As the largest energy consumer in the world, energy efficiency and conservation have been prioritized in China to meet its fast-growing appetite for energy as a result of industrialization and urbanization, as well as to alleviate environmental pressure and tackle climate change. Evidence from analytical and case studies shows that High Impact Opportunities (HIO) for...

China has made energy conservation and energy efficiency one of its top priorities as a means of guiding its economic and social development. In the past three decades, while China’s economy increased eighteen‑fold, energy consumption increased only five‑fold. The energy intensity of China’s GDP declined by about seventy percent during the same period. In the...

The European building stock and energy system are at the initial stages of a journey towards becoming smart: moving from a centralised, fossil fuel-based and highly-energy-consuming system towards one that is more efficient, decentralised, consumer-focused and powered by renewable energy. The international law to limit global warming to below 2°C following the Paris Agreement puts...

Chloride ion penetration in concrete is one of the major causes of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures by depassivation of reinforcing bars. Since testing of the natural chloride penetration is time consuming, utilising an accelerated test method is more desirable. Surface resistivity test is increasingly being used, due to its relative speed and ease of...

Recognising both the recent surge in interest in low carbon refurbishments of residential buildings and the diversity of emergent terminology and perspectives, the authors set out definitions for key terms and frame a discussion of the phenomenon of refurbishments. The paper focuses on owner-occupied detached homes that dominate Australia’s existing residential building stock.