http://beacon/index.php en andreab@beaconpathway.co.nz Copyright 2011 2011-08-25T00:40:17+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/building_back_smarter_in_christchurch/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/building_back_smarter_in_christchurch/#When:23:40:17Z Beacon Pathway Inc’s first demonstration project is underway.  The Build Back Smarter project aims to show that home performance interventions can - and should -  be included in the ‘standard’ repair of earthquake damaged Christchurch homes.  Beacon’s earlier research has shown the benefits of addressing the performance of the whole house (energy, water, indoor environment, materials).  The Waitakere NOW Home and Papakowhai Renovation projects clearly demonstrated improvements in health, well-being, cost savings and efficient resource use.  However, the Papakowhai project in particular also identified that there are critical intervention points at which it is both easier and more cost effective to undertake some interventions.  Wall insulation, for example, is best combined with replacing internal or external cladding. The extensive repair and rebuilding required in Christchurch presents an opportunity to include interventions which will: improve the household’s resilience and ability to meet future challenges reduce ongoing operational costs provide healthier, warmer homes which result in lower health costs and higher productivity reduce demand on centralised electricity and water networks Build Back Smarter wants to develop and demonstrate a robust approach to including home performance interventions into ‘standard’ repairs without slowing down the rebuild process.  Critically, the project is trying to identify the barriers to building back smarter and find a way to address them so that the demonstration can be scaled up and used city-wide.   Ten demonstration homes Ten homes will be selected for performance interventions, focusing on ceiling, floor and wall insulation, double glazing, solar or heat pump hot water, rainwater collection, heating upgrades and a range of energy and water efficiency measures. The upgrades will be individualised, depending on the extent of damage suffered by each home.  Selected homes will be assessed and a plan for the additional interventions developed, in consultation with the homeowners.  The online Homestar™ assessment will be used to rate the home before and after the repairs, adding yet another part of the ‘value case’ for consumers to consider building back smarter. The effectiveness of the repairs will be evaluated by interviews with homeowners, contractors and PMOs after upgrade / repair completion and again after several months.  The process will be both documented with evaluation of its effectiveness from all perspectives (insurers, contractors, Council and homeowners).  Ideally, the demonstration will show that building back smarter is possible and beneficial, and will identify how it can be achieved.   Funding Build Back Smarter has been made possible by funding and support from: EECA Fletcher Building Ministry for Science and Innovation Christchurch City Council Christchurch Agency for Energy 2011-08-24T23:40:17+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/beacon_pathway_now_an_incorporated_society/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/beacon_pathway_now_an_incorporated_society/#When:22:22:30Z Beacon Pathway Ltd has morphed into Beacon Pathway Inc.  And now we’re an Incorporated Society, we’re looking forward to working with our members on new research and projects.   Beacon Pathway Ltd wound up on 30 June 2010 with the completion of its research contract with the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST).   An end-of-term review by FRST commented on the success of Beacon’s research programme in terms of both research advances and driving change.  However, despite the progress made, the job Beacon Pathway Ltd started is not finished.  Our goal of transforming New Zealand’s costly, inefficient and poorly performing housing stock has not yet been achieved. In recognition of this, two former shareholders in Beacon Pathway Ltd, Waitakere City Council and New Zealand Steel, proposed a successor organisation to build on the success of the original programme and address outstanding issues in home and neighbourhood performance.   Waitakere City Council and New Zealand Steel brought together with other stakeholders to form an Incorporated Society, Beacon Pathway Inc.  The Society’s purpose is to transform New Zealand’s homes and neighbourhoods to be high performing, adaptable, resilient and affordable through a programme of research and transformational projects.   The Society’s programme may include another research contract with FRST.  After Beacon Pathway Ltd’s successful review, Beacon Pathway Inc was invited to submit a proposal for a new FRST-funded research programme. This is currently being considered by FRST.   Membership in Beacon Pathway Inc. brings the opportunity to leverage projects through collaboration, participate in high profile demonstration projects, share research learnings and work with other members across the housing sector.  Beacon Pathway Inc. looks forward to discussing these benefits and developing relationships with any organisations across the residential housing chain which share the Society’s vision of high performing, adaptable, resilient and affordable homes and neighbourhoods.   Find out more   2010-11-17T22:22:30+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/launched_the_neighbourhood_sustainability_framework_and_assessment_kit/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/launched_the_neighbourhood_sustainability_framework_and_assessment_kit/#When:23:37:59Z Beacon’s Neighbourhood team has just launched the culmination of their research: a Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and Assessment Kit. This provides a framework for people and organisations wanting to improve the sustainability of neighbourhoods that they are planning, retrofitting and managing. It takes into account the environmental, social, behavioural and economic elements of neighbourhoods, and recognises that not only are neighbourhoods dynamic, they reflect the result of multiple decisions made by a range of stakeholders at different times.  The Kit provides the tools to both assess neighbourhoods and to drive conversations on specific aspects of neighbourhood level sustainability in order to inform practical decision making. You will find the Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and Assessment Kit useful if you are a: developer local authority planner, engineer, policy maker or community developer designer planner neighbourhood manager, for example, with Housing New Zealand Corporation or a housing trust   Download your free copy of the Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and Assessment Kit here.   The technical reports detailing the development of the NSF and Kit are also available.  Visit the Reports and Presentations - Neighbourhoods page. 2010-06-17T23:37:59+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/2010_research_symposia_-_presentations_available_now/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/2010_research_symposia_-_presentations_available_now/#When:01:55:52Z As Beacon’s research contract with the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology draws to a close, we have taken the opportunity to update stakeholders on progress in some key research projects.  Three research symposia were held in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland to share what we’ve learned. These include: The final results from the Rotorua NOW Home®, a project which told us a lot about what design compromises can and cannot be made to still get a high-performing home. The results from the large scale HomeSmart Renovation project.  Covering 530 homes, this has provided a wealth of data about what renovations homeowners prioritise given extensive information, and how well their homes perform before and after. The value of water efficiency measures to councils, and the relationship between water and energy in water treatment and supply. How to get sustainable neighbourhoods - Beacon’s Neighbourhood Sustainability Framework and the new assessment kit. Progess toward the new Residential Rating Tool Presentations from these three symposia are available here. 2010-06-15T01:55:52+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/sb10_sustainable_building_conference_26-28_may._register_now/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/sb10_sustainable_building_conference_26-28_may._register_now/#When:08:06:37Z The New Zealand Sustainable Building Conference - (SB10 NZ) will bring together a wide range of industry stakeholders to focus on the issue of sustainable building in the New Zealand environment. Following on from the successful SB07 held in Auckland 2007, the conference will bring together local and international speakers to share their knowledge and insights on innovative, high performance and low impact approaches to developing, maintaining and retrofitting the built environment for sustainability. The conference spans policy, planning and design, through to construction, maintenance, refurbishment, reuse or deconstruction. The focus will be the future of New Zealand’s built environment and how to manage transform the building sector. SB10 is one of a number of regional conferences being held across the globe in the lead up to SB11 in London. SB10 is held under the auspices of International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) and the Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Conference is being held 26th - 28th May 2010 at Te Papa, Wellington. For more information, visit http://www.sb10.org.nz 2010-05-02T08:06:37+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/improved_access_to_housing_research_for_new_zealand/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/improved_access_to_housing_research_for_new_zealand/#When:08:03:01Z A joint venture between Government agencies and other organisations has the objective of making all housing research produced in New Zealand available through a single website portal. Housing Research for New Zealand already links to more than 1000 research papers on all aspects of housing research, and thousands more are expected to be added in the next 12 months. The Centre for Housing Research Aotearoa New Zealand (CHRANZ) has led the creation of this new website, with support from DigitalNZ. Based in the National Library of New Zealand, DigitalNZ helps to make New Zealand digital content easy to find, share and use. This includes content from government departments, publicly-funded organisations, the private sector, and community groups.  DigitalNZ’s existing technology has allowed CHRANZ to partner with other housing researchers to improve access to highly topical material used for the development of Government policy. New Zealand’s housing needs are complex and changing.  Few challenges are more important for the country than providing, affordable,  good quality accommodation and sustainable urban environments. For this reason a wide range of central and local Government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and others need all the best information available as the basis for their policy-making, planning and implementation around housing and urban development. A large number initiate their own research while, at the same time, continuously seeking to stay abreast of material produced by others.   An ongoing difficulty is the diversity of organisations and sources, and knowing where to look and how to keep informed of new reports. Housing Research for New Zealand presently links to the websites and other sources of nine housing research organisations, including Beacon, as well as universities and tertiary institutes.  Key features are; Single search access to research items from across New Zealand organisations. Links to full documents in context on the host organisation’s website  Diverse sources of information, including New Zealand universities; independent research companies; and Government departments   2010-05-02T08:03:01+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/What_do_you_know_about_photovoltaics_Try_this_survey/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/What_do_you_know_about_photovoltaics_Try_this_survey/#When:03:14:21Z How much demand for photovoltaics is there in New Zealand?  How much do you know about using photovoltaics to generate power?  Would you try it? As part of his MBA studies at the Auckland University Business School, Ian Mather is conducting research in order to assess the demand potential for domestic photovoltaic power generation in New Zealand. Increasing electricity consumption in New Zealand is expected to continue well into the future. This places pressure on our fossil fuel resources, our generation capacity and also our geothermal reserves. We are already experiencing the associated electricity price increases. This situation demands a greater emphasis on the development and implementation of sustainable, cost effective electricity generation technologies. Photovoltaics may be the answer.  PV cells convert sunlight into usable domestic solar electricity. It is seen as sustainable; has very low environmental impact; and is cost effective given sufficient demand. Ian’s survey is targeting homeowners in the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch regions.  He would greatly appreciate about five to ten minutes of your time to complete the survey. http://FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=637cm54pm9tl56r653194 2009-11-19T03:14:21+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/Visit_the_NZ_Housing_Foundation_HomeSmart_Home/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/Visit_the_NZ_Housing_Foundation_HomeSmart_Home/#When:22:53:24Z The New Zealand Housing Foundation is excited to let you know that their HomeSmart Home is nearing completion.   In conjunction with Beacon, they are holding an ‘Open Week’ before the family moves in, during which time you are invited to come and have a look around this wonderful new home in their West Coast Road development.   Date:                  Thursday 27th August-Wednesday 2nd September 2009 Time:         10.30am - 2.30pm every day Address:          16 Foundation Place, Glen Eden (cnr Titch Place and Foundation Place)   Read more about the first HomeSmart Home 2009-08-16T22:53:24+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/The_first_step_toward_rating_new_and_existing_homes/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/The_first_step_toward_rating_new_and_existing_homes/#When:03:44:49Z Industry-wide agreement on the need for action to address New Zealand’s cold, damp and unhealthy homes has led to a collaborative effort to develop a rating tool for new and existing homes. A single rating tool was seen as a critical foundation to drive change with its aim to be a simple, easily understood web-based interface for consumers. It would combine a ‘star’ rating and an annual estimate cost of operating for energy, water, etc. for a home with its current features, in order to achieve the WHO standard of an 18°C average indoor temperature. Working together, New Zealand Green Building Council, BRANZ and Beacon Pathway have taken the first step toward the development of a single rating tool.  The team have just released a report, Development of a Single Residential Rating Tool for New Zealand, which scopes why New Zealand needs a rating tool, what criteria it could include, options to ensure wide scale efficient delivery, and most importantly how this could help improve the quality and performance of New Zealand housing stock while setting a best practice benchmark for new housing.   Download Development of a Single Residential Rating Tool for New Zealand (1.5MB PDF) This foundation work has identified the need for a single rating tool that rates both new and existing homes and which: Facilitates improvement of existing stock by clearly delivering useful retrofit priorities to consumers, and aligning with the Government’s home insulation fund and other relevant programmes. Encourages action by providing consumers with information on the choices or actions they can take and the estimated costs and benefits of these actions. Provides achievable and consistent advice and standards over time that enables the building and construction industry to produce, install and maintain solutions that deliver real results for homeowners and occupiers. Enables the use of an online web-based tool that generates information on the expected building performance based on data about the house (as entered online by the user). Is a free or low-cost self-assessment so that acts as a “one-stop-shop” experience for consumers (i.e. connects the user to additional information and market solutions). Is objective and technically robust, while being easy to use. A draft rating tool framework created by a joint industry/government Technical Working Group is included. 2009-06-30T03:44:49+12:00 http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/Home_performance_rating_in_development/ http://beaconpathway.co.nz/index.php/news/article/Home_performance_rating_in_development/#When:01:40:52Z Work is now underway to develop a single rating tool to assess the comfort and performance of New Zealand’s new and existing homes. A partnership has been formed between the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), BRANZ and Beacon Pathway to develop a system that will assess the performance of our homes, provide information for homeowners considering improvements to their home, and provide a performance scale that creates value around warm, healthy and efficient homes. This industry initiative aligns with Government activities to form a public/private sector partnership to create long-term value for all New Zealanders. A rating will help owners compare new and existing homes on the basis of comfort and performance, in addition to the location, size or aesthetic qualities of the home.  Homeowners renovating to make their home warmer, drier, or more energy efficient will be able to link these improvements to the capital value of their property.   Home Performance Rating Tool in Summary The rating tool will: enable homeowners to compare the costs of improving home performance through free or low cost assessments based on data about the house.  A web-based tool will generate information on the expected performance of the home based on data provided. reward investment in the performance of a home with a rating which reflects its increased value. address the whole building envelope and assess a home’s performance, including energy, water, health and comfort, and materials used. provide a framework to help deliver Government housing initiatives such as the home insulation fund provide achievable and consistent advice on standards over time that enable the building and construction industry to produce, install and maintain solutions that deliver real results for homeowners and occupiers. Overseas research shows homes with performance ratings sell and rent faster, for higher prices than non-rated homes.   UK, Europe and North America have developed similar rating tools, such as LEED for Homes in the USA and Canada (http://www.usgbc.org/leed/homes ) and the Code for Sustainable Homes in the UK (http://www.communities.gov.uk/thecode )   Development of the tool A Technical Working Group is determining the basis for the technical detail of the tool. It will present a detailed scoping document and draft framework to a wiser stakeholder group in July.  If you would like to attend this briefing, please contact residential@nzgbc.org.nz 2009-06-02T01:40:52+12:00