Sustainable Subdivision Design and Energy Consumption of Households in the Hot and Humid Tropical Climate of Darwin

S. Safarova, S. T. Garnett, E. Halawa, J. B. Trombley, L. Law, J. van Hoof

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This paper examines the relationship between sustainable subdivision design principals, local microclimate, and household electricity consumption. The energy-efficient subdivision design principals, energy consumption, and adjustment behaviour of 36 households were investigated in two suburbs of the city of Darwin. The participating households completed a questionnaire on family structure, thermal preferences, and behavioural adjustment to the indoor environment. Electricity consumption of households was recorded at 30-min intervals from Nov 2015 to Aug 2016. The Muirhead suburb, designed with energy-efficiency and climate-responsive design principals, has 16.9 lots per ha in dense areas and a minimum lot area of 450 m2. Another suburb, Lyons, has 14.4 lots per ha and a minimum lot area of 525 m2. Households were divided by lot areas into three categories: category 1 (450–610 m2), category 2 (611–710 m2), and category 3 (>710 m2). In Muirhead, the average daily consumption of category one household in the warmer wet season was 98 Wh/m2 per person compared to 154 Wh/m2pp in Lyons. In the cooler, dry season 48 Wh/m2pp in Muirhead and 87 Wh/m2pp in Lyons. The cooling load calculated using multiple regression analysis showed that the main difference in energy consumption between two suburbs was in the base load. Thus, the energy-efficiency and climate-responsive design principals, applied to the subdivision, mitigate the impact of urban heat on cooling energy consumption in the hot and humid climate of Darwin. These are preliminary results and further investigation of the factors that have an impact on energy consumption of participating households is continuing.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationSustainable Development Research in the Asia-Pacific Region
    Subtitle of host publicationEducation, Cities, Infrastructure and Buildings
    EditorsWalter Leal Filho, Judy Rogers, Usha Iyer-Raniga
    Place of PublicationCham, Switzerland
    PublisherSpringer Nature Switzerland AG
    Chapter24
    Pages421-435
    Number of pages15
    Edition1
    ISBN (Electronic)9783319732930
    ISBN (Print)9783319732923
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2018

    Publication series

    NameWorld Sustainability Series
    ISSN (Print)2199-7373
    ISSN (Electronic)2199-7381

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