Healthy Homes: Big energy upgrades for new homes from November

Energy upgrades are planned for the insulation of the roof, windows, walls and floor of the new homes, which aim to make them warmer, drier and healthier to live and work in.

The Ministry of Enterprise, Innovation and Labor has obtained
more than 700 requests and 3000 responses on the changes, which will be phased in from November until the end of next year.

But Master Builders, the Certified Builders Association, and National’s Andrew Bayly want this to be delayed.

Bayly, a spokesman for National for Construction and Construction, said it could add up to $ 25,000 per home in the industry where the consents are granted to build a record 50,000 homes a year.

But the ministry that runs the updates says the changes will mean better homes and is part of the government’s construction work program for climate change.

Bayly said, The industry estimates that an additional $ 8,000 to $ 15,000 will be needed for the foundation, approximately $ 2,000 for the supplied and installed wall insulation, and $ 6,000 to $ 8,000 for new windows and glazing.

“This doesn’t take into account the costs of upgrading equipment, retraining staff and clearing old inventory.”

The herald reported last week about glass changes, where aluminum framed windows will need to have Argon gas pumped between the double glazing.

David Kelly, managing director of Master Builders, also wants thermal updates to be delayed for a year.

“We support the intent of warm, dry and healthy homes, but we’re worried it’s coming too fast. We already have cost increases and building inflation is rising to 18% per year. The builders estimate is that all Standards upgrades for new homes could add $ 25,000 per home, ”Kelly said.

But Dave Gittings, head of construction performance and engineering at the ministry, indicated that flexibility may be possible.

He acknowledged that the industry’s price increases and capacity was being stretched, but said renovation was needed.

“MBIE is fully committed to working alongside the building and construction industry to ensure a successful implementation of these important changes,” said Gittings.

“There is no doubt that the industry continues to face material shortages and price increases due to the pandemic, global shipping constraints, high commodity prices and record demand for new homes.

“MBIE has convened seminars with industry leaders over the past two weeks to better understand all the issues that have developed since last year’s consultation. We will continue to work with the industry to determine what additional support is needed and whether a decision needs to be made during the transition period, we will communicate this as soon as possible, ”Gittings said last week.

Bayly recognized that by raising standards, people would need less energy to heat and cool homes, which would help minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

Further changes include the introduction of alternative daylight solutions and weather-tightness tests and a verification method for the energy efficiency of HVAC systems, Bayly noted.

National agrees with warmer, drier, healthier homes that are more energy efficient.

But he was concerned about the timing of introduction and that foundation changes might not give discernible benefits.

“Worse still, the increased use of some products, such as polystyrene in foundations, could actually be harmful to the environment,” Bayly said.

Most people in the industry were unaware of the implications of the changes, and if they were, they did not know how the changes would bring about, he said.

“There is a great deal of misunderstanding; particularly concerning is that some large builders are unaware that there are now two ways to assess whether a new home meets the new standards,” he said.

Katrina Bach, interim CEO of Certified Builders, also said her entity supported the changes but wanted them to be postponed.

“Our concerns are about the capacity and capacity of an industry already under pressure and strained to implement these changes in the current time frame. We believe that the transition period should be extended and that the government should provide better information and education about the changes. “, Bach said.

The pressure was severe and came from unprecedented capacity and supply constraints, labor shortages and the pandemic.

“It is also impacting homeowners’ customers who face rising costs. Smaller companies have less spare space and this is already impacting their ability to continue operating,” Bach said.

Brett Francis, of the Window and Glass Association, has expressed support for the glass upgrades, but says this will mean that some companies will have additional costs and will have to reorganize their factories.