Energy efficiency and electrification

The electrification of 3 Ravens brewery in Melbourne could serve as a blueprint for other craft operations, as Nick Johns-Wickberg discovers.

Craig Roussac from Buildings Alive looks at what investing in batteries can mean for building owners in Australia.

Dan Hadley examines what’s required to meet the International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 14001:2015 – environmental management systems in construction, using Watson Fitzgerald & Associates as a case study.

Researchers at RMIT have created an invention from waste polystyrene that generates static electricity from motion and wind.

Researchers at Binghamton University are developing bacteria-powered biobatteries into artificial indoor plants that can produce oxygen and generate power.

Many Australians live in substandard housing, but what can we actually do to improve thermal performance and reduce our energy bills?

Geothermal cooling is relatively underdeveloped in Australia, but as Ecolibrium staff writer Nick Johns-Wickberg discovers, its potential is huge.

An historic Melbourne precinct has experienced a complete reinvigoration that has not only attracted new clients, but returned some of the city’s most spectacular heritage spaces to the public.

The owners of a Passivhaus residential development in Melbourne’s inner suburbs have adopted a pragmatic approach to design, ensuring the best possible outcome on a site overshadowed by neighbouring buildings. Sean McGowan reports.

What role does data play in the electrification of buildings? With a focus on machine learning, artificial intelligence and the interaction with the electricity grid, a panel at AIRAH’s recent Building Date Forum explored this fascinating topic.

Given the considerable amount of transport infrastructure under construction, on drawing boards and taking shape in the daydreams of ambitious politicians, the concept of zero carbon transport buildings is featuring heavily in discussions amount those concerned about sustainability for our stations.

A much–anticipated community facility in Melbourne’s north–west has done away with gas-fired boilers. Rather, new technologies have been adopted, making the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre Australia’s first all-electric aquatic centre powered by renewable energy. Ecolibrium explores this ground–breaking project. 

According to CSIRO, storage of renewable energy is essential to ensure access to secure, reliable and affordable energy as Australia transitions to net zero by 2050. Part of that mix could be thermal energy storage (TES), a concept well established in the HVAC&R industry but often undervalued. Sean McGowan reports.

Professor Tony Arnel has been honoured with a Life Fellowship from the Energy Efficiency Council.

In the GBCA’s Green Star Design and As-Built ratings, projects can now be allocated an extra point by doing a whole-building test – a good thing, according to Sean Maxwell.

The Victorian Pride Centre is one of the first facilities of its type in the world. Located in the Melbourne bayside suburb of St Kilda, the building is a symbol of the freedom of expression and diversity of LGBTIQ communities.

An impending lease expiry, predicted growth in headcount and a desire to improve the workplace experience of its staff led SEEK to look beyond its existing office space and set out on a path towards its own, custom-designed environment. Sean McGowan reports on that seven-year quest, which led to a high-performing, comfortable and naturally lit space.

An innovative research project initiated by the City of Melbourne has increased energy efficiency in office buildings while also decreasing COVID-19 transmission. Louise Belfield reports.

Our industry has increasingly focused on the electrification of building utilities coupled with low-carbon electricity to support the global decarbonization effort. Examples include the University of California’s system-wide ban on the use of on-site fossil fuel combustion in new construction and major renovations, and the City of Seattle’s recently passed measure to prohibit the use of natural gas for space heating in new construction and major replacements of heating systems in commercial buildings, as well as for water heating in new hotels and large apartment buildings. This column presents an approach to integrating the production of domestic hot water with an electric heat-recovery chiller plant as a streamlined solution.

A new ASBEC report confirms electrification “unlocks the pathway” to net zero buildings.