They are wiring them up to some electronic systems that measure the amount of daylight present and adjust the output of the LED’s to get the required amount of light in the spaces. For offices these can go as far as having motion detectors so that when a space is unoccupied the lighting levels ramp down until a person enters.

They are getting predicted power consumption levels that show significant savings, plus when combined with the lower maintenance requirements due to the long bulb life they can show that the extra cost in fittings is paid back very quickly.

The biggest concerns are that it is still a new and evolving technology and there has been a huge variance in the quality of fittings they have looked at, and there is some conjecture over the actual life of the bulbs which are tested under `ideal’ conditions, plus colour consistency is still an on-going issue.

There are apparently an uncountable number of factories in China producing LED so the quality is bound to increase while the cost reduces. Our regulations for recessed downlights have recently changed so that all downlights must be able to be completely covered with insulation. This causes heat build up within the light fitting reducing the life of an ordinary incandescent bulb but since LED’s run much cooler there is little doubt that LED will become the dominant lighting method in the near future.

The production machinery has arrived and set up will be completed by mid March, and the appraisals for NZBC compliance are being completed by Colin Prouse and his team at BEAL. I strongly believe that this type of construction is the future of building in New Zealand as it provides so many benefits in a very simple system.

Insulation ratings for walls of around R4.0 (final values to be determined by BEAL) for a 165mm thick wall with no thermal bridging, very high air tightness levels, won’t support mould, won’t rot or rust or burn, is totally non toxic, and has very high structural resistant to earthquakes – it is almost impossible to find a down side to this product other than its newness to the market.

The response to MagRoc from people within the industry has been very enthusiastic to date and as soon as we have a project under construction we will have an open day for public viewing – stay tuned for details.

We are designing in MagRoc now for residential and commercial projects in the Christchurch area, SI West Coast, Queenstown, and with several very interested parties in the wider Auckland area. If you wish to find out more about the possibilities call Dean on (03) 337-1713.

Following conversations with some of the Project Management Offices who act for the insurance companies it appears that the insurance companies are willing to pay professional fees for design and documentation in different ways depending on your circumstances.

If you are rebuilding on your existing site it appears that in general the insurance companies will cover the cost of producing the documentation necessary to obtain building consent to rebuild the house that you had.  That is to say that you would get your old house back but with the design updated so that it complies with all of the current and revised sections of the NZ Building Code and relevant building standards, but essentially giving you back the same layout as you previously had using primarily the same materials.

This is their definition of replacement, and while it is easy to understand how they get to this definition any new house designed today is likely to be significantly different to one designed 20, 30, 50 or more years ago and it seems somewhat illogical to me to that given the way we live our lives today has changed significantly from when the majority of our homes were built that we should be rebuilding houses to a formula that is long since redundant.

If however you wanted to rebuild on your site but to a different design it appears that the insurance companies regard the design component of the architectural fees as `betterment’ which they believe they do not have to pay.  The rest of the documentation however they are willing to pay to the level that would have been necessary to rebuild your existing house.  This includes all surveying fees, geotechnical and structural engineering fees, plus building consent fees and any other necessary costs.

Where you wish to rebuild a larger house or one to a higher standard it seems that all of the insurance companies are happy for this to occur where you are prepared to meet the additional design and building costs.  If you were to rebuild a smaller or less complex house it appears that they would be unwilling to pay you out for the difference in the reduced value of your construction cost compared to rebuilding your existing house.  Rebuilding a smaller home but to a higher standard of equivalent value should be an arguable case because ultimately what the insurance company is aiming to do is to meet their obligations under your contract with the minimum amount of financial exposure.

If your site has been declared to be one on which you cannot rebuild and your insurance company is funding you to rebuild on a new site they will obviously need to cover the cost of producing a new design for this site as well as the documentation required for building consents and pricing, although in some cases I understand that insurance companies are attempting to send their clients directly to a nominated building company where they are expected to accept a standard plan.  I haven’t seen a single insurance policy where this has been written into the insurance contract, but I know from my own neighbour’s experience that considerable pressure can be applied.

The above information has all been derived from discussions with various people and can only be considered as a guide.  I strongly advise that you discuss any settlement offers with your solicitor, and if you are uncomfortable with the value being offered as a replacement for your home I recommend contacting an independent professional Quantity Surveyor to review the price being offered to you.

So what will it cost to get your house redesigned?  It will depend on the size and complexity of your home and I offer a free consultation to go through your requirements and offer you a quote.  Up until 31st March 2012 I am offering to cap this fee at $3500 incl GST for residential earthquake rebuilds.

Please feel free to call me to discuss your situation.  I don’t claim to have all of the answers but as time goes on things are becoming clearer.

In most cases the results will enable you to repay your mortgage in half to 2/3 of the original time period. This equates to potential savings of tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest. Naturally, everything is tailored around your home and your financial situation, but Powerloan can demonstrate categorically that with the right financial structure in place building an energy efficient home will not just give you a more comfortable and healthy living environment – it will save you significant amounts of money and make you mortgage free faster.

A brief outline is as follows:
While the process through the design stages is not dissimilar to that described on The Design Process page the initial pre-design meetings, design presentations and feedback meetings need to be held using an internet meeting service.

There are a number of these that allow us to have an internet meeting and share desktops so that we can discuss ideas and I can modify the computer models (to a degree!) as we speak.

The main differences occur with putting a contract in place for construction and during the construction phase.

The project would be put out to tender in the same manner that any other project would. I will analyse the pricing received and either recommend that a tender be accepted or alternatively enter into negotiations on your behalf to arrange for a contract.

The contract for construction would be New Zealand Standard 3910 in its current form under which I would be nominated as the `Engineer’ to the contract. This gives me the power to act on your behalf for the purpose of administering the contract and ensuring that the work is completed in accordance with the contract.

The funds for the contract are then transferred to an escrow account under the supervision of a New Zealand solicitor.I am happy to recommend a number of possible options for this or I am equally happy to work with a solicitor of your choice.

At the times designated in the contract the contractor will submit claims for payment for work done to date. As the Engineer under the contract it is my duty to inspect the works to be satisfied of the quality of workmanship, that the correct materials are being used and that the claim for payment is a fair and reasonable proportion of the contract amount.

Following this inspection I will write a report for you detailing progress, include a copy of the Contractor’s progress claim and I will issue a Certificate of Payment which details the amount to be paid to the Contractor and the date due.

This Certificate of Payment is forwarded to your solicitor who will then forward the funds to the Contractor.

In my opinion the biggest factor in any contract is one of trust. Where all parties have faith in one another to do what they are required to do then things will run smoothly. Where a client lives overseas and may have never met any of the contractors on site there may be some uneasiness about receiving payment for the work done.

By working under a well-established contract and with the knowledge that the funds for the contract are held in an escrow account this gives the contractors much more confidence and will inevitably result in better pricing than if this was not the case.

For you as the client, having the knowledge that I am working on your behalf to ensure that everything is happening on site as it should be and that you are never put into a position of risk through overcharging by contractors. I will also be in continuous contact with emails, digital images and net meetings updating you on progress, particularly around the time that the finishing work is being done and this house is becoming a home.