CERTIFICATIONS & RATINGS
Introduction
Whilst there is no legal requirement to certify or rate your home in New Zealand at present, you may choose to use a standard or rating tool to assess your design, construction or performance. There are a wide range of certification and rating tools in the market to enable you to compare and contrast your build to other similar buildings.
You might want to pay a smaller energy bill, have warm feet during the winter, or ensure the air in your home is free from chemicals. Or you might want a house that increases your independence from the city water supply, one that relies on the sun and the wind for all its heating and cooling needs, or one that generates all the energy it needs to function and will leave the site and the state of the planet in a better condition than it was before the building was there.
Standards and Rating Tools
Standards
At the outset it is important to understand the difference between standards and rating tools. Standards require that you undertake and comply with everything to achieve the certification. Examples of standards are Passive House and the Living Building Challenge.
Rating Tools
Rating tools typically require a certain number of points to achieve different levels of certification and allow you to pick and choose how you attain those points. This can allow you to focus on areas of interest such energy efficiency or water efficiency or sustainable materials depending on the rating tool. Examples of rating tools in New Zealand are Homestar and Green Star.
Tool Table
There are various schemes on the market, with different approaches and structure. It is important to research and understand the alternatives before committing to one (if any), as your choice will have great impacts on your project’s outcomes.
If you decide to use a rating tool or certification standard, its objectives and strategies will need to be incorporated into your Design Brief early in the process, as they might dictate the way the design is approached.
The following table provides a list of certification schemes that are available for you to rate your project against.
Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
Building Code
The minimum functional and performance requirements every new home needs to comply with.
Addresses basic health and safety considerations as well as minimum durability and weather tightness requirements generally through acceptable solutions and verification methods.
The worst possible house that can be built legally.
A building consent that demonstrates compliance is required before construction.
Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
Homestar
A design and build tool developed specifically for the NZ context. It evaluates design strategies across the areas shown below, providing a scale that indicates warmth, health and resource efficiency:
● Energy, health and comfort
● Water
● Waste
● Management
● Materials
● Site
There are two non-compulsory checkpoints in the progress of achieving a Homestar Built Rating: Homestar Appraisal and Homestar Design Rating. Homestar Appraisal is primarily a marketing opportunity for the developer to confirm intention to achieve a Homestar Built Rating. Homestar Design Rating is a full assessment of a proposed dwelling which will expire after two years. Built rating is permanent.
Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
Passive House
A strict building performance standard designed to achieve high levels of energy efficiency, quality and comfort.
To achieve certification criteria must be met in the following key areas:
Heating and cooling
● Airtightness
● Energy use
● Indoor temperatures
Checks are carried out throughout design and construction. Final certification is issued after on-site tests have been completed.
Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
Living Building Challenge
A holistic scheme that requires exceptional performance across the following categories to achieve certification:
● Place
● Water
● Energy
● Health & happiness
● Materials
● Equity
● Beauty
The tool also requires projects to fulfil education and communication requirements to inspire others.
Evaluation is carried out after 12 months of continuous operation and ‘Living Building’ certification can only be achieved if all requirements of the standard are met.
Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
Net Zero Energy
A certification that verifies that 100% of the building’s energy needs on an annual basis are supplied by on-site renewable energy.
Monitored energy generation and use is audited one year following completion.
Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
High Standard of Sustainability (HSS)
A ‘whole-of-house’ approach that sets benchmarks to help homeowners understand the performance of their homes. Targets are set in five areas:
● Energy
● Water
● Indoor environment quality
● Waste
● Materials
Aims to influence and change the performance of ordinary New Zealand homes.
Using the targets set under the HSS benchmarks homeowners can monitor their own home performance.
Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
Core
The Core Green Building Certification℠ is a simple framework that outlines the 10 best practice achievements that a building must obtain to be considered a green or sustainable building.
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Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
QuakeStar
QuakeStar is an earthquake rating scheme for New Zealand buildings, including houses. The Quakestar rating introduces the 3D’s, death, dollars and downtime. Not just Human life safety but also how much will it cost to reinstate and how long will you be out of your building. There is a commercial and residential version. HouseCheck is a free to use interactive online tool (beta version) that lets you see how your home may perform in a major earthquake.
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Certification Scheme
Approaches & Structure
When do I get Certification?
Universal Design / Lifemark
Universal design is about producing environments that are accessible to all people of all abilities, at any stage of life. Specifically, it 'describes the concept of designing housing features to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life. In New Zealand there is a certifying/rating scheme for universal design attributes called Lifemark.
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The following are not rating tools but are other mechanisms available to achieve the design and construction of a building to exceed minimum code requirements.
Superhome Movement provides a pathway from where we are now towards international best practice, that is simple to understand and easy to achieve. Superhome Movement is about sharing information and creating awareness about the importance of raising standards of design and construction so that all homes are healthier and more energy efficient, while also promoting environmental, economic, and socially sustainable practices. This is done with open source sharing of important design innovations, technologies and techniques to build well beyond NZ’s current building standards. The focus is on not just the building but the people living within and also the right people to create it.
(Superhome Participants). This document sets the minimum requirements required for a home to be called a Superhome. A list of Superhome Participants can be found here www.superhome.co.nz/who
LCA Quick (Life Cycle Assessment)
A whole building whole of life framework for Life Cycle Assessment of embodied carbon. It is free to use and available at www.branz.co.nz
The High Standard of Sustainability (HSS) was developed by Beacon Pathway, an organisation founded by government agencies and industry partners committed to transforming New Zealand’s homes and neighbourhoods to be high-performing, adaptable, resilient and affordable. It aims to ‘define what achieving a high standard of sustainability in a home means – how the home should perform, and what features are necessary to deliver that level of performance’. Beacon focuses on a ‘whole-of-house’ approach to achieve fundamental changes in ordinary New Zealand homes.
Declare is like a nutrition label for building products. Declare is a transparency platform and product database changing the materials marketplace for manufacturers, designers, and developers.
