In this episode

Heating, ventilation, solar and more

We cover a whole lot of things this week loosely labelled ‘services’ - but what we actually dive into is heating, ventilation, electric water and cooking, solar power and batteries, EVs and a whole lot more. Call it an intro to sustainability, resilience and how to run your home.

 We also cover:

•  What ‘Future Energy’ is
•  What is energy and how it’s used in the home
•  The major growth area that is sustainability in NZ (early adopters to mass market)
•  What ‘sustainability’ has become since starting as more of a corporate social responsibility tick boxing exercise
•  Whether ‘sustainable’ and ‘expensive’ is synonymous
•  The upfront capital cost and how to fund it with renewable energy and healthy home loans with banks
•  Ventilation and which ‘positive pressure systems’ are used in older homes
•  The most common type of ventilation in NZ, and it’s not what you think
•  The ventilation system used in newer more air tight homes
•  How ventilation systems are adjusted depending on the time of year / temperature of the air in your roof
•  Heating, cooling and air conditioning options and where costs start
•  Heat pumps (high walls) versus ducted / central heating and multi split systems
•  Options for terraced houses and high density areas with limited outdoor spaces
•  Benefits of ducted / central heating systems for families
•  The cost of power and how it compares between Dunc, Jen and guest Heath
•  Where hi-walls versus floor mounted heat pumps can be installed, and how they work
•  The most efficient way to heat your water
•  Why people are moving away from gas for hot water and cooking
•  Battery solar systems and how they work with shortfalls and exporting to the grid for credit
•  The impact double glazing has on your energy efficiency and why
•  What you should do first if you’re buying a do-up or starting a renovation, and the order thereafter
•  Insulation options and why Autex’ Greenstuf is a good choice
•  Pay back periods and why this isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing what system to install
•  The strategy that goes into designing and installing systems and when they’re used, ie heating pools during the day
•  How solar works for swimming pools now versus decades ago (heating water versus running the heat pump)
•  The cost of solar and why it’s come down so much recently
•  Considering payback period when this isn’t your forever home
•  What makes the Tesla battery superior
•  The cost of EVs and how to charge them
•  Trends in owner occupied versus investor owned properties in terms of systems installed
•  The process of assessing what you’re using and what to install to ensure you’re getting the best outcome for the investment
•  Future proofing if you’re completing your renovation in two or more phases