Proponents of energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment have always understood the importance of the facade as a key element for a building to achieve these aims.  In recent times the multiple roles played by the facade in ...

The previous version of this note (Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings by Deo Prasad May 1995) emphasised the need for including fundamental concepts of energy efficiency such as climatically suitable designs and forms, benefits of tailored ...

Read time: 29 minutes All buildings should provide a durable enclosure, thermally comfortable interior, good indoor air quality and energy-efficient operation. These measures can largely be met through an airtight building envelope with adequate ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in October 2018. The Passivhaus, or Passive House, standard is a rigorous, voluntary and performance-based standard, with fundamental objectives of thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Originally ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in September 2018. Users of a range of commercial and institutional buildings in eleven countries have been surveyed to understand their perceptions of the performance of a range of factors – ...

This note was reviewed in September 2018 and retained for legacy. This paper reviews the major North American and Australian sustainability rating tools to determine how they measure building energy performance. It then reviews the major building ...

The impetus for this note largely derives from both authors' recent experiences presenting the 'Best Practices in Lighting' seminar series in mid 2004.  Many attendees raised concerns about not having sufficient basic knowledge of lighting (and in ...

This note was reviewed in September 2018 and retained for legacy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an internationally recognised and standardised (International Standards Organisation 1997) approach for assessing the environmental impacts of ...

Regular data collection of a building's energy and water use provides building owners/operators with a real understanding and insight into the actual operation of their buildings. Building owners can then use this knowledge to achieve a range of ...

This paper summarises a study that looked at the factors that influence both energy and water efficiency for commercial office buildings. Using NABERS ratings for both of these, comparisons were made of various grades of buildings, with the ...