Healthy Homes for a sustainable future:

A German-NZ collaboration for energy efficiency retrofitting

22nd May 2023

Te Papa, The Icon Room, 55 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011

Germany's Energy Export Initiative, in discussion with the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ), is currently working on piloting a project to increase the energy efficiency of residential buildings in New Zealand.

The initiative’s goal is a turnkey cost-effective solution for energy retrofit of single-family homes in New Zealand developed by a consortium consisting of five German companies. These companies are market leaders, providing innovative and energy-efficient solutions for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, insulation, and renewables.

Part of the initiative is a conference, which will be held in Wellington and followed by workshops and meetings with stakeholders in New Zealand. During the conference German and New Zealand experts and the delegates of the German company consortium, EcoVolution Alliance, will share their knowledge and experience, including its mistakes.

Although Germany has a long history of being a leader in energy-efficient housing, it has also faced several challenges, such as high costs of construction and issues around regulation and certification. However, Germany's perseverance and commitment have led to advancements in technology and building science, making high-performance houses easier to design and construct, and more affordable for homeowners. At this conference, we will introduce to you the Consortium and it will present cost-effective solutions for retrofitting old houses in New Zealand.

We want to challenge the status quo, and in collaboration with BRANZ, we will cover topics such as building for future generations, cost of upgrades and incentives, education and training, challenges between Germany and New Zealand's building standards, and the future focus of the New Zealand government. Join us as we strive to build better and create more environmentally friendly communities.

ECOVOLUTION ALLIANCE

ECOVOLUTION, a consortium formed by the German companies LUNOS, GUTEX, PRO CLIMA, STIEBEL ELTRON, and ENERGATE to develop and promote environmentally friendly, energy efficient and healthy home standard-technologies for the housing market in New Zealand.

The companies contribute to the technology solution with innovative products and expertise in the areas of ventilation, insulation, high-efficiency window technology, air tightness, heating, and energy efficiency.

Our Conference Speakers

Her Excellency Ms. Nicole Menzenbach

Germany's Ambassador to New Zealand

Andreas Zötl

Senior Project Manager Action Planning and Coordination / Regional Manager Asia and Oceania

Dr. Mark Jones

Research Team Leader for the Building Performance Team at BRANZ

Stephen McNeil

Senior Building Physicist at BRANZ

Philippa HowdenChapman

Professor of Public Health at the University of Otago

Prof. Dr. Hartwig M. Künzel

Head of Department for Hygrothermics at Fraunhofer IBP, Germany

Dr. Gareth Gretton

Senior Advisor - Evidence, Insight and Innovation at Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)

Christian Hörning

Senior Advisor Building Science, Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE)

Thomas van Raamsdonk

Chief Executive of Pro Clima New Zealand

Matthew Cutler-Welsh

Business Development Manager Residential at NZGBC

Grant Anderson

Northern Manager at STIEBEL ELTRON
New Zealand

Bhawesh Singh

Technical Manager at STIEBEL ELTRON
New Zealand

Matthew Maule

Programme Director –Delivery Construction & Innovation at Kāinga Ora

Katherine Hall

Executive Director at the Construction and Infrastructure Centre of Vocational Excellence (ConCOVE Tūhura)

Jennifer Taylor

Transformation Lead at Construction Sector Accord

Catriona Petrie

General Manager at Qualification System Products at Waihanga Ara Rau