Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency forms a major part of the thinking behind the Totara Bank development. Our dependence on fossil fuel and creation of sustainable land developments require a decrease in dependence on imported forms of energy and increased use of natural and renewable energy resources. The development imposes minimum thermal energy efficiency requirements for houses built in the development. To meet energy efficiency requirements, houses need to be appropriately shaped, have appropriate orientation, window location and size, and insulation values. These all contribute to the energy efficiency of the development.

The development will utilise one connection to the national grid and will control a miniature grid within the development. Individual houses will have two-way electricity meters, allowing houses to import electricity from the local, or national grid, or to export excess electricity produced by the house from solar panels or other methods to the local grid. The use of this local grid allows utilisation of a greater percentage of energy produced on site and means that battery storage is not required. It opens options for use of grid or independent power supplies.

Totarabank covenants have been designed to ensure that a significant amount of the thermal energy requirement (space heating) is provided on site by means of the coppicing firewood lot. Reasearch indicates for example that if all the buildings at Totarabank match the energy efficiency of the first building under construction (lot 2), there is enough firewood on site to provide all of Totarabank's heating needs. There has also been significant research done to ensure that each lot has undisturbed access to the sun to ensure successful passive solar design. In addition optimum eaves angles, climate data, and thermal modelling research is all available to the Totarabank community.

For example research indicates that the house on lot 2 will be 3 degrees warmer in winter without any heating (through the passive solar design), than the average New Zealand house with heating (see Sylvain Lamige report on research page).

Some of the items included in the design & construction so far are;

•Thermal energy performance requirement covenants •Maximum electrical current draw (30A) per lot •Reduced road width •On-site thermal energy self sufficiency through coppicing firewood lot. •Swales •Stormwater retention •Edible landscaping •Provision of common land for community interaction, energy generation, and wastewater disposal.	•Solar access planning and covenants to ensure maximum solar energy access on each lot •Optimisation of eaves design for passive solar design (based on average monthly air temperature) •Communal building as temporary accommodation to reduce necessary building size on private lots •Internal electricity grid to enable communal and individual renewable electricity generation •Communal wind turbine

•Thermal energy performance requirement covenants

•Maximum electrical current draw (30A) per lot

•Reduced road width

•On-site thermal energy self sufficiency through coppicing firewood lot.

•Swales

•Stormwater retention

•Edible landscaping

•Provision of common land for community interaction, energy generation, and wastewater disposal.

•Solar access planning and covenants to ensure maximum solar energy access on each lot

•Optimisation of eaves design for passive solar design (based on average monthly air temperature)

•Communal building as temporary accommodation to reduce necessary building size on private lots

•Internal electricity grid to enable communal and individual renewable electricity generation

•Communal wind turbine

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