Prefabricated and modular solutions have formed a small part of the overall housing industry. Thi... more Prefabricated and modular solutions have formed a small part of the overall housing industry. This is particularly evident in Australia, where the market is dominated by hand-built housing using traditional construction techniques built by large-scale builders. This paper evaluates the ideal and the reality of prefabricated modular housing procurement in China for the Australian market. While there have been prefabricated components for the housing industry, primarily, most solutions are of volumetric nature. The findings question our understanding and methodology to prefabrication for Australia. The experiences of introducing building services into modules (pods) from overseas fabrication also have shortcomings. The case study presented indicates several of these problems and suggests a hybrid solution to volumetric delivery.
Deakin University and other research and industry partners have recently won a grant for the esta... more Deakin University and other research and industry partners have recently won a grant for the establishment of a Mobile Architecture and Built Environment Laboratory (MABEL). MABEL provides the first means of integrated, on-site measurement of the key aspects of the built environment (power, sound, light and comfort) using the latest instrument technology. There exists an ongoing need to establish a versatile and comprehensive in-situ testing facility for built internal environments, for the provision of research, education, training and technology diffusion. The ability to make on-site measurements across the environmental spectrum is unique and important. Individual measurements might demonstrate improved lighting performance, reduced power consumption, and improved ventilation or better building acoustics. More importantly, an integrated perspective will address an interaction in terms of energy efficiency and overall occupant comfort. H is recognised that many of the parameters w...
Participatory action combined interventionist research approaches can offer possibilities for com... more Participatory action combined interventionist research approaches can offer possibilities for community-based facilities and institutions attempting to re-engage with their communities and assert their presence. St. Cuthbert’s Church is a heritage-listed property, located on a major landholding, right in the heart of the summer tourist town of Lorne, on Melbourne’s peri-urban ‘sea change’ fringe. Its sloping hillside vantage offers spectacular views to the beach and Bass Strait, beyond. The congregation, however, is aging, while the broader community is increasingly secular. In response to these circumstances, the Church is looking to assert its relevance with the procurement of a community centre to be erected on the property. Using an interventionist research approach, with a professional facilitator in ‘participatory action design’, it was found that while both residents and visitors to Lorne were favourably disposed to the idea of a community centre, it was also clear that the l...
In order to achieve Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, a majority of the exi... more In order to achieve Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, a majority of the existing residential building stock in Australia will require retrofitting in favour of energy-efficient solutions. This paper considers retrofitting for conditioning to be one of the most straightforward and offers the greatest potential to deliver significant comfort and energy-saving results. Radiant conditioning systems are not new, yet some game-changing innovations have taken place over the last decade that may require an entire paradigm shift in the manner we condition our buildings. The reiteration of the principle ‘thermally active systems’ suggests that our buildings need to accommodate these systems into the fabric of building components. However, extremely few products and/or innovative solutions for doing such seem to be provided by the industry. We seem incompetent with solutions that are not costing the Earth, insulating, lightweight, and offering an instant response time to ...
This research aims to investigate whether real spaces can support legitimate measurements on glaz... more This research aims to investigate whether real spaces can support legitimate measurements on glazing energy and thermal comfort analysis. This paper presents the development of a research facility for doing this. It will test simple to complex glazing and shading systems in a real (occupied) interior office environment. The purpose of this research project is to compare measured results with those being simulated with existing software and to discover discrepancies between simulation and real measured results. What parameters characterize a glazing system, whether simple or complex? Can these parameters be used to predict the energy transfer and comfort in the space? One must begin with simple glazing systems and verify measured with readily known simulated results. It is, at present, very difficult to use geometric based software with thermal based software to predict the performance of complex glazing systems. However, if we can characterize glazing systems with a set of reliable ...
This paper centres around the presentation of multiple measured results on a psychrometric chart.... more This paper centres around the presentation of multiple measured results on a psychrometric chart. The psychrometric chart was programmed in Microsoft Office Excel to accommodate measured results. It was written because existing programs appear not to cater for the researcher wishing to enter results electronically onto the chart. Furthermore, many existing charts are complex and cluttered displaying up to ten attributes, being intended for engineering design, whereas presenting the behaviour of living and working environments is focused on wet and dry bulb temperature and relative humidity. As well as results, users would also like to specify and adjust the 'comfort zone' (a shaded area on the chart) for different 'adaptive' or 'seasonal' conditions. The comfort zone is bounded by lines of constant heat loss from the skin, relative humidity and wet-bulb temperature. The paper presents various applications of the psychrometric chart for the analysis and report...
As energy storage systems are typically not installed with residential solar photovoltaic (PV) sy... more As energy storage systems are typically not installed with residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, any “excess” solar energy exceeding the house load remains unharvested or is exported to the grid. This paper introduces an approach towards a system design for improved PV self-consumption and self-sufficiency. As a result, a polyvalent heat pump, offering heating, cooling and domestic hot water, is considered alongside water storage tanks and batteries. Our method of system analysis begins with annual hourly thermal loads for heating and cooling a typical Australian house in Geelong, Victoria. These hourly heating and cooling loads are determined using Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) software. The house’s annual hourly electricity consumption is analysed using smart meter data downloaded from the power supplier and PV generation data measured with a PV system controller. The results reveal that the proposed system could increase PV self-consumption and self-sufficiency to 4...
Across the Australian tertiary education sector and worldwide, the number of informal learning sp... more Across the Australian tertiary education sector and worldwide, the number of informal learning spaces has increased in newly constructed and retrofitted university campus projects. Research on these informal learning spaces does not pay much attention to the importance of spatial configuration design and how the configuration characteristics of an informal learning space may influence students’ selection of favourite spaces and their learning activities and outcomes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate students’ perceptions of the configuration designs of informal learning spaces on university campuses. Space syntactic theories are applied in this research to formulate the configuration characteristics of informal learning spaces, and students’ perception indexes of designed spaces based on students’ behavioural observations are used to represent students’ perceptions. An empirical study based on the Geelong Waterfront campus of Deakin University explores how the confi...
This research is a preliminary investigation of the objective measurements ofthelmal comfort and ... more This research is a preliminary investigation of the objective measurements ofthelmal comfort and C02 levels as well as subjective user evaluation surveys in six meeting rooms. The ongoing objective measurements were taken via thelmal comfort carts while the surveys evaluated parameters of temperature, lighting, air quality, meeting effectiveness etc. The outcomes are of particular interest since some of the objective measurements clearly to not support those of the users. In fact, the investigation has triggered off further interest in refining questionnaires to develop more precise indicators of 'discomfort'. Furthelmore, meeting rooms present a challenge when it comes to conditioning spaces (HV AC design) which are sporadic in use and often with high occupancy for short periods. This paper investigates meeting rooms in four different buildings and their conditioning control concepts are discussed in relation to measured results.
A NetZero Energy Home (NZEH) is designed, modelled, and constructed to produce as much energy as ... more A NetZero Energy Home (NZEH) is designed, modelled, and constructed to produce as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis, with the required energy generated from renewable energy resources. This paper reviews holistic research on NZEHs from the perspectives of energy simulation, energy monitoring, actual energy performance, and operation/design improvement. HOT2000, developed by Natural Resources Canada, is utilised as the tool to simulate the energy performance of NZEHs. Using multiple NZEHs as the case projects, sensor-based monitoring systems are developed to evaluate the actual energy performance of NZEHs, and the results are used to analyse the discrepancy among different NZEHs and to compare with the simulated results. Based on comprehensive analysis and comparison, operation and design strategies are proposed to improve the performance of NZEHs.
The most important prevention in minimizing energy transfer in commercial buildings is the treatm... more The most important prevention in minimizing energy transfer in commercial buildings is the treatment of glazing in the building facade. In a commercial building, while the impacts of roof, walls and floors on the overall heating and cooling loads of the building have low effects, glazing is likely to be the most important factor. This paper investigates the BCA Section-J glazing calculator and the ETTV (Envelope Thermal Transfer Value) methods and tries to look for differences as well as similarities in calculation of building envelopes energy performance. For this investigation, a hypothetical high-rise commercial building in Melbourne, Australia is considered when evaluating the energy performance of the envelope through these two methods. Both methods consider the U-Value of glass and wall materials as well as Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and Shading Coefficient (SC) of the glass. Findings in this research project indicate differences and significant discrepancies between t...
As the number of photovoltaic systems grows and costs decrease dramatically along with their conn... more As the number of photovoltaic systems grows and costs decrease dramatically along with their connect-to-grid tariffs, we ask whether our investments all make sense. This is a real case study, comparing energy use before and after going solar, by installing PV, reducing electrical energy use by retrofitting lighting, and storing electricity in a hybrid vehicle. The case study covers more than energy savings and explores the results of these actions. We present and develop data to calculate and illustrate the findings of energy generation, its use and sale back to the grid. We explore the reasons for, and benefits of, each of the investments and justify why ‘Going Solar’ makes plain good sense for thefuture.
Prefabricated and modular solutions have formed a small part of the overall housing industry. Thi... more Prefabricated and modular solutions have formed a small part of the overall housing industry. This is particularly evident in Australia, where the market is dominated by hand-built housing using traditional construction techniques built by large-scale builders. This paper evaluates the ideal and the reality of prefabricated modular housing procurement in China for the Australian market. While there have been prefabricated components for the housing industry, primarily, most solutions are of volumetric nature. The findings question our understanding and methodology to prefabrication for Australia. The experiences of introducing building services into modules (pods) from overseas fabrication also have shortcomings. The case study presented indicates several of these problems and suggests a hybrid solution to volumetric delivery.
Deakin University and other research and industry partners have recently won a grant for the esta... more Deakin University and other research and industry partners have recently won a grant for the establishment of a Mobile Architecture and Built Environment Laboratory (MABEL). MABEL provides the first means of integrated, on-site measurement of the key aspects of the built environment (power, sound, light and comfort) using the latest instrument technology. There exists an ongoing need to establish a versatile and comprehensive in-situ testing facility for built internal environments, for the provision of research, education, training and technology diffusion. The ability to make on-site measurements across the environmental spectrum is unique and important. Individual measurements might demonstrate improved lighting performance, reduced power consumption, and improved ventilation or better building acoustics. More importantly, an integrated perspective will address an interaction in terms of energy efficiency and overall occupant comfort. H is recognised that many of the parameters w...
Participatory action combined interventionist research approaches can offer possibilities for com... more Participatory action combined interventionist research approaches can offer possibilities for community-based facilities and institutions attempting to re-engage with their communities and assert their presence. St. Cuthbert’s Church is a heritage-listed property, located on a major landholding, right in the heart of the summer tourist town of Lorne, on Melbourne’s peri-urban ‘sea change’ fringe. Its sloping hillside vantage offers spectacular views to the beach and Bass Strait, beyond. The congregation, however, is aging, while the broader community is increasingly secular. In response to these circumstances, the Church is looking to assert its relevance with the procurement of a community centre to be erected on the property. Using an interventionist research approach, with a professional facilitator in ‘participatory action design’, it was found that while both residents and visitors to Lorne were favourably disposed to the idea of a community centre, it was also clear that the l...
In order to achieve Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, a majority of the exi... more In order to achieve Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, a majority of the existing residential building stock in Australia will require retrofitting in favour of energy-efficient solutions. This paper considers retrofitting for conditioning to be one of the most straightforward and offers the greatest potential to deliver significant comfort and energy-saving results. Radiant conditioning systems are not new, yet some game-changing innovations have taken place over the last decade that may require an entire paradigm shift in the manner we condition our buildings. The reiteration of the principle ‘thermally active systems’ suggests that our buildings need to accommodate these systems into the fabric of building components. However, extremely few products and/or innovative solutions for doing such seem to be provided by the industry. We seem incompetent with solutions that are not costing the Earth, insulating, lightweight, and offering an instant response time to ...
This research aims to investigate whether real spaces can support legitimate measurements on glaz... more This research aims to investigate whether real spaces can support legitimate measurements on glazing energy and thermal comfort analysis. This paper presents the development of a research facility for doing this. It will test simple to complex glazing and shading systems in a real (occupied) interior office environment. The purpose of this research project is to compare measured results with those being simulated with existing software and to discover discrepancies between simulation and real measured results. What parameters characterize a glazing system, whether simple or complex? Can these parameters be used to predict the energy transfer and comfort in the space? One must begin with simple glazing systems and verify measured with readily known simulated results. It is, at present, very difficult to use geometric based software with thermal based software to predict the performance of complex glazing systems. However, if we can characterize glazing systems with a set of reliable ...
This paper centres around the presentation of multiple measured results on a psychrometric chart.... more This paper centres around the presentation of multiple measured results on a psychrometric chart. The psychrometric chart was programmed in Microsoft Office Excel to accommodate measured results. It was written because existing programs appear not to cater for the researcher wishing to enter results electronically onto the chart. Furthermore, many existing charts are complex and cluttered displaying up to ten attributes, being intended for engineering design, whereas presenting the behaviour of living and working environments is focused on wet and dry bulb temperature and relative humidity. As well as results, users would also like to specify and adjust the 'comfort zone' (a shaded area on the chart) for different 'adaptive' or 'seasonal' conditions. The comfort zone is bounded by lines of constant heat loss from the skin, relative humidity and wet-bulb temperature. The paper presents various applications of the psychrometric chart for the analysis and report...
As energy storage systems are typically not installed with residential solar photovoltaic (PV) sy... more As energy storage systems are typically not installed with residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, any “excess” solar energy exceeding the house load remains unharvested or is exported to the grid. This paper introduces an approach towards a system design for improved PV self-consumption and self-sufficiency. As a result, a polyvalent heat pump, offering heating, cooling and domestic hot water, is considered alongside water storage tanks and batteries. Our method of system analysis begins with annual hourly thermal loads for heating and cooling a typical Australian house in Geelong, Victoria. These hourly heating and cooling loads are determined using Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) software. The house’s annual hourly electricity consumption is analysed using smart meter data downloaded from the power supplier and PV generation data measured with a PV system controller. The results reveal that the proposed system could increase PV self-consumption and self-sufficiency to 4...
Across the Australian tertiary education sector and worldwide, the number of informal learning sp... more Across the Australian tertiary education sector and worldwide, the number of informal learning spaces has increased in newly constructed and retrofitted university campus projects. Research on these informal learning spaces does not pay much attention to the importance of spatial configuration design and how the configuration characteristics of an informal learning space may influence students’ selection of favourite spaces and their learning activities and outcomes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate students’ perceptions of the configuration designs of informal learning spaces on university campuses. Space syntactic theories are applied in this research to formulate the configuration characteristics of informal learning spaces, and students’ perception indexes of designed spaces based on students’ behavioural observations are used to represent students’ perceptions. An empirical study based on the Geelong Waterfront campus of Deakin University explores how the confi...
This research is a preliminary investigation of the objective measurements ofthelmal comfort and ... more This research is a preliminary investigation of the objective measurements ofthelmal comfort and C02 levels as well as subjective user evaluation surveys in six meeting rooms. The ongoing objective measurements were taken via thelmal comfort carts while the surveys evaluated parameters of temperature, lighting, air quality, meeting effectiveness etc. The outcomes are of particular interest since some of the objective measurements clearly to not support those of the users. In fact, the investigation has triggered off further interest in refining questionnaires to develop more precise indicators of 'discomfort'. Furthelmore, meeting rooms present a challenge when it comes to conditioning spaces (HV AC design) which are sporadic in use and often with high occupancy for short periods. This paper investigates meeting rooms in four different buildings and their conditioning control concepts are discussed in relation to measured results.
A NetZero Energy Home (NZEH) is designed, modelled, and constructed to produce as much energy as ... more A NetZero Energy Home (NZEH) is designed, modelled, and constructed to produce as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis, with the required energy generated from renewable energy resources. This paper reviews holistic research on NZEHs from the perspectives of energy simulation, energy monitoring, actual energy performance, and operation/design improvement. HOT2000, developed by Natural Resources Canada, is utilised as the tool to simulate the energy performance of NZEHs. Using multiple NZEHs as the case projects, sensor-based monitoring systems are developed to evaluate the actual energy performance of NZEHs, and the results are used to analyse the discrepancy among different NZEHs and to compare with the simulated results. Based on comprehensive analysis and comparison, operation and design strategies are proposed to improve the performance of NZEHs.
The most important prevention in minimizing energy transfer in commercial buildings is the treatm... more The most important prevention in minimizing energy transfer in commercial buildings is the treatment of glazing in the building facade. In a commercial building, while the impacts of roof, walls and floors on the overall heating and cooling loads of the building have low effects, glazing is likely to be the most important factor. This paper investigates the BCA Section-J glazing calculator and the ETTV (Envelope Thermal Transfer Value) methods and tries to look for differences as well as similarities in calculation of building envelopes energy performance. For this investigation, a hypothetical high-rise commercial building in Melbourne, Australia is considered when evaluating the energy performance of the envelope through these two methods. Both methods consider the U-Value of glass and wall materials as well as Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and Shading Coefficient (SC) of the glass. Findings in this research project indicate differences and significant discrepancies between t...
As the number of photovoltaic systems grows and costs decrease dramatically along with their conn... more As the number of photovoltaic systems grows and costs decrease dramatically along with their connect-to-grid tariffs, we ask whether our investments all make sense. This is a real case study, comparing energy use before and after going solar, by installing PV, reducing electrical energy use by retrofitting lighting, and storing electricity in a hybrid vehicle. The case study covers more than energy savings and explores the results of these actions. We present and develop data to calculate and illustrate the findings of energy generation, its use and sale back to the grid. We explore the reasons for, and benefits of, each of the investments and justify why ‘Going Solar’ makes plain good sense for thefuture.
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