Read time: 25 minutes There has been a tendency to focus on energy efficiency measures when reducing building-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – that is reducing heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation energy needs. However, the GHG ...

Indoor environment quality (IEQ) considers the overall comfort of a building’s interior and the comfort and health of its occupants. Many factors may contribute to indoor environmental quality, including use of daylighting, passive design and ...

This note examines the risks and benefits of using polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, in construction. It looks at environmental impacts of its use and disposal, and the desirability and practicality of its substitution. This note was originally published ...

The primary intention of passive design is to create a thermally comfortable building with reduced demand on mechanical (active) forms of heating, air conditioning and ventilation. This paper provides design practitioners with a general overview of ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in August 2018. Insulation and thermal mass are highly effective ways to reduce energy use and improve comfort in buildings. Insulation reduces the rate or speed of heat transfer through a building ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. This note was prepared by Detlev Geard of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES). It makes recommendations as to the application of thermal mass in ...

The paper and its companion paper summarise reports published by the consulting firm GHD in 2003 and 2009 and in particular summarise final results of a two year trial of 6 urine-separating dry composting toilets and 2 waterless urinals at a new ...

This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018. This note is based on research undertaken as part of a Churchill Fellowship, which included field study in Vigan City, the Philippines; Fujian, China; and Central Japan. The research ...

Sustainability imperatives are starting to drive business decisions and government policies. As solutions are sought to developing environmental assessments, it is important to know how much energy, water or chemical has gone into manufacturing a ...

This glossary has been reviewed and updated by the Environment Advisory Group for the 2021 edition, with the assistance and input of numerous members and external contributors. The definitions relate to built environment sustainability and are ...