Green Home Scheme Links

Here is a listing of essential tools, guidelines and checklists that will help you along the path to more sustainable home design solutions.

Choosing a site for lower energy living

Siting and solar access: from the Sustainable Energy Authority Australia.
Landscape design: from the Sustainable Energy Authority Australia.
Car travel and its implications: ‘The Real Cost of Car Travel’, from Sustainable Households programme – scroll down to ‘Travel and Fitness’.

Thermal design tools

Here are two online computer tools that can be used to compare thermal design options quickly and simply.

Design Navigator – offers an easy-to-use range of energy calculation tools and also provides solar design FAQ’s and case studies
ALF 3 – offers a simple, step-by-step method of calculating the energy performance of conventional houses

Selecting energy efficient appliances

For examination of the energy (i.e. carbon) implications of appliances, excellent web-based resources such as this Australian Government site which is appropriate for New Zealand.

Selecting water efficient appliances

The Water Efficiency Labeling and Standards (WELS) Scheme is a joint Australian government initiative and contains many NZ products.

Selecting for environmentally preferable materials

GreenSpec – the UK-based building material and component comparisons and Guides. Also includes specification advice. Free access to entire site. Very good relevancy.
Ecospecifier – the Australian building product and material site. Limited access to only 10% of site. Very good relevancy.

Ensuring spatial and material efficiency

Small houses: an instructive article from the Winter-Spring 2005 edition of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, called ‘Small is Beautiful’, on house size, resource use and the environment.
Designing for deconstruction from the Scottish Ecological Design Association.
Reducing New Zealand Construction Material Wastes - a whole suite of guides targeted for the New Zealand scene.

Reducing the risk of overheating

Control of over-heating in future housing – design guidance for low energy strategies - This instructive Faber Maunsell document looks at integrated strategies to better prepare well insulated domestic building designs for summertime overheating.

Ensuring good weathertightness

Risk Matrix Guidance document and associated NZBC E2 External Moisture document

Designing homes with climate change in mind

The following publications are all available for free, from the BRANZ publications web site
‘Designing Homes for Climate Change’ (2006)
‘Towards carbon neutral and climate adapted domestic buildings’ (2006)
‘Climate change mitigation and Adaptation tools for homes and offices in New Zealand’ (2002)
‘Implications of climate change for the construction sector: Houses’ (2001)
‘A draft climate change sustainability index for houses’ (2000)

Useful Links to Eco Building Resources

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