This year major industries have been having significant difficulties with electricity pricing under the current market-driven pricing arrangements. With the growing number of Data Centres being established, the country needs to have a serious and comprehensive discussion on where and how our finite electricity supply is developed and used.

Yet again there have been record rainfalls in the country with devastating outcomes for the local inhabitants and their livelihoods.

The Post Editorial published in THE POST of Saturday, July 12 2025, referred to:

‘… The Independent Reference Group on Climate Adaption released a framework this week. While not government policy, it was commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment. It said our unpreparedness for climate change is leading to “larger and more frequent recovery costs, unmanaged financial strain, and disproportionate impact on some groups.”…’

In my opinion it is only by analysing Terrace and Apartment housing developments with the use of Dynamic Simulation computational modelling processes that an objective evaluation can be made of the potential for passive summer over-heating to occur in the most likely vulnerable units.

In December last year MBIE asked for feedback on “…the H1 Energy Efficiency standards, specifically looking at insulation settings and improving flexibility of building design”, with submissions to be with them by the end of February this year.

In 2024 the Minister for Building and Construction, the Hon. Chris Penk, “… instructed MBIE to review the recently implemented H1 energy efficiency standards to ensure that the compliance costs were not unreasonable and were well balanced with the health and efficiency gains.”

It has become more recognised and accepted by the public and the building industry that there is a significant and growing problem with passive over-heating of medium-density housing typologies. This is especially so for some forms of terrace and apartment buildings, meaning that more reliance is being placed on mechanical equipment to modify the interior environment of the dwellings.

Recently in the architectural community there was discussion around the need to have a thermal break in the concrete ground floor of a house where the attached garage is within its footprint, but outside of the thermal envelope, and how to achieve this in a buildable and structural manner.

It seems that finally the problem of summer over-heating of newly built medium-density housing, especially terrace housing, is gaining traction and being noticed by the mainstream media where it is starting to become a subject of public comment and discussion.

In mid-July 2024 it was reported that the Building and Construction Minister sought advice for a possible review of the cost increases resulting from the recent implementation of the improved insulation requirements of the 5th Edition of NZBC clause H1 (Energy Efficiency).

Are we driving blindly forward with our eyes firmly focussed on the view in the rear vision mirror? Our energy future is not going to be as it has been in the past.