Part 1 - Sustainable Buildings Tour The Sustainable Building Research Centre (SBRC) features will be explained on the tour which will also include: our latest full scale building energy testing facility, our two net zero energy houses Solar Decathlon Houses (modular construction with outstanding energy performance and architectural beauty), 2013 Solar Decathlon China (Gold), Illawarra Flame house and the 2018 SD Middle East, (Silver), Desert Rose House.
Part 2 - Sustainable energy at the Australian Power Quality and Reliability Centre As the electricity grid is shifting towards renewable based generation and inclusion of battery-based energy storage, we will present research projects that attempt to address power quality issues and new opportunities associated with integration onto the electrical grid.
Presenters:
Duane Robinson
Associate Professor/Director, APQRC Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences Deputy Director - Sustainable Building Research Centre Director - Australian Power Quality and Reliability Centre Duane graduated from the University of Wollongong with a B.E. (Hon I) in Electrical Engineering in 1998 after completing a seven-year cadetship with the BHP Port Kembla Steelworks. In 2011 he returned to the University to take up a new research interest in energy efficiency and demand site integration with the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, and to re-join his colleagues at the Australian Power Quality and Reliability Centre. Duane was appointed Deputy Director of the Sustainable Buildings Research in 2015, and more recently Director of the Australian Power Quality and Reliability Centre in 2020.
Timothy McCarthy
Professor of Sustainable Design Director of the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) - Advanced Structural Engineering and Construction Materials Group Professor McCarthy was appointed as Director of SBRC in February 2021. Previously, he held the Chair of Structural Steel and Design in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at the University of Wollongong in since December 2004. Tim is passionate about Sustainable Engineering and Engineering Education. He was the principal investigator on a major research project into the use of cold formed steel in mid-rise residential buildings at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre. He combines his interest in renewable energy such as wave energy with onshore sustainability research.
Clayton McDowell
Associate Research Fellow - Sustainable Buildings Research Centre Team UOW Project Manager, Desert Rose House Clayton was awarded a PERL fellowship at the SBRC in July 2021 with a research focus on examining the effect of action orientated educational experiences like the Solar Decathlon on graduate industry ready skills. He previously worked as a Research Associate at the SBRC where he manages the AREA and AIRAH funded Innovation Hub for Affordable Heating and Cooling (i-Hub) project. This project is studying innovative technologies in education and aged care facilities. Clayton is a member of Engineers Australia and has numerous years of experience working in heavy manufacturing across Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Masters of Engineering Practice from the University of Wollongong. He is passionate about sustainable buildings and construction methods with a particular interest in retrofitting of existing buildings to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort.