Other Resources

Providing independent information and links to guidelines and tools to help design and construct sustainable buildings.

Building Rating Schemes/Tools

This section contains information on New Zealand’s building rating tools.

Green Home Scheme

The Green Home Scheme is being replaced with the upcoming New Zealand Residential Rating Tool being developed by joint venture partners Beacon Pathway, New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) and BRANZ. It will assess house performance, provide information for homeowners considering improvements to their home and provide a performance scale that creates value around warm, healthy and efficient homes. It should be ready for release at the end of 2010

TUSC

TUSC – Tool for Urban Sustainability: Code of Practice – provides web-based tools for sustainable urban planning. These include:

  • a site scoping tool – allowing you to access council GIS databases to view a site and details its infrastructure
  • a site tool – which evaluates the amount of energy and water the house potentially will use
  • a neighbourhood tool – for evaluating a proposed neighbourhood's transportation/roading, amenities, parks, green space, water use, stormwater and wastewater, social issues and economics to decide if it will be sustainable.

TUSC has been developed with support from the Waitakere City Council and the Ministry for the Environment.

HERS

The Home Energy Rating Scheme (HERS) is being developed by EECA with support from other government departments. Under the scheme, an accredited assessor will evaluate a home’s energy performance – including water heating, solar water heating, and space heating. The home will be given an energy rating, similar to the star ratings used for home appliances. Home owners will also be given information about how to improve their home’s energy performance.

HERS is currently scheduled for implementation in December 2007, initially on a voluntary basis, but it is anticipated that ultimately HERS will provide a means of measuring energy efficiency compliance with the NZ Building Code.

International tools

There are a number of overseas energy-related tools which have some application in New Zealand, such as the Canadian-based online software programme RETScreen.

RETScreen can be used to evaluate the energy production and savings, life-cycle costs, emission reductions, financial viability and risk for various types of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies (RETs). The software is free to download and the website includes data and case studies. Energy studies include technologies such as wind energy, solar hot water, solar space heating, biomass heating, passive solar heating, ground source heat pumps, photovoltaics and wind energy. Climate data for various locations in New Zealand is available.