Sustainable water systems will meet water service needs at the lowest cost to society and with the lowest environmental impact through maximising water use efficiency first, then maximising water use effectiveness, optimally matching the quality of ...

This note was reviewed in October 2018 and retained for legacy.  Energy analyst and photovoltaics (PV) lecturer Muriel Watt provides an up-to-date overview of PV technology and markets in Australia. Watt shows that new technologies and lower costs ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in November 2018. This paper discusses a pilot study which involved altering the thermostat set-points to 2-3°C above the normal summer setting in two air-conditioned buildings during a Brisbane ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in October 2018. The design of new project homes constructed in Perth since 2003 is not always creating a stock of energy efficient houses for future generations.  This paper discusses the relationship ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. The physical destruction accompanying disasters typically creates an urgency to rebuild and help survivors get back on track. There are inspiring examples of how architects and other ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in August 2018. A balanced mix of play activities is critical to a child’s development. However for many children in Australia, as elsewhere in the developed world, the proportion of active, outdoor ...

This note was reviewed and retained for legacy in August 2018. In hot arid climates, cooling is the dominant need in order to attain comfort. In this paper, architect Emilis Prelgauskas highlights the natural forces (wind, solar gain, moisture) that ...

Read time: 15 minutes Daramu House is a 7-storey mass timber commercial building located at Barangaroo, a 7.5 ha waterfront urban renewal project on the western edge of the Sydney CBD. Daramu House has achieved a 6 Star Green Star Design & As Built ...

This note includes descriptions of the different systems used for the on-site treatment and disposal/reuse of domestic wastewaters from residential developments in non-sewered areas in Australia. It also examines greywater treatment and reuse, which ...

This note, originally published in August 2000, was reviewed by Dr Graham Treloar in June 2005. This summary page includes recent updates to the topic since publication. This Note considers the embodied energy of building materials in the context of ...