORIGINAL RANCHSLIDER

ESTABLISHED LEADER

in fine craftsmanship of aluminium joinery for the unique New Zealand environment.

BIFOLD DOORS

WINDOW & DOOR HARDWARE CASEMENT WINDOWS

EUROSLIDER™ DOOR

0800 FISHER (347 437)

22 Bomford Street, Mayfield, Blenheim, New Zealand www.fisherwindows.co.nz

Craft Homes create sustainable houses which are healthy, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective.

According to Craft Homes, the team considers many things to make sure the house is sustainable. For instance: • Sun paths and shading to ensure there’s enough natural light • Enough thermal efficiency • Recycled or locally sourced materials and so on.

While this information is good to know, it’s also good to know what savings to expect. Homestar is a rating tool used to determine the health, efficiency, and sustainability of Aotearoa houses. Homes are ranked between six and 10, so a rating of six (60-69.9 points) is considered a good standard. A rating of 10 (100+ points) is world-leading. The rating tool suggests people living in a Homestar certified home for a year can expect to save in energy, water, and carbon emissions somewhere around:

Rating: six

• Saving $2,400 • 1,900kg of carbon emissions • 113,000 litres of water.

Rating: eight

• Saving $6,200 • 6,000kg of carbons emissions • 230,000 litres of water. house comes in many forms. The company focuses on figuring out how energy-efficient a home is. “When it comes to cost it is important to look not only at the upfront cost, but also at the cost over the lifetime of a property... it is important to consider how your home will perform,” Toby says. The gold standard for an energyefficient home is a Passive House, which is a German standard that creates ultra-low energy bills up to 90 percent cheaper through a combination of factors.

“This type of home may cost 10-15 percent more to build than a standard home built to minimum code, but the return on investment will come from low energy bills and a potentially higher resale value, not to mention the health benefits.”

A Passive House designer Joe Lyth built his own certified passive Lower Saddle House within his $502K budget. However, he didn’t pay architectural fees and got discounts on engineer fees. In the magazine Architecture Now, Joe says “If you add another $100k to account for consultants’ fees, additional labour, buying a mid-range kitchen and other costs, our project still sits at around $3500/m2”.

Toby also mentions the designs of a sustainable house is good to factor in, as it plays a role in increasing the use of a smaller area.

“Getting the design right from the start and enlisting the help of an architect and builder with experience in building sustainable homes is vital to save costs in the long run. With a Passive House, energy bills can be up to 90 percent cheaper with the added bonus of a higher resale value.”

Building a sustainable house on a low budget seems doable if it’s well-planned and a budget is discussed with certified experts. Living sustainably will end up being more cost-efficient in the long run.

Getting the design right from the start and enlisting the help of an architect and builder with experience in building sustainable homes is vital to save costs in the long run. ”

Info from: www.nzgbc.org.nz/homestar. Craft Homes managing director Toby Tilsley says a sustainable

THE JOINER SHOP

At the Joiner Shop we create high-quality joinery and provide a range of products and services for your new build, renovation or commercial needs. Let us help you with your next project in Kaikoura, Canterbury or Marlborough.