This report examines various aspects of Green Star Communities v1. The first sections deal with greenhouse gas emissions and building information modelling, and a review of the literature about Green Star Communities. The last sections comprise research which considers the Green Star Communities Submission guidelines, the Calculators, and usability.

This week’s launch of Melbourne’s first zero energy display home, initially developed for a CRC for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL) research program, was part of a $2.18 million energy-efficiency housing pilot program announcement for Victoria.

Urban stakeholders have a key role as end-users in the transition to a renewable and more resilient energy system. The Melbourne Renewable Energy Project (MREP) is an innovative procurement model through which urban stakeholders across sectors are procuring renewable electricity in collaboration. Expansion of group renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) among metropolitan councils of Melbourne...

Cool roof technology is known to reduce the cooling energy consumption of conditioned buildings during hot periods, and widespread implementation of such roofs in a neighbourhood or precinct can mitigate the urban heat island effect. Established building energy modelling techniques are able in principle to predict the benefits of cool roofs due to reduced heat...

The main question guiding this rapid review was: “Drawing on secondary literature that employs systematic review and meta-analytic approaches, what do we know about digital services and communication platforms that allow for residential customer engagement and interaction with the energy system?”