Changes to H1 Energy Efficiency: What this means for you
Date: 2 Jun 2022
To help achieve New Zealand's climate change goals of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, changes have been made to H1 of the Building Code regarding energy efficiency for all housing and buildings up to 300m². This is because windows remain a large contributor to heat loss in a home insulated to its current requirements— shown by the below diagram.
The figure shows the first change being made— that New Zealand climate zones will be increasing from three to six (see below for the zone applicable to you).
There will be new compulsory insulation requirements regarding the thermal resistance of the glass—otherwise known as the R-value as well as the inclusion of Solux-E and thermally-broken glass.
These requirement changes will be actioned over different steps and dates dependent on the climate zone applicable. All zones will have a minimum R-value of 0.37 in November this year. For zones 1 and 2 this will increase again in November 2023 whilst for the remaining zones, the second increase will take place in May 2023.
Zones 1 & 2
3rd November 2022
- R-value: 0.37
- APL Residential Suite (non-thermally broken) & AGP Solux-E® double glazing
2nd November 2023
- R-value: 0.46
- APL ThermalHEART Suites & AGP Solux-E® double glazing
Zones 3 & 4
3rd November 2022
- R-value: 0.37
- APL Residential Suite (non-thermally broken) & AGP Solux-E® double glazing
1st May 2023
- R-value: 0.46
- APL ThermalHEART Suites & AGP Solux-E® double glazing
Zones 5 & 6
3rd November 2022
- R-value: 0.37
- APL Residential Suite (non-thermally broken) & AGP Solux-E® double glazing
1st May 2023
- R-value: 0.50
- APL ThermalHEART Suites & AGP Solux-E® double glazing
Our glass suppliers at AGP state that they anticipate no issues with suppling high-quality, high-performance glazing units to the standard required. Bryce Imms is an expert in the industry and our supplier of state-of-the-art glass from AGP. He states that the Solux-E product "is New Zealand's most advanced double-glazed Low-E technology, that has been designed specifically for New Zealand conditions to deliver the best all-round performing residential low-E glass".
Learn more about the required ThermalHEART Suites.
Learn more about the required Solux-E glazing.
If you have any questions regarding the upcoming changes— please don't hesitate to be in touch.