September 2010 Meeting “Heating and Cooling losses in buildings, plus chat with Ian Porter (CEO of ATA) about policy directions”
This meeting was held at 5:45pm on Wednesday September 15th at the offices of URS, level 6 no 1 Southbank boulevard, Southbank (Click here for a map)
The topic:
Heating and cooling losses in buildings, plus a chat with Ian Porter (CEO of the ATA) about policy directions
Convener: Tim Hamer
Heating and cooling losses in buildings
Speaker: Jan Brandjes, from Air Barrier Technologies, gave a fascinating presentation on the Topic of testing the air tightness of commercial and domestic buildings using fan blower doors and various air movement tracing aids. These techniques are used to examine heating and cooling losses that may have a significant effect on building performance. He gave an outline of why these tests are important (the size of the potential energy losses), how they are carried out (showing the type of equipment used), and the typical ways in which losses occur.
In particular, he outlined the way the conventional energy rating scheme used in Australia does not account properly for the quality of detail in construction – the way a house may be constructed generally to specification, but still have substantial air leaks. One of his examples shows how a house with 7 star rating design actually has air leakage at a level that would reduce energy efficiency to 2.5 or 3 star levels if this testing had not identified the problem air leaks for correction. Jan has been negotiating to try to have this kind of detail added to the rating system.
Click here for Jan’s presentation.
The role of the ATA
Speaker: ATA CEO Ian Porter spoke on the current role of the ATA, particularly given this rather unusual electoral climate. The talk ranged over the strengths of the ATA, and its appropriate role as an advocate of sustainable technologies – how its legitimacy comes also from a strong membership, of people who are early and enthusiastic adopters, and able to make realistic recommendations about technologies that should be recognised in public policy.
We also outlined the pending election of office bearers and members of the Committee Of Management for the Melbourne Branch.
