Glenview wins for energy-efficient building project

An energy-efficient building project has secured Glenview Electrical Services one of the top prizes at the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand (ECANZ) Excellence Awards. The Hamilton-based company won the EECA Energy Efficiency Award, which is for projects incorporating futureproof technology designed to create energy efficiency.

The EECA award recognises the company’s outstanding electrical work on its $2.2 million project rewiring the University of Waikato’s Student Centre, an existing building that houses the library and student services. The centre is a support hub for students and was designed and rebuilt to be environmentally sustainable - light, modern and low on energy use. Work on the centre was completed in 2012.

Glenview Electrical Services Director Warren Griffin says that even though he was a finalist, it was still a surprise to win the EECA award.

“I was blown away,” Griffin said. “We’d never done anything on this scale before so it was a learning curve for all of us. I’m so proud of the work we did, and especially proud of winning.”

Now based in Frankton, Griffin started Glenview Electrical 23 years ago. From small beginnings, the company has grown to become one of the largest electrical firms in Hamilton, employing between 15 and 18 people. In 2010, Glenview Electrical won the ECANZ Philips Lighting Award for projects that produce outstanding lighting for work it carried out at Anglesea Medical Centre.

Griffin says one of the biggest challenges of the university project was that his suppliers had never had to provide components such as carbon-neutral cabling before.

“At the time, this sort of thing was all really new. It was available in Europe, but not in Australia or New Zealand,” Griffin said.

Another challenge was working on an existing building while it was still in use, moving staff and the entire library collection of books several times as work was carried out. The rewiring work included using LED energy-efficient lighting with daylight harvesting and motion controls, as well as installing pulse energy meters in all switchboards.

The student centre has achieved Five Green Star status and was one of the first educational buildings in New Zealand to win this recognition from the New Zealand Green Building Council.