Sustainable Housing in Australia: Monitored Trends in Energy Consumption

The housing sector in Australia has an escalating share of the national energy consumption. Along with other sectors, the need to reduce energy and greenhouse gas emission in dwellings has been under the spotlight in the last decade. Policy drivers for achieving the desired reduction has comprised progressively more stringent regulations for energy use in buildings and appliances, subsidising energy efficiency features, materials and appliances and supporting exemplar housing developments in partnership with the building industry. The combined approach appears to be producing positive outcomes. After reviewing the Australian domestic energy regulatory framework, the paper describes two housing developments which commenced in the late 1990’s and late 2000’s. Both developments involved adherence to specific energy saving targets in individual houses. They were also subjected to rigorous energy monitoring programs. The paper compares the monitored energy consumption patterns of homes in both developments. The detailed monitoring program also enabled a comparison between energy use patterns for individual appliances including hot water, heating and cooling and lighting. The results demonstrate mostly encouraging trends and highlights potential areas for attention in the future.