Dr Megan Howell of Beacon Pathway explains the Beacon HSS. Megan has previously worked with the Auckland Regional Council and the Waitakere City Council The Beacon HSS is the minimum standard for SHAC houses

1. Creating homes and neighbourhoods
that work well into the future
and don’t cost the Earth
High Standard of Sustainability™
Presentation to SHaC
11 June 2008, Dr. Megan Howell
Beacon Pathway Limited

2. Beacon’s Goal for NZ housing
• “That 90% of New Zealand homes reach a high
standard of sustainability by the year 2012.”
• But what, exactly, is a high standard of sustainability?
How should such a house perform?

3. Parameters of the HSS
• The HSS is:
– A measure of home sustainability.
– The underlying standard promoted through a range of
tools.
– Based as far as possible on measurable performance
indicators.
– Defined within the confines of what is reasonably
achievable for the mass market today.
– Designed to reflect Beacon’s priority issues and policies.
• The HSS is not a rating tool.

4. Policy issues and priorities
• Affordability and future flexibility (creating homes
and neighbourhoods that work well into the future and
don’t cost the Earth).
• Focused on the physical fabric of dwellings, as
opposed to more behavioural approaches.
• Treats house as an interdependent web of design
choices, rather than focusing on one or two priority
areas.

5. HSS™ Targets
• 35% reduction in energy use in new homes
Energy
• 15% reduction in energy use in existing homes
Water • 40% reduction in water use in both new and existing homes
Indoor • Average indoor environment temperatures meet WHO
Environment minimum standards
Quality • Adequate ventilation without excessive draughts
• Provision for waste minimisation during construction,
Materials and renovation and operation of homes
Waste • Consideration of sustainability issues in the choice of
materials used for construction or renovation

6. The High Standard of Sustainability™
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3
Energy New (kWhr/year/house) 7,600 8,500 9,800
Retrofit (kWhr/year/house) 9,050 11,000 12,000
Water • 180L mains potable water/person/day
• Temperature: mean minimum 18⁰c living room; 16⁰c bedroom
• Ventilation: 0.4 -0.6 (new), 0.5 – 0.75 (existing) air changes/hour
IEQ • Mean relative humidity: 20-70% in bedrooms and living space
• Checklist of features for pollutants
Materials • Checklist for materials selection and construction waste
and guidelines
• Checklist covering provision for composting, recyclables, no in-
Waste sink waste disposal unit

7. Performance is interdependent

8. Energy benchmarks
• 35% reduction in energy use in new homes
• 15% reduction in energy use in existing homes
Zone 1
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3
Warm
Zone 2
New 7,600 8,500 9,800
Temperate
(kWhr/year/house)
Retrofit 9,050 11,000 12,000
Zone 3
(kWhr/year/house)
Cooler
winters

9. Energy features
• Use of basic energy efficiency measures (eg curtains, draught stoppers);
• Use of a solar hot water system;
• Energy efficient appliances (eg fridge, freezer, washing machine) and lighting;
• For existing homes: ceiling and underfloor insulation to meet “better”
recommended values for each climate zone;
• For new homes: passive solar design (eg orientation for the sun, minimised
southern façade glazing, large northerly windows with high thermal mass heat
sink);
• For new homes: ceiling, external wall and underfloor insulation to meet “best”
recommended R values for each climate zone;
• For new homes: double glazing in all climate zones.

10. Water benchmarks and
features
Target • 40% reduction in water use in both new and existing homes
Benchmark • 180L mains potable water per person per day
Features
• Low flow fittings (shower heads, taps, no in sink waste disposal unit);
• Dual flush toilet or water limiting device for older single flush toilets;
• Water efficient appliances (dishwasher, washing machine);
• Rainwater tank for garden watering.

11. Indoor Environment Quality
• Average indoor environment temperatures meet WHO
Targets minimum standards
• Adequate ventilation without excessive draughts
• Living room: mean minimum 18⁰c
Temperature
benchmarks • Bedroom: mean minimum16⁰c
• New homes: 0.4 – 0.6 air changes/hour
Ventilation
benchmarks • Existing homes: 0.5 – 0.75 air changes/hour
Humidity
• Mean relative humidity: 20-70% in bedrooms and living space
benchmarks
• Mechanical extract ventilation • Windows with passive venting
Checklist of kitchen, bathroom and • Environmental Choice certified
laundry paints and finishes
• No unflued gas heaters • No air conditioning

12. IEQ Interactions
Temperature
Relative humidity Ventilation

13. Materials and waste
• Provision for waste minimisation during construction, renovation and
operation of homes
Targets
• Consideration of sustainability issues in the choice of materials used
for construction or renovation
• Checklist for materials selection and construction waste guidelines
Benchmarks • Checklist covering provision for composting, recyclables, no in-sink
waste disposal unit
Waste checklist:
• Provision for kitchen waste composting or storage space for kitchen waste collection
(5L min capacity in kitchen, compost bin or worm farm with 1m3 min space for
composting organics on suburban lot sizes, )
• Space for recyclables storage (20L min capacity)
• No in sink waste disposal unit
• New Building construction or renovation in accordance with REBRI construction
guidelines

14. Materials checklist
New Homes: Materials which:
• promote good indoor air quality
• have minimal health risks during construction or retrofitting
• are durable and have low maintenance requirements
• incorporate recycled content or can readily be recycled
• reuse existing or demolished building materials or can readily be reused
• are made from renewable or sustainably managed resources
• have low embodied energy including minimal impacts due to transport
• have low impact on landfill or are biodegradable
• minimal impact on the environment (air, water, land, habitats and wildlife)
• have third-party certification (eg NZ Environmental Choice, Forest Stewardship
Council)
Existing Homes: Materials which:
• Retrofit or renovation applies principles from materials checklist where appropriate

15. Concluding notes
• Research underway to confirm benchmarks and
develop simple measurement systems
• Key messages for Beacon:
– Integration between issues key to sustainability
– Acknowledge different potential of new and existing
homes.
• Look forward to seeing SHaC’s design
interpretations of the HSS