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