Home earns its green creditations

A Speargrass Flat Rd home has been awarded the Queenstown Lakes' first six-star rating on the Homestar rating scale.

Homestar is an independent body developed to rate residential homes and the scale considers efficiencies in water, waste, materials, energy, health and comfort, management and the site, with 10 being the highest achievable rating.

Queenstown company Rilean Construction launched its environmentally friendly Evolution series last year in a bid to construct green homes.

Rilean Construction's Mick Moffit said New Zealanders were becoming more aware of the importance of living in homes that were both warm and dry as well as efficient in their use of water and energy.

"This is the future, and this is how we hope to see things done in a natural and pristine environment like Queenstown," Mr Moffit said.

"Most homes in New Zealand would sit at around two to four stars at best, so a rating of six stars is a significant achievement, especially as the evolution principles were incorporated into this home after initial concepts had been drawn up.

"It's a testament to the design and ethos already developed under our Evolution series homes."

The four-bedroom 290sq m home was completed in April and owners Graham and Cristina Robinson have been living in the home since Easter.

Mr Robinson said he and wife Cristina always wanted their home to perform well "as far as green credentials went".

"Rilean's knowledge in these areas was evident from the start, particularly with regard to the thermal performance and access to green technology.

"Our home has performed very well through some of the coldest snaps of winter, and we're delighted with how warm and comfortable it is. We love living in it."

Building materials were sourced responsibly and the home features a "vapour check membrane" which reduces air leakage and heat loss.

Insulation was achieved through 140mm of thick blown cellulose insulation, high-rating fibreglass batts in the ceiling and a polystyrene concrete slab system to encourage free passive solar heat gain.

A ventilation system used a passive heat exchanger to warm incoming filtered air and solar power heated the hot water system.

"It's a complex job to combine all of these eco elements into the design and construction of a home, all with the ultimate objective of creating an enjoyable, healthier and comfortable home to live in," Mr Moffit said.

"We've now secured five evolution house contracts in the last four months, making a total of seven houses either built or about to be built in the district."