Sustainability

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.

An innovative building constructed a decade ago is aging gracefully – and usefully.

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.

A recent event in Melbourne explored how the themes of sustainability and indoor air quality are intrinsically linked.

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.

According to the annual report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), climate change continued to advance at a tremendous and impactful clip in 2022. 

Given a blank page, an engaged client, a set of unique site constraints and permission to invent new ways of bringing a building to operational life, Cundall’s building services and sustainability engineers have created an award-winning design for a net zero commercial tower in Hong Kong.

High-temporal-resolution precipitation data of the past along with other data of weather elements are required for applications in the design and simulation of built environments. However, the available data of precipitation is either low-resolution, e.g., daily, or not long enough to produce reliable and climate-responsive results for built environment applications.

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.

How do we unlock geothermal energy potential in high-performance buildings? Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre CEO Shayne La Combre has some thoughts.

The Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas is the world’s first hospital to earn LEED Platinum.

Since 1988 the Sydney Football Stadium has been the Harbour City’s premier rectangular field venue, regularly hosting internationals played by the Kangaroos, the Wallabies, Socceroos and Matildas as well as NRL, Super Rugby and A-League games. Find out how the design team had particular sustainability aspirations at heart.

By embracing the Passivhaus standard, a new apartment building in Palma, Spain, classifies as an nZEB (nearly zero energy building).

For more than 30 years, 101 Collins Street has remained one of Melbourne’s most prestigious office building addresses. Now on a path of decarbonisation, its management team aims to leverage the innovation of the HVAC industry to deliver a fully electrified building.

Canberra Grammar School’s new Snow Concert Hall features a subterranean design boasting an innovative ground‑source heat pump system. 

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.

Located in the heart of the CBD and overlooking the river, Brisbane Quarter is Brisbane’s first truly integrated, world-class mixed-use precinct. Consisting of three buildings, the project presented the ideal scenario for a district-style heating and cooling scheme. Sean McGowan reports on the design and construction of the HVAC systems serving this $1 billion development.