The BRANZ Green Home Scheme
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About the Green Home Scheme

What is the Green Home Scheme?

It is New Zealand's only independent method of assessing the environmental performance of new home designs. It offers a checklist system that operates as a rating tool, examining a wide range of environmental issues. A certificate is provided for those assessed designs that have a good environmental performance.

What issues are looked at?

The Green Home Scheme looks at mostly environmental issues, but also some health and safety issues, including

  • space heating and cooling
  • main appliances energy use
  • water efficiency and conservation
  • more sustainable materials
  • indoor air pollutants
  • waste disposal
  • and lots more!
Here are some more details on the key design issues examined. If you want to examine just the thermal performance of your house, you can use a demo version of the assessment worksheet, which is available here.

Why should I have my home plans assessed?

To:
  • prompt your builder/designer/architect to provide a better living experience for you
  • increase the quality of your house, making it more comfortable and climate adaptable and therefore healthier to live in
  • reduce the life time costs, in terms of space conditioning and water heating and water use costs.
  • ensure your house is future-proofed for the upcoming changes to the New Zealand Building Code and the associated legislation
  • help promote sustainable development

Where to from here?

If you are still working on the design of your new home, or are just thinking about it, or just wanting to find out more about it, you can: If you are an architect/design/building technologist and want to find out how to become a Green Home Scheme Accredited Assessor, contact BRANZ Built Environment Section directly.

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