Healthy homes at your fingertips: Gavin Lowe
Homeowner expectations for heating, ventilation and air conditioning are changing fast, with technology being used to make homes feel good.
The team at Gavin Lowe Energy has seen homeowners’ expectations shift significantly in recent years, according to general manager Lee Todd.
“One of the things I enjoy most about working in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry is seeing how people’s expectations of their homes have changed,” Lee says. “Not that long ago, most people simply wanted a way to keep warm in winter. Today, they’re thinking about the overall health, comfort and efficiency of their homes.”
As an example, that change was reflected in a recent Christchurch project, where a family building a new home focused less on products and more on the way they wanted their home to feel.
“As we sat down to discuss options, they didn’t start by asking about a particular brand or product. Instead, they talked about how they wanted their home to feel. They told me they wanted healthy air, even temperatures, reliable hot water for a busy family, and technology that made life easier.”
Working with the homeowners, the team at Gavin Lowe Energy designed a solution that combines ducted heating and cooling, fresh-air ventilation, and an AquaCore hot-water heat pump, all connected through Mitsubishi Electric’s Wi-Fi platform. Once installed, the systems quietly operated in the background, delivering comfort, fresh air and hot water while the family monitors and adjusts settings remotely when needed.
“What interested me most was how quickly the technology became part of everyday life,” Lee says.
“The homeowners weren’t constantly checking their phones or adjusting settings. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Once everything was set up, the systems simply worked in the background, helping create a comfortable living environment while providing the flexibility to make changes whenever they wanted.”
Growing awareness of household energy use, particularly for hot water, is also influencing homeowners’ choices, Lee says. Many people are surprised to learn that hot water can be one of the larger energy users in a household. Heat pump technology offers an alternative approach by using heat from the surrounding air to heat water, rather than relying solely on traditional electric resistance heating. The AquaCore system also includes scheduling and remote-control functionality, allowing homeowners to better align hot water production with their daily routines.
“Home comfort isn’t about a single product. As well as being warm, a healthy home is about fresh air, reliable hot water and systems that work together to support the way people live.”
To discuss your climate control needs for home or business, call 03 337 9584 or email lee@gavinlowe.co.nz.
