Simplicity and Performance

Simplicity & Performance

Simplicity

There’s no free lunch. Incorporating more complexity into the new Code, like multiple climate zones, each with its own R-value set, allows construction to be more finely targeted to local circumstances. Such targeting reduces the risk of “gold plating”. On the flip side, these more complex arrangements increase the burden of compliance checking, add more variables for builders to negotiate, and complicate the starting point for future changes to the Building Code.

Our preference, as hinted already, is for less complexity. We recommend maintaining 3 climate zones and restricting Code changes to a few high impact variables, with a core focus on high-performing windows. We have demonstrated that one ambitious, yet affordable, design can deliver significant energy savings in all climate zones. While it is true the NPV of savings from are lower in the warmest climate zone, the NPV is nevertheless positive.

Not all energy saving improvements to the building envelope are equal; the contribution of high-performance windows is hard to ignore. In our submission to MBIE we urged that changes to the Code be kept to a small number, focused on the components that deliver the greatest electricity savings, at the lowest cost. This was to support simpler implementation of high impact changes.

Performance

We do not mean to sound prescriptive about the build methods and appliances that should appear in the final changes to the Building Code. Technology is constantly changing and in directions we cannot predict. Our purpose has been to share what is currently possible, namely Zero Energy “recipes” that deliver significant energy savings, cost affordably, and that can be assembled with today’s technologies and techniques. Our preference is that the Building Code set performance-based output measures and leave it to the ingenuity of the building design and building materials supply industries to deliver against those. The kWh/m2 measure put forward in the Building for Climate Change consultation document is a good, and seemingly workable, example of such a measure.

A model is… just a model

Well-informed readers of the first issue of Fenestration New Zealand may have wondered how the Code As-built house could use over 18000 kWh of electricity when the average local household only uses about 7500 kWh. We puzzled over it, too! We found that much of the excess came from the energy used for room heating and cooling. The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) does not take account of the typical choices Kiwis make in heating their homes. Note that MBIE’s Building Code proposals for houses and small buildings are also built on PHPP modelling performed by BRANZ3 and do not appear to correct for real life Kiwi choices either.

First, the PHPP model is set to use electricity as the only energy source for a home. As regards home heating, New Zealanders use several energy sources, with many homes using more than one source. The 2018 census shows that while heat pumps and electric heaters are used in 47% and 44% of homes, about a third also use wood burners and almost a fifth use gas. Marked regional differences exist: on the West Coast, for example, coal is a heat source in a third of homes, while in Gisborne, wood is used in almost 60% homes.

Second, and probably more importantly, the PHPP energy model assumes that the whole building is conditioned. This means that all rooms are kept within the desired temperature range throughout the day and throughout the year. Kiwis do not typically heat all rooms in a house, let alone strive for comfort every day of the year. They put on another jersey... A cultural attitude of staunchness, as much as genuine poverty for some households, limits the energy consumed to create and maintain comfortable, healthy living conditions.

The impact of this for Zero Energy/Ready homes is that it reduces the real-life energy savings available and stretches out the payback period for the extra costs needed to build to its higher performing standard. The hard-to-quantify benefits remain, of course: supporting life-long health of the occupants and contributing to New Zealand’s decarbonisation goals.

Reduced energy savings also increase the importance of identifying which building components deliver the greatest “bang for buck” and of verifying the extra costs. On both points, FMI is sure of the significant contribution that high-performance windows make to the building envelope and of their affordability when factory throughput is at levels commensurate with Building Code-mandated product.

Product Description

Enviro-Dri® provides exceptional performance as an air and water barrier to meet the high demands of multi-family construction. Enviro-Dri is a vapor-permeable, fluid-applied, weather-resistive air and water barrier system designed to coat and permanently seal external sheathing and sheathing joints, and prevent water passage and air infiltration/exfiltration. Enviro-Dri is highly durable and unaffected by high winds, wind driven rain and weatherization. Enviro-Dri stays in place as long as the sheathing stays in place.

Air and Water Barrier Performance

• Provides an air and water barrier with a vapor-permeable membrane • Conforms with Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) requirements to exceed Section C402.5.1.2 air leakage requirements when tested in accordance with ASTM E2357and E2178 • Passes water penetration resistance test E331 stipulating that a treated wall will not allow moisture to penetrate when subjected to negative air pressure and 5 gal/sf/hour constant water spray • Not affected by surfactants (like mortar contact)

High Performance Durability

• Resistance to water damage and weatherization • Withstands freeze/thaw conditions • Superior, permanent adhesion to the sheathing • Withstands structural racking • Engineered for use behind all cladding systems including brick, stucco, stone and all lap siding

Complete System

• The Enviro-Dri System includes a complete line of tapes, flashings, and counterflashings to provide a single source manufacturer/supplier for all of your building envelope needs: -Enviro-Dri Counterflashing -Enviro-Dri Window & Door -Enviro-Dri Pan & Arch -Enviro-Dri Pipe & Vent

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Pioneering safety

Allegion’s sustainability mindset

Sustainability is not just the right thing to do, but the smart and profitable way to go. Accordingly, Allegion is committed to conducting its business in a safe, environmentally responsible, and sustainable manner, in compliance with all applicable environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations in the communities where the company operates. Products are crafted from responsibly sourced materials. As a leading manufacturer of security products and a responsible corporate citizen, Allegion is committed to environmental sustainability and promoting a cleaner ecosystem. Its goal is to design products with awareness of environmental impact, collaborate with its supply chain to source responsibly, and expect all suppliers to meet or exceed these same regulations and standards.

Plus, Allegion is committed to the manufacturing and distribution of products that comply with global governmental regulations with regards to restricted hazardous chemical use, reporting of substance of very high concerns, and product safety labelling and notification. Subscribing to a greener environment. In pursuit of environmental sustainability, Allegion (New Zealand) Limited strived to create a building that gives more than it takes and creates a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them. Consequently, the ecological impact and corporate social responsibility of the company strongly influenced the building design and scope of site improvement of its New Zealand Head Office. Double glazed windows with high performance glass, large roof overhangs, and louvre bays for solar shading provide a comfortable interior with excellent natural lighting. Exterior lighting is controlled by photocells and timers. Indoors, lights are controlled by motion sensors and intelligent switches, so lights are only on when people are present within the office spaces. An ultra-high efficiency VRF (variable refrigerant flow) air-conditioning system provides mechanical ventilation that maintains a high degree of indoor air quality. Allegion New Zealand also has multiple recycling programmes in place, including those for batteries and metals. In addition, low water use plumbing fittings were fitted and to further lessen the company’s carbon footprint, electric vehicle chargers were installed. It is also working towards acquiring the New Zealand Energy Certificate Scheme zero-carbon electricity certificate. To encourage the return of wildlife and have an area for the wider community to enjoy, Allegion New Zealand planted 11,500 native plants around its new facility. Allegion is pioneering safety by protecting people where they live and work, whilst preserving the environment for the future generations to come.

Stand out

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