National Housing Upgrade Project

The primary aim of this research programme is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in NZ due to energy use in the residential sector through improved energy efficiency. Specifically, the research will piggy-back on a national housing upgrade programme. This national upgrade programme came about as part of the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NEECS), obtaining government and third party investment of approximately $40 million over the initial five-year life of the Strategy. Around 500 homes are being upgraded per annum in the South of the South Island.

The project will measure energy consumption and room temperature levels in up to 100 households that will have undergone the upgrade process during the life of the monitoring period. In addition the tenants will be interviewed to obtain their views on changes in comfort subsequent to the upgrades.

The project has links to recently initiated research by the University of Otago, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences (WSMHS) on the relationship between house insulation and occupant health and to a proposal from the University of Otago and Massey University to the Energy SPO on bringing ultra-efficient energy technologies to market.

Associate Professor Bob Lloyd is the project leader; other people involved are energy studies staff and students. At this stage of the project (19/9/03) the house survey work is complete. This involved installing the measuring equipment, interviewing tenants and collecting and organising the resulting data. Junior Research Fellow and MAppSc student Mill Shen is conducting the performance simulation and cost/benefit analysis work. Nathan Taylor also contributed to this work, which was submitted for part of the requirements of his PGDipSci in Energy Studies.

Pictures from the project

'HOBO' temperature and relative humidity sensors are used to record the internal conditions.	Pulse meters and loggers are installed to record electricity usage and load profiles.	The upgrades being implemented include the installation of ceiling insulation, shown here.