Building an affordable high-performance energy-efficient home is now easy and Nick Hubbard, from Christchurch company Formance, says there is a groundswell of interest in the company’s Structural Insulated Panel product.
Just some of the benefits of using Formance SIP panel are energy efficiency, a healthier home, strength, less product wastage and efficient construction.
The fact that Formance SIP is comparable with the per metre build price of traditional building makes using Formance SIP a “no-brainer”, he says. The Hubbard family started Formance in 2012 after discovering SIPs.
Based in Christchurch, Formance has outlets New Zealand-wide. One of the first homes built in New Zealand using Formance SIP was for Ben (one of the previous winners of the television programme The Block) and his partner Kylie.
SIP is not new and has been used since the 1930s after being developed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The SIP product sold by Formance consists of an insulating foam core sandwiched between two structural facings of Oriented Strand Board.
The result is an engineered panel that provides structural framing, insulation, and exterior sheathing in a solid, one-piece component.
The panels are manufactured under factory-controlled conditions and can be fabricated to fi t nearly any building design. Being custom-made any additional engineered timber or steel structure can be accommodated.
The result is a building system that is very strong, energy efficient, healthy and warm, says Nick. Formance panels can be used for walls, roof and floors in both residential and commercial buildings.
He says that Formance panels also have Codemark certification, which ensures compliance with the NZ Building Code and gives peace of mind that Formance panels will meet the standards and deliver a high performance building.
A home built using Formance panels on Waiheke Island is a good example.
Nick says that the home owner Rob McIntyre was attracted to the system partly due to its ability to be prefabricated cutting down on transport and labour costs.
“The warmth is the main difference. You come home and instead of putting clothes on you relax in your shorts and t-shirt no matter what the season. We’re saving hundreds of dollars every month [on our power bill],” says Rob.
Rob says that compared to his previous brand new traditional framed home he is saving one third of his power bill in winter and half in summer.
Benefits of using Formance SIP panel are energy efficiency, a healthier home, strength, less product wastage and efficient construction.
“That’s a significant saving and payback for the initial investment in the panels is returned quickly. From that point on it is pure savings,” he explains.
Nick says that international studies indicate that homes built to the highest energy efficiency standards result in a 7-8% increase in the value of the home.
This huge preference for warmer dryer homes is starting to be felt in New Zealand he notes with over 300 people attending the open home for aneco house built using SIP recently in Timaru.
“This technology really makes sense for New Zealand. It’s becoming more mainstream and will continue to do so as more people become familiar with the product and realise its benefits.”
For example Formance panels were recently used in a Ministry of Education project, a 2250 m² building at South Hornby School.
Nick says that this project not only demonstrated the confidence in the product but also the speed at which it can be installed with the walls for each 750sqm learning cluster building being erected in 2 1/2 days.
To make things easy for designers Formance has released a design guide so that its SIP product can easily be specified. A copy of the design guide can simply be attached when applying for consents, says Nick. Builders wanting to use the product can attend a half day training course offered by Formance.
The product meets the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code for 50 years durability and has a 20-year warranty on materials.
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The Formance panels provide structural framing, insulation, and exterior sheathing in a solid, one-piece component.
