In 2019, Australian energy ministers agreed on the need for the Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings (the Trajectory). One of the key aspects in the Trajectory for residential buildings is to expand the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) to offer nationally accredited whole-of-home (WoH) tools to enable compliance requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC).
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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.
The HVAC-related energy usage of a group of three existing buildings on a Canadian university campus (the “Cluster”) was simulated. Two scenarios were compared: (1) an ambient loop paired with conventional HVAC equipment (boiler plant and cooling tower), and (2) an ambient loop using wastewater energy transfer (“WET”). The study aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing WET as a heating and cooling method for cold-climate institutional buildings, as well as to measure the effects of WET implementation on energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy costs
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Using a hybrid of dynamic thermal simulation and detailed hourly spreadsheet calculations, the analysis identified design and operation strategies to size PV and batteries for various degrees of grid independence.
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In the future, many Australian HVAC systems may be required to deal with harsher environmental conditions due to more extreme climatic conditions and a push to increase population centres in more northern and central regions of the country.
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Testo has appointed Jason Mair as its new managing director, and says the team is looking forward to continued success and partnerships utilising his leadership and extensive experience.Mair was formerly head of sales for SICK Pty Ltd, responsible for sales across...
The final report from the ASHRAE Global HVAC&R Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey last October has been released by the US‑based engineering association.“The Summit was designed to create an environment of collaboration and strategic dialogue to address the critical...
Ecolibrium shoots the breeze with the Melbourne-based director and founder of WRAP Engineering, Robert Holovka, M.AIRAH.Specialty Multi-discipline engineer, specialising in mechanical engineering. Passions The initial concept phase of any building design – when...
By embracing the Passivhaus standard, a new apartment building in Palma, Spain, classifies as an nZEB (nearly zero energy building). Paseo Mallorca 15 is a 10-apartment block in the main thoroughfare of Palma, capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca (Majorca), not...
The development of a sophisticated control system for an iconic home in Melbourne’s leafy suburbs has not only provided greater comfort to its occupants but broken new ground in predictive climate control systems. Sean McGowan reports on a house that has been home to...
A seamless transition to the Institute’s new Chief Executive is in place. Following a detailed recruitment process, the AIRAH Board has appointed Trish Hyde to the role of AIRAH Chief Executive. Hyde replaces Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH, who announced his impending...
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