Cold temperatures call for green building

With plummeting recent temperatures, New Zealand residents are blasting the heaters in their homes to combat the cold. However, the increased usage continues to create power outage fears.

Advocates for sustainable, healthy home building standards urge the New Zealand government to commit to better standards and avoid remaining decades behind other countries in The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The Green Building Council chief executive Andrew Eagles calls for a nationwide shift to building healthier homes. “It’s like watering a garden with a leaky hose filled with holes. We can turn on more water, but what’s the point if we don’t stop the leaks?” The discussion to find new ways of generating electricity will climb, Andrew says.

He adds that cold, inefficient housing is one of the main reasons so much power and heat is needed in Kiwi homes. “For years we’ve been calling for [governments] to deal with the terrible state of New Zealand homes. Millions of New Zealanders live in poorly insulated and draughty housing, there’s no wonder when the weather gets cold, they need to blast the heater,” Andrew explains.

Supply and demand are a game of tug of war played by energy systems. Finding future sources of renewable energy is paramount, as is an investment in sustainable, healthy homes by both construction companies and individual buyers. It is in the occupier and the environment’s best interest to move away from non-renewable resources, and instead focus on green building.