This paper provides a snapshot of future HVAC in a net-zero world, and outlines some of the mainthemes from the workshop discussions such as:

This Guide to Implementing Low Carbon Retrofits for Social Housing is intended as a simple to use reference for social housing asset managers and others involved in social housing upgrades. The guide presents a concise summary of effective energy efficiency optionsfor social housing properties, including: 

• Advice on priority upgrades
• Important things to consider
...

A significant portion of the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions of residential buildings in Australia is associated with energy consumption for comfort and health.

This project investigates hybrid solutions using enhanced ventilation in order to achieve indoor comfort conditions, reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, and finally test it in a selected school building located in Sydney, which co-funded this project. In order to achieve this objective, the following activities were carried out: 

Cool roof technology is known to reduce the cooling energy consumption of conditioned buildings during hot periods, and widespread implementation of such roofs in a neighbourhood or precinct can mitigate the urban heat island effect.

In Australia, heatwaves are the deadliest natural hazard and a major driver of peak electricity demand. The disproportionately high peak demand increases electricity prices, causes occasional blackouts and exacerbates energy poverty, all of which limit one’s ability to use air conditioning. Meanwhile, increased energy efficiency of dwellings may decrease their heat stress resistance.

This guide aims to help the occupants of a home reduce the amount of energy they use and, in doing so, help curb carbon emissions and save on utility bills.

Heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) save energy by recovering heat that would otherwise be exhausted as part of energy code-mandated mechanical ventilation systems. Residential HRVs can be life cycle cost effective depending on equipment/installation costs and the severity of the climate. This brief evaluates HRV cost effectiveness in the context of building energy codes to identify the climate zones in which a code might reasonably require residential HRVs.

The Performance Requirements of the National Construction Code (NCC) can be met using either a Performance Solution or a Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) Solution or a combination of both solutions. The following demonstrates the performance based design process that should be used in conjunction with the Development of Performance Solutions Guidance document.

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and the former Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) developed this Handbook to assist users with the application and understanding of the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume One energy efficiency provisions.

Buildings and the atmosphere are intrinsically connected via cooling and heating systems. Global climate is projected to grow warmer, while an increasing fraction of the population living in urban centers. This introduces the challenge for new approaches to project future energy demand changes in cities. In New York City, the focus of our study, while air conditioning only accounts for 9% of all building energy end use, it is the main driver of annual peak electric demand.

Beyond expensive building and equipment upgrades and retrofits, re-commissioning (analogous to performing a comprehensive tune-up on your car) and automated fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) for building systems offer significant energy efficiency opportunities in commercial buildings.