What makes an industry standard a success? You have it, collaboration. So last month, when DR AS 5389:2016 Space heating and cooling and ventilation systems – Calculation of energy consumption was released for public comment, we were filled with excitement.
The CS-028 committee, including our Director Jeremy Osborne, has spent years developing this complex standard in order to provide manufacturers, regulators and conformity assessment bodies with a methodology for calculating energy consumption and comfort performance of innovative space heating and cooling appliances. But above all, we knew the standard’s success would significantly rely on the feedback from industry experts and that they would only have a short time frame to do so. So we teamed up with VIPAC Engineers and Scientists in Melbourne and CSR Bradford in Sydney, to promptly ignite conversations and get the ball rolling.
We held two information evenings - in Melbourne on the 9th and Sydney on the 16th of August. These events were unique opportunities to gather industry experts and government representatives around a common goal: making the standard’s implementation a success.
Dr Fiona McClure, Principal consultant at EnergyAE, gave an overview of the modelling technology using TRNSYS simulation software, directing the audience towards providing comments around residential and commercial building models.
From VIPAC, we had Tim Roffey and Zarko Drinic in Melbourne - Dora Bettridge in Sydney who provided an overview of current space heating & cooling testing, a focus on physical testing as specified in the standard and specifications on building performance.
In Melbourne, we were honoured with the presence of Emma Jacobs, Senior Policy Officer at the The Victorian Government's Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning and Rod Wooley - Manager VEET at the Essential Services Commission, who talked about the importance of standards for policy making and the current Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) scheme respectively.
In Sydney, Jeremy Osborne - Director or EnergyAE, explained the roles of standards for government policies (i.e VEET, NSW Energy Saving Scheme (ESS), or Green Star) and provided insights on how such frameworks were supporting nascent industries.
If you missed our events, you can download the presentations below and scroll down to learn how to provide feedback while you can. It is not too late - you still have until the 26 August 2016 to comment.
Download presentations
Download all in one pdf file
Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Scheme – ‘Today and tomorrow’
Rod Woolley, Manager VEET - Essential Services Commission
DR AS 5389: 2016 – Overview of modelling methodology.
Dr Fiona McClure, Principal Consultant - Energy AE
The physical test methods included in the standard, which are used to characterise products.
Dora Bettridge, Business Development Engineer - Vipac Engineers & Scientists
The Role of Standards for Government Policy
Jeremy Osborne - Director, Energy AE
Overview
DR AS5389:2016 is relevant to companies with activities pertaining to solar hot water, building energy efficiency, star ratings, and evaporative cooling or ventilation, and to the certification and regulation of such appliances.
Specifically, the standard provides a test methodology for characterising the performance of:
- desiccant wheel-based space heating and cooling systems;
- solar air heating systems;
- occupied space and roof ventilator systems; and
- evaporative cooling systems.
The performance calculation then compares the annual energy use of representative buildings with conventional reference appliances to the same building with the nominated appliances. The performance is determined for a range of climatic conditions using the TRNSYS simulation software. (If you wish to obtain copies of the software files, including weather data, contact us.)
This standard also has the potential to provide a basis for:
- Marketing claims
- Calculation of running cost and green house gases emission reductions;
- Calculation and communication of comfort improvements; and
- Evaluation and certification of products for the purposes of energy efficiency and/or green house gases emission reductions rebate and compliance schemes. (i.e Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET), NSW Energy Saving Scheme (ESS), Green Star)
Why is your feedback crucial
While the standard is meant to help the industry grow as a whole, refraining from giving input could mean a miss to win for your business. We need your help to ensure the standard has positive impacts on our industry. By sharing your expertise and commenting on the draft, you will ensure the standard is indeed driving the design of better products and is providing ways of communicating their potential to customers. Please consider commenting for your own benefit - and the benefit of all!
A few questions to ask yourself as you read the draft:
- How appropriate the reference system are, such as weather files, buildings models, internal heat loads or conventional appliances ?
- Do they represent the current Australian average ?
- Is the calculation methodology correctly representing your products or you competitors’ products?
- Is the standard meeting your specific needs?
- Will it help communicate about your products benefits?
- Will it improve your ability to claim rebates and other incentives ?
Craft your future now: follow instructions below and start commenting, the deadline is set for 26 August 2016.
How to comment appropriately:
Comments are invited on the technical content, wording and general arrangement of the draft.
Step 1: Go to Standards Australia website.
Step 2: If you have not read the Standard yet, download it. Find the standard in the list and click the button on the left “download”. You will be redirected to SAI GLOBAL website (They are the publishing partners of Standards Australia). If you don’t have an account yet, you will need to create one to download it (free).
Step 3: Make sure that your feedback is backed up by data or clear references. The committee needs to know on what basis your comments are to take them in consideration.
Step 4: Return to Standards Australia website. Find DR AS 5389:2016 in the list and click the button on the right “comment”. You will then be redirected to Standard Hubs - where you’ll need to either create an account or sign in to comment.
Need help?
EnergyAE is an independent group of experts dedicated to supplying knowledge to design, implement and simulate renewable energy, energy efficiency and building performance. We are experts in the use of TRNSYS simulation software package for modelling transient thermal systems such as hot water systems and buildings.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like assistance in:
- Understanding the impact this standard may have on your business;
- Calculating the performance of your product in accordance with the standard; or
- Submitting comments to the standard's committee.
