HOMESTAR ASSESSMENT
The Homestar approach is based on the Passive House principles while taking a more holistic look at the building in context with its environmental impact. Unlike the Passive House standard, Homestar measures some of the more sustainable features of a home like water use, embodied carbon, recycling, location to public transport and reduced construction waste.
In Homestar there are mandatory minimum requirements focused on keeping your home warm, dry, well-ventilated and operating efficiently. Otherwise, the tool is flexible. The credits are open to various combinations to reach the points required to achieve your Homestar rating. Your home will need at least 60 points to achieve a 6 Homestar rating, which is the minimum standard that can be certified. A 10 Homestar rating represents an international best practice home.
Some banks recognize a Homestar rating as being a healthier home and are currently offering discounted interest rates for homes achieving a Homestar 6 accreditation or higher. In this way homeowners are able to benefit from lower mortgage repayments as well as lower heating bills.
What is included in a Homestar Assessment?
We start by reviewing you current plans, construction details and specifications. After we have the information we require, we can begin our review process.
We have split our Homestar assessment into 2 steps to make the process easier.
Step 1: Homestar Review
We model your building in ECCHO to determine the energy performance. Following this we quickly look over the rest of the assessment criteria to give you an estimate of where your building sits. At this stage we can provide you with some recommendations to improve the performance if required.
Step 2: Homestar Assessment
Once we have determined what rating your building is likely to achieve, we refine the ECCHO model to match the building consent drawings, or the completed construction onsite. We then work through the rest of the Homestar assessment calculators, documentation, and scorecard to ensure all the information provided is accurate. Once this is complete we compile all the information and submit your project to the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) for review and certification.
How much does this cost?
The Homestar Review for a standard standalone home is around $1,800 +gst.
The Homestar Assessment for the same standalone home is around $2,000 +gst.
*this pricing is for a standalone home and reviewed on a case by case basis. Please contact us for pricing of townhouses or larger developments as these are often cheaper per unit / typology.
How long will it take?
We will be able to complete the Homestar Review once we have all the information that we require and the deposit has been paid. We aim to have our review back to you within 2-3 weeks.
The final Homestar Assessment will require more coordination and documentation, as such it typically take 3-5 weeks to complete and submit to the NZGBC.
Can I use my own architect?
Most definitely. You are welcome to use your own architect of designer. For certification however, you will require a Homestar Designer to complete the ECCHO model and Homestar Assessor to complete the scorecard, assessment documentation and to lodge the application with the NZGBC.
At Mac Architecture, we have 2 Homestar Designers and Homestar Assessors. This means we can take your project all the way from the design through to certification without needing to engage any other consultants.
Should I choose Homestar or Passive House Certification
While the Passive House standard and the Homestar standard are 2 different certification programs, they are both seeking to improve the quality, comfort, and health of our homes.
Homestar and Passive House are now becoming more interlinked than ever before. The new Homestar v5 energy and carbon calculator (ECCHO) is built from the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) software. As such, a certified Passive House will automatically give you top marks in some of the main categories in the Homestar assessment. This link allows for reduced consultant costs when seeking both Homestar & Passive House certification, so you could have both.
In most cases if you are seeking Passive House Certification, a Homestar Certification would only be beneficial if you are looking to reduce your mortgage repayments with certain banks that currently offer discounts for Homestar 6 or better homes.
If you do not wish to consider Passive House Certification, then we would recommend seeking a Homestar certification as an alternative.
