NZ lags behind the world with energy efficient housing

New Zealand is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to having energy efficient housing, said a report Thursday.

The independent center for Housing Research, a non-official organization, released a document, attributing the lagging behind to a historical lack of government leadership, institutional and behavioural inertia, and a lack of incentives for home owners.

It says carbon dioxide emissions resulting from household energy use have climbed by 50 percent in the past 16 years, and current systems should be replaced with solar-powered water heating and heat pumps.

Energy efficiency expert Hamish Sisson said energy efficiency is becoming a major consideration for householders.

"Traditionally New Zealand homes have neglected energy efficiency, with the result that much of the country's housing is well below par in terms of, for example, warmth in winter," said Sisson.

He said there is now a growing awareness of the value in a dwelling of performance in terms of energy efficiency, but there is no "one-stop shop" which can provide information on planning and on the best equipment to use to achieve the best performance.

"Energy efficiency has an important role to play in meeting the increasing demand for electricity, and this new business sits very comfortably alongside our large renewable generation development portfolio," said Sisson.

Source: Xinhua