According to recent technology road maps, system cost reductions and development of standardised plug-and-function systems are some of the most important goals for solar heating technology development. Retrofitting hot water boilers in single-family houses when installing solar collectors has the potential to significantly reduce both material and installation costs. Previous studies have inves...

Sustainability research about using Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to reduce household energy consumption has recently focused on two potential strategies: “smart homes” that rely on sensors and technological innovations to automatically reduce the energy load, and tools that seek to persuade users to change their domestic habits, such as by using eco-feedback devices to rai...

Walls and frames have different deflection lines and, depending on the seismic mass they support, may often possess different natural periods. In many cases, wall–frame structures present an advantageous behavior. In these structures, the walls and the frames are rigidly connected. Nevertheless, if the walls and the frames were not rigidly connected, an opportunity for an efficient passive cont...

As the frequency and intensity of heatwaves are growing in Australia, strategies to combat heat are becoming more vital. Cities are exposed to urban heat islands (UHIs) due to excess urbanisation. In this study, a definition of urban heatwave (UHW) is conceptualised to investigate the combined impacts of heatwaves and UHIs. To quantify the negative impacts of UHW, indicators—such as excess morb...

Decision making for effective infrastructure integration is challenging because the performance of long-lasting facilities is often difficult to foresee or well beyond the designer’s control. We propose a new approach for integrating the construction/retrofitting of two or more types of facilities. Infrastructure integration has many perceived benefits, but practitioners also express serious do...

Metal Plate Shear Walls (MPSWs) represent an effective, practical and economical system for the seismic protection of existing RC framed buildings. They consist of one or more metallic thin plates, bolted or welded to a stiff steel frame, which are installed in the bays of RC framed structures. A case study of an existing RC residential 5-storey building, designed between the ‘60s and ‘70s of t...

Upgrading existing buildings to meet current seismic design codes is important in high seismic hazard regions. Decision makers must choose from many possible retrofitting options, each with inherent advantages and disadvantages. The two main decision drivers that are commonly used are: increasing engineering performance (ductility, strength, etc.) and reducing cost. There is currently little in...

One of the biggest obstacles to economic profitability of solar water heating systems is the investment cost. Retrofitting existing domestic hot water heaters when a new solar hot water system is installed can reduce both the installation and material costs. In this study, retrofitting existing water heaters for solar water heating systems in Swedish single-family houses was theoretically inves...