Home › New Zealand

New Zealand

Current Codes

New Zealand Building Code, Clause H1
Country Specific Mandatory
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Wednesday, July 1, 1992
Expand All

Additional Code Information

Code Adoption & Change Process
History: 

One of the first legislative acts in New Zealand building history was the Building Act of 1991.  The act set out to improve the control of best practices in building design and construction, and the creation of the Building Industry Authority.  The Building Act of 2004 dissolved the replaced the Building Industry Authority with the Department of Building and Housing, which is currently responsible for publishing the New Zealand Building Code (NZBC).  Clause H1 of the NZBC, which establishes energy codes and standards, was firt established in 1992.  It has since been updated twice, in 2004 and 2007.  Clause H1 establishes a verification method for energy efficiency compliance.  It enforces mandatory standards in areas such as thermal envelope, air flow, water heaters, and passive daylighting design.  Many of the codes reference or enforce New Zealand standards, which are otherwise voluntary measures.

Economic Indicators
Government Type: 

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Climate Zone: 

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Population: 

4,213,418 (July 2009 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 

4.2% (2008 est.)

Construction Activity: 

Total Private Households: 1,478,712
By Type:
          o Detached House w/ 1 Floor: 863,877 (58.42%)
          o Detached House w/ 2 Floor:  261,852 (17.71%)
          o Detached House Unkwn Floor: 8,637 (0.58%)
          o Apartment w/ 1 Floor: 150,792 (10.19%)
          o Apartment w/ 2 Floors: 81,678 (5.52%)
          o Apartment w/ 3+ Floors: 16,167 (1.09%)
          o Apartment w/ Unkwn Floors: 4,329 (0.29%)       
          o Non-private Households: 6,963 (0.47%)

Source: 2006 Census

Projected Construction Rate: 

-15% (2008-2009), $520M-$442M in value of residential building permits issued

GDP Per Capita: 

$27,900 (2008 est.)

Projected GDP Growth: 

0% (2008 est.)

Industrial Production Growth: 

-2.2% (2008 est.)

Primary Exports: 

dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery

Primary Imports: 

machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics

Local Resources: 

natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

Energy Data
Primary Energy Source: 

Hydro: 54%
Natural Gas: 23% (2006)

Energy Consumption: 

0.86 Quadrillion BTU (2006)

Renewable Trends: 

Energy Efficiecny and Conservation Strategy of 2007 established goal of 90% of electricity production to come from renewalbe sources by 2025.  This is to come from sources such as wind, solar, and biomass, geothermal, and hydro, which already supplies the majority of electricity to New Zeland.

Climate Concerns
CO2 Emissions: 

38.36 MMT CO2 (2006)

Green Building Initiatives

Local Revision and Green Codes:
Green Star, New Zealand Green Building Council

National Environmental Milestones and Strategies:
National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, 2007

Building Sector Economic Incentives:
Emissions Trading Scheme
ENERGYWISE for Homes
EECA Business Program
 

Mandatory, Up-to-Date Building Energy Code:
New Zealand Building Code, Clause H1
The 2007 NZBC is mandatory for all new buildings in New Zealand, and Clause H1 contains a detailed set of energy efficiency standards.

Strengthening National Policies:
National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy
The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy is New Zealand's national plan to reduce energy consumption through new programs, government strategies, and establishes goals on consumption and emissions.

Economic Incentives for Efficiency:
Emissions Trading Scheme
Puts a price on emissions as an incentive to reduce them, and in effect increase efficiency.  Building owners can buy or sell credits for GHG emissions.

Green Building Rating System:
Green Star
A performance based rating system that notifies homeowners and tennants of the efficient practices in their home or office, and encourages sustainable construction.

Based on the current status of building energy codes and policies, as well as potential for energy efficiency, BCAP recommends the following actions.  Also noted are states or countries that successfully employ the suggested action, and may be used as a model.  These suggestions are meant only to show opportunities for energy efficiency.  Please contact BCAP for more information or assistance.

Establish a Code Change and Update Process
New Zealand already has a current building energy code, as well as national programs in place to help support the code and assist residents and tennants with energy efficiency.  The next step for the DBH is to develop an update and change cycle to Clause H1 of the NZBC.  This will systematically ensure that the code stays current and incorporates the most recent advancements in building science.

Model State:
Florida
Florida has a regulatory code update process, managed by the Florida Building Comission (FBC).  Every three years the FBC updates the code in accordance with state guidelines.

X
You may login with either your assigned username or your e-mail address.
The password field is case sensitive.
Loading