The idea of a hot and sunny land is so baked into our thinking about Australia that we’ve failed to design and build houses that protect us from the cold.
Articles on Energy use
Displaying 61 - 79 of 79 articles
Western Australia has huge amounts of sunshine and wind, yet only 7% of its energy comes from renewables. What’s more, most households in the poorest suburbs are still locked out of the solar panel boom.
Smart appliances, which let you control lights and power outlets via your phone, promise to cut energy bills. But research suggests these gadgets are confusing, and can just as easily raise power use.
Before you spend up on heating and cooling, here are a few simple retrofits to try first.
As the weather heats up, Australian households won’t just be cranking up the air conditioning for themselves. Some households will also be turning it on for their dogs or cats.
Urban greening programs need to consider the harmful impacts of artificial lighting on ecosystems. Fortunately, we can do a lot to create more biosensitive lighting.
Daylight saving time advocates say it conserves energy and wins wars. But studies show that injuries and illnesses rise when we switch the clocks. One solution: staying on DST year-round.
Most people say they want to save money and the environment, but their actions suggest otherwise.
Companies could improve their profits 2-10% each year by saving energy, according to a world-first attempt to assess energy performance.
Australia, like much of the rest of the world, is in the midst of an energy transition, driven by falling demand and uptake of renewables. Community energy is one way we can mange this transition to the benefit of all Australians.
Electricity forecasts just 4 years ago predicted strong, uninterrupted growth in electricity demand. In reality, demand has fallen for the past four years. Why?
The unveiling of Tesla’s Powerwall home battery has been hailed as a huge moment in renewable energy. But don’t forget the other innovations that can help you use that stored power more efficiently.
Smartphones may have been around for a while but demand for digital traffic is still growing fast. During the new year celebrations, mobile providers in the UK and Australia reported a 50% increase in…
At Christmas, size is everything: so says an online “oven selector guide”. And it is true, ovens are designed and optimised for roasting large birds. As a result, they are typically oversized for regular…
There is no shortage of shouting and dire warnings about the state of the climate and our need to phase out fossil fuels. But there is a more silent revolution happening too — in micropower. Small-scale…
Readers of the Financial Times would have recently encountered a story that encompasses the paper’s version of bad/good news when it comes to the oil business. According to the author Daniel Yergin, the…
Every day, our lives are being captured digitally in the data that is generated by our transactions, interactions and movements. And as we become more connected through the internet of things, even more…
Living in the age of data – whether big or small – certainly has its benefits for businesses and governments. Consumers, however, might be excused for feeling like they are being carried along without…
Researchers are looking into installing smart meters in Western Australia, citing data that the energy use in the state is…
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Associate Professor in Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor in Research & Innovation, RMIT University
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Senior Industry Fellow, Environment and Planning, RMIT University
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Associate Professor in Housing, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
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Professor, Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Monash University, Monash University
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Research fellow, Adelaide University
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Associate Professor in Property, The University of Melbourne
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Research Team Leader, CSIRO
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Senior Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning, Griffith University
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Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Professor of Economics, University of Arizona
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Assistant Professor of Economics, Claremont McKenna College
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Professor of Housing Research, Adelaide University
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Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
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Professor of Nanophysics, Lund University