This report is the Interim Technical Report for the Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory Project.

Energy retrofits of buildings usually ignore the amount of embodied energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions needed to reduce the operating energy and related emissions.

Addressing energy use in the built environment is just one aspect of the carbon reduction challenge, according to The Footprint Company chief executive Dr Caroline Noller. Addressing the embodied carbon in building materials is also vital.

Australia's love affair with clean energy and battery storage is only just beginning, with the nation on the verge of an energy storage boom, as the cost of lithium-ion batteries rapidly drops. Prices have dropped by 80% since 2010, and are tipped to halve again by 2025.

There is concern that rising electricity prices in Western Australia have a particular impact on the standard of living for those with fixed incomes. One group thought to be particularly affected are senior citizens. This paper describes a trial that assessed the impact of SMS tips and voltage optimisation units (VOU) on the ability of low-income, senior citizen households to conserve energy.

Through the National Energy Productivity Plan (NEPP), the COAG Energy Council will prioritise improving consumer information and decision making tools, the removal of market barriers to new technologies and services, and supporting wider innovation and competition within industry and energy market. This will support more productive consumer choice from a range of better energy services.

Problem: Roofs receive the most intense solar heat load among all building envelope surfaces in Equatorial-region. Solar heat gain through roof contributes to a significant portion of building heat load. In tropics where building cooling is needed all-year-round, passive methods to reduce heat gain through roof could provide significant cooling energy-savings.

The transition to renewables cuts across the entire urban energy landscape, from buildings, to transport, to industry and power. It means integrating energy supply and demand between different sectors, through smart technologies, rigorous planning and holistic decision-making. This report analyses the role cities can play in the transformation of the energy system.

This paper investigates the use of actual monitored household energy as an indicator of the thermal efficiency of a dwelling and subsequently rating of the building thermal performance.

Energy upgrades in Australia’s buildings could deliver a quarter of Australia’s 2030 emissions reduction target. Improving energy performance through improved building design, heating and cooling systems, lighting and other equipment and appliances could also deliver more than half of our National Energy Productivity Target.

AIRAH undertook this project on behalf of the whole of industry to provide a forum or mechanism whereby the transition to low -­‐ emission HVAC&R practices and technologies could be discussed openly and transparently. The topic is broad and the views are varied and often conflicting. The content of this paper is based on submissions rece \ived from industry stakeholders.

This paper examines the importance of household energy use and research into it. It reviews studies from around the world that have measured and investigated the characteristics of such consumption. It then concentrates on relevant research of this kind in Australia.