– will be launching a trial in New Zealand to generate electricity using a cow’s urine soon

Kush Bhargava, a naturopath by profession, who comes from Madhya Pradesh in India, has been leading the green homes revolution in New Zealand since 2010, when he established his company, the Wellington-based Eco Green Homes.

“I moved to New Zealand in 2004, and after dabbling in few professions, I started the company with my wife, Nidhi, nine years back. And the first green home we built was our own house,” he says.

Now, along with their partners and franchises, Bhargavas [his father Ram Bhargava soon joined the company too] have built close to 200 green homes across the country. And next year seems to be even bigger, with over 65 plots in Tauranga, and 45 in Wellington already lined up for building the Eco Green Homes.

What is a green home?

According to the New Zealand Green Building Council, a green building is one that is designed, built and operated in ways that reduce or remove any negative impact on the environment and the people using it. Such buildings make more efficient use of resources such as energy and water, and provide healthier environments for people to live and work in. Green building practices can also reduce construction and operation costs.

“And we achieve this by having R3.8 super wall insulation, insulated edge foundation, German triple glazed windows, 5mm low E Glass, German technology lacquer kitchens, dust mite resistant carpets, intelligent touch free toilets, German hardwood doors, as well as hydro power computerized shower,” Bhargava adds.

“In addition though, all our homes are integrated with our Indian Vaastushastra and Chinese Feng Shui. We also meet other international standards such as International Dark-Sky Association, and bird-friendly glazing.”

These efforts by Eco Green Homes’, to be environment-friendly, has been recognised nationally.

In 2017, it became the only company in the country to build a 10-star house as rated on version 3 of Homestar by the New Zealand Green Building Council. It also got 5 stars – the maximum – on Lifemark World Class Accessibility ratings.

Then in 2018, it built Wellington’s first 9-star Homestar rated home (version 4). This year, Bhargava is on course to complete another home, aiming to achieve 10-star on Homestar (version 4) – which will be the first in the North Island.

“We are also working on one of the New Zealand’s first house, which will run on power generated by traditional methods, of using cow’s urine. We will be launching the trials soon,” he concludes.

-Gaurav Sharma