Heating & Cooling

Passive design is about making the most of local conditions to make your home more comfortable and reduce heating bills.

In many instances you can achieve good ventilation and temperature control without the need for heaters and fans. “Passive” design elements work all the time without needing to be turned “on” consuming energy and money.

Keeping a home between 18-24°C throughout the year will help reduce condensation, mould and mildew, making it more comfortable and healthy for the occupants.

Good passive design including higher levels of insulation reduces the amount of mechanical heating required. However, in most places in New Zealand, there will be times when you’ll need to turn on heating or cooling. Some choices to consider include:

• In slab floor heating – popular under concrete slabs and tile areas.
• Air-conditioning – centrally or wall mounted units – can heat and cool. You need to decide early in the design stages whether airconditioning is to be used to allow for this in your design.
• Ceiling mounted fans – can cool in the summer, and in the winter if turned on in reverse can circulate the warm air at ceiling level down to ground level.
• Electric Heaters – portable and fixed.
• Gas heaters – portable and fixed – ensure these are vented to the outside.
• Wood and other solid fuels burners eg Fireplaces – ensure these are vented to the outside.