Household Energy End-Use Research Recognised

MEDIA RELEASE

Household Energy End-Use Research attracts international recognition

20 April 2006

International interest is leading to new uses for the Household Energy End-Use Project (HEEP), a ten-year research programme that is providing world leading data on fuel and energy use in New Zealand homes.

"Although the study is looking at how energy is used in New Zealand households, the results have been picked up in 20 countries ranging from Australia to the United Arab Emirates," says Mr Nigel Isaacs, Principal Scientist, Energy and Environment, BRANZ Ltd. "They are using the study to help them understand the types of questions they should be asking in their own countries, and some of the key issues they need to be aware of", he added.

The research was presented by Mr Isaacs at the International Symposium on 'Urban Energy Infrastructure Development for Mitigating Environmental Impact' in Japan in late March. It will also be presented at the worlds' leading conferences on temperatures in building in England in April and on energy use in buildings in the United States in August.

"The problem of energy supply and transmission is a growing international issue and this research is attracting global interest. Other countries are increasingly aware that they need to better understand in particular, domestic energy consumption,” says Mr Isaacs. "Better management of energy demand can make a real difference to the need to build more power stations, dig more coal mines or drill for more oil."

The full 139 page Year 9 Report, which was released in November last year, has been supplied on request to 260 separate enquirers nationally and internationally over the past 3 months, while nearly 5000 copies of the various research reports were downloaded directly from the website in 2005.

"This is a significant increase from 2004, and acknowledges that the worldwide importance of this research and the need to better understand our end energy use both nationally and internationally," says Mr Isaacs “The majority of these reports are going directly to industry or policy makers, with other countries now interested in developing their own programmes.

HEEP sampled 400 houses from Invercargill to Kaikohe, and the research results were reached by monitoring household end energy use such as home and hot water heating, household electricity uses, social factors affecting electricity usage, the effect of standby appliances on overall energy consumption, the number and type of appliances in a house etc.

For further information about HEEP please download a free copy of the Year 9 Report www.branz.co.nz.

ENDS

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