Duane Robinson graduated from the University of Wollongong with a B.E. (Hons I) in Electrical Engineering in 1998 after completing a seven year cadetship with the BHP Port Kembla Steelworks. In the same year he joined the Integral Energy Power Quality Centre as a research student under scholarship to complete his PhD degree (harmonic distortion within distribution systems and related mitigation techniques). In 2002 Duane took up a position as researcher with the Centre working on power quality related research projects for Integral Energy and other consulting activities, and later joined the University’s academic staff as a Senior Lecturer.
Duane temporarily departed the university to pursue more industrial experience, working for a multidisciplinary consulting firm primarily on LV and MV electrical distribution design, control, and protection projects for heavy industry clients. In 2011 he returned to the University to take up a new research interest in the area of energy efficiency and demand side integration with the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, and to re-join his colleagues at the Endeavour Energy Power Quality and Reliability Centre.
Built to Perform - University of Wollongong contributes to improving the future energy performance of buildings
In July 2018 ASBEC and ClimateWorks Australia released their report: <em><a href="http://www.asbec.asn.au/research-items/built-perform/" title="Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code</a></em>. The report presents the findings of the Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory project, an industry-led effort to support long-term improvements to the energy requirements of the National Construction Code.<br /> <br />Built to Perform was produced with the support of the <a href="http://lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/research/program-3-engaged-communities/sp0016-building-code-energy-performance-trajectory-project-2" title="Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living</em></a>, the RACV and dozens of building industry and government partners. The project was delivered in partnership with CSIRO, Energy Action, Strategy Policy Research and the <em><a href="https://sbrc.uow.edu.au/index.html" title="Sustainable Buildings Research Centre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Buildings Research Centre</a></em> at the University of Wollongong, with oversight by ASBEC’s Building Code Task Group.<br /><br />The report recommends that the States, Territories and the Commonwealth:<br /><ol><li>Commit to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code, as part of a transition to net zero carbon new buildings by 2030. This would mean setting energy efficiency targets, and introducing net energy targets.</li><li>Deliver a step change in the energy requirements in the 2022 Code, with a strong focus on residential, and a further incremental increase in non-residential requirements.</li><li>Expand the scope of the Code and progress complementary measures, to prepare for future sustainability challenges and opportunities, including health, peak demand, maintainability, electric vehicles and embodied carbon.</li></ol><br />The Sustainable Buildings Research Centre was a key contributor to the project by completing an extensive number of building energy simulations for the project for numerous design changes to three defined archetype buildings (an apartment, an attached townhouse, and a detached standalone house) across four Australian climate zones. Please find a link to the <em>Built to Perform</em> report <a href="http://www.asbec.asn.au/research-items/built-perform/" title="Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. The full Final Technical Report containing the evidence supporting the <em>Built to Perform,</em> is currently being compiled by the Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory project partners, and includes the University of Wollongong building energy simulation results, and will be released in August 2018.
Energy standards in Australia’s National Construction Code must be urgently upgraded if new buildings are to be fit and ready for a zero carbon future. <em>Built to Perform</em> shows that setting stronger energy standards for new buildings in the Code could, between now and 2050, reduce energy bills by up to $27 billion, cut energy network costs by up to $7 billion, and deliver at least 78 million tonnes of cumulative emissions savings.
Beneficiary
Quantification
Description
Evidence
Description
Supervision
Available as Research Supervisor
Potential Supervision Topics
1. Demand management in electricity networks using renewable generation, energy storage and demand reduction enabled appliances. 2. Auxiliary services for grid connected renewable distributed generation and microgrids. 3. Solar photovoltaics performance evaluation and optimisation.
Ph.D.
in Electrical,
University of Wollongong,
School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering,
Thesis title "Harmonic Management in Medium Voltage Distribution Systems" 1998 - 2003
B.E.
in Electrical,
University of Wollongong,
School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering,
Thesis title "Power Quality Waveform Generator Upgrade" 1992 - 1998
Modelling, analysis and control of power distribution systems, energy efficiency, sustainable building practices, micro grids, distributed generation, power quality, mitigation techniques
Built to Perform - University of Wollongong contributes to improving the future energy performance of buildings
In July 2018 ASBEC and ClimateWorks Australia released their report: <em><a href="http://www.asbec.asn.au/research-items/built-perform/" title="Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code</a></em>. The report presents the findings of the Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory project, an industry-led effort to support long-term improvements to the energy requirements of the National Construction Code.<br /> <br />Built to Perform was produced with the support of the <a href="http://lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/research/program-3-engaged-communities/sp0016-building-code-energy-performance-trajectory-project-2" title="Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living</em></a>, the RACV and dozens of building industry and government partners. The project was delivered in partnership with CSIRO, Energy Action, Strategy Policy Research and the <em><a href="https://sbrc.uow.edu.au/index.html" title="Sustainable Buildings Research Centre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Buildings Research Centre</a></em> at the University of Wollongong, with oversight by ASBEC’s Building Code Task Group.<br /><br />The report recommends that the States, Territories and the Commonwealth:<br /><ol><li>Commit to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code, as part of a transition to net zero carbon new buildings by 2030. This would mean setting energy efficiency targets, and introducing net energy targets.</li><li>Deliver a step change in the energy requirements in the 2022 Code, with a strong focus on residential, and a further incremental increase in non-residential requirements.</li><li>Expand the scope of the Code and progress complementary measures, to prepare for future sustainability challenges and opportunities, including health, peak demand, maintainability, electric vehicles and embodied carbon.</li></ol><br />The Sustainable Buildings Research Centre was a key contributor to the project by completing an extensive number of building energy simulations for the project for numerous design changes to three defined archetype buildings (an apartment, an attached townhouse, and a detached standalone house) across four Australian climate zones. Please find a link to the <em>Built to Perform</em> report <a href="http://www.asbec.asn.au/research-items/built-perform/" title="Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. The full Final Technical Report containing the evidence supporting the <em>Built to Perform,</em> is currently being compiled by the Building Code Energy Performance Trajectory project partners, and includes the University of Wollongong building energy simulation results, and will be released in August 2018.
Energy standards in Australia’s National Construction Code must be urgently upgraded if new buildings are to be fit and ready for a zero carbon future. <em>Built to Perform</em> shows that setting stronger energy standards for new buildings in the Code could, between now and 2050, reduce energy bills by up to $27 billion, cut energy network costs by up to $7 billion, and deliver at least 78 million tonnes of cumulative emissions savings.
Beneficiary
Quantification
Description
Evidence
Description
Supervision
Potential Supervision Topics
1. Demand management in electricity networks using renewable generation, energy storage and demand reduction enabled appliances. 2. Auxiliary services for grid connected renewable distributed generation and microgrids. 3. Solar photovoltaics performance evaluation and optimisation.
Ph.D.
in Electrical,
University of Wollongong,
School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering,
Thesis title "Harmonic Management in Medium Voltage Distribution Systems" 1998 - 2003
B.E.
in Electrical,
University of Wollongong,
School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering,
Thesis title "Power Quality Waveform Generator Upgrade" 1992 - 1998
Modelling, analysis and control of power distribution systems, energy efficiency, sustainable building practices, micro grids, distributed generation, power quality, mitigation techniques
