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The NZ Building Code is changing
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New minimum insulation requirements for housing set out in clause H1 Energy Efficiency of the New Zealand Building Code will come into effect in three stages. It’s all part of New Zealand moving to Carbon net zero by 2050 with more thermally and energy efficient windows and doors playing their part.
From 3 November 2022 we moved from 3 climate zones to 6 to allow a more nuanced approach to climatic factors and window suitability. All zones will be required to achieve a minimum 0.37 R value from this date, with cooler zones having another interim increase before all zones fully transition to the final performance requirements from November 2023.
What does this mean?
In essence, R0.37 requires a high-performance IGU (Insulated Glass Unit) with a low emissivity (Low-E) coating, such as Solux-E®, in a nonthermal frame. R0.46 and R0.50 require Low-E glass in a thermally improved frame.
What is an R value?
R-values refer to a material’s resistance to conductive heat flow, or thermal resistance. The higher the R-value the better thermal resistance the product will provide.
