Energy efficiency initiatives

Mark Thomson, TVS Partnership
Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, June 2005


This video should be viewed in the context of the ESD design guide for Australian Government buildings.

The ESD design guide gives a basic introduction to ecological sustainability issues and specifically how the built environment affects them. It begins by outlining the Australian position on Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) and some key policies relevant to buildings and ESD.

See also: more ESD design guide videos
Transcript

In Ann Street, the major energy efficiency initiative we introduced was bringing a thermosiphon naturally ventilated system into the atrium of the building.

So we decreased the need for air conditioned space in the common central area of the building.

That enabled us to reduce the amount of air conditioned space and therefore, we were able to use the excisting air conditioning plant more efficiently in other areas.

We were also able to get more passive control in the atrium and the entry areas of the building.

We also looked at a grid type PV system was also used.

We have energy generation on site. The paybacks on that aren't great at the moment, but it's an important initiative to follow through on anyway.

Then there are the more simple things like T5 lighting and the other thing we found that was very important was the zoning.

Wiring the lighting and other electrical equipment so that they are actually zoned and controlled where required.

We set up system where it is hard for people to turn on excess lights.

We added simple things like identification on the switches, so people can tell what they are turning on, which can make a big difference.

[end transcript]

ESD design guide for office and public buildings (Edition 3)
Sustainable Built Environments and Centre for Design, RMIT University
Department of the Environment and Water Resources, May 2007
ISBN 0 642 553 491 ESD design guide for office and public buildings (PDF - 1,441 KB)
http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/publications/esd-desi... ESD design guide for office and public buildings - Cover and Minister's foreword (PDF - 141 KB)
http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/publications/esd-desi... ESD design guide for office and public buildings - Introduction to Opportunity 10 (PDF - 821 KB)
http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/publications/esd-desi... ESD design guide for office and public buildings - Case studies, glossary and appendices (PDF - 561 KB)
http://www.environment.gov.au/sustainability/government/publications/esd-desi...

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Science & Technology

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• Energy efficiency initiatives
• living sustainably
• environment