HONE

The H1 changes are updates to New Zealand's Building Code clause H1, which sets the requirements for energy efficiency in new buildings. The standards raised the bar for overall thermal design across housing and larger buildings in 2023. In November 2026 the schedule method is being removed. In practice, this means higher R-values, tighter construction detailing, and more rigorous calculations to prove compliance. The goal is warmer, drier, more energy-efficient buildings that cost less to run over their lifetime.

The changes mean more detailed energy modelling and stricter compliance documentation on every project. For building designers, architects, and construction companies, that translates into extra calculation work, tighter material choices, and a greater risk of delays if reports don't meet council expectations. Getting it right the first time protects your timelines, your budgets, and your reputation with clients. Hone helps you absorb this added complexity without adding hours to every job..

No. Hone is designed for building designers, architects, and construction teams who understand their projects but aren't specialist energy assessors. You define your materials, layers, and design elements, and Hone handles the calculations behind the scenes. The interface is structured to guide you through the process, so you can produce accurate results without a technical modelling background. If you can plan a build, you can run its compliance through Hone.

Getting started with Hone is simple. Create your account, and a member of our team will personally walk you through setup - no guesswork, no waiting, no lengthy manuals. From there, you're ready to work. Set up your first project, define your building assemblies, and start putting Hone to use. Run your calculations, explore the platform's features, and generate detailed reports without the usual friction. 

Both! For small practices, Hone does the work you'd otherwise pay a specialist to do. The tool handles the thermal envelope maths, flags where a design falls short, and shows you exactly what to change. That means less time lost to rework and fewer consent delays - without adding a line to your payroll. For larger practices, the value is efficiency at scale. Every project runs to the same method, so your compliance approach stays consistent across teams and sites. When volume spikes, you can hand the calculations to Hone's experts and keep your own people on design.