CSIRO Energy Centre

• Overview
• Building Features
• Power Generation
• Future vision
• Partners and technology transfer
• Contacts

The CSIRO Energy Centre, Newcastle NSW

Overview

CSIRO Energy Technology's headquarters are located at the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, NSW.

Opened in 2003, the CSIRO Energy Centre sets a new benchmark in ecologically sustainable design, and showcases technology that enables buildings to use up to 60 percent less energy while integrating onsite generation of power to match the building's demands.

The centre's outstanding design incorporates leading-edge and commercially practical technologies to lessen energy consumption. The building also demonstrates the use of realistic energy supply alternatives.

The Energy Centre design
maximises natural light

Its energy saving features include optimum orientation to maximise natural daylight and minimum use of artificial light; dedicated automatic lighting controls; thermal mass for heat retention and cold reduction; energy efficient air conditioning complemented with opening windows for natural ventilation; a Building Management System that operates, controls and monitors energy consumption and implements energy management programs and water saving devices on hydraulic fittings and fixtures.

Energy is generated on-site from integrated renewable systems and other sources, including photovoltaic arrays (solar panels) and a gas-fired microturbine cogeneration plant.

The facility's ecologically sustainable design, environmental management systems and energy efficient performance were recognised when it was a national finalist in the 2004 Engineers Australia Engineering Excellence Award.

Download a video of the building (27MB).

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Building Features

	Orientation and layout Designed in sympathy with the contours of the land, the parallel laboratory and office buildings are oriented 21 degrees north. A shaded, landscaped courtyard lies between the buildings, which are connected by covered walkways.
Building Management System A Building Management System is responsible for monitoring and controlling the building services such as heating and cooling. A computer screen display keeps staff informed of outside conditions, advising them when to open or close windows. Of course, people can open and close windows based on their own comfort levels as well.
	The lower half of the room In most conventional buildings, air conditioning systems heat and cool whole rooms. This is a waste of energy. People work in the lower half of the room, so it makes sense to put energy to work there.
Underfloor air distribution system CSIRO's Energy Centre is built with an underfloor air distribution system. Cool or hot air is blown through ducts, and up through vents in the office floor. Conditioned air rises to around 1.5 metres, enough to allow people to work in comfort.
	Light and air Office interiors use natural lighting whenever possible. On sunny days, light strikes light shelves underneath the office windows and then bounces into the offices - alerting automatic light sensors, which in turn switch off artificial lights. Many office windows are fully operable, allowing people to choose fresh air rather than air conditioning.
Shading Arrays of stainless steel mesh louvres provide shading for the courtyard and the north facing laboratories. The louvres allow diffuse light into the laboratories preventing direct sunlight from hitting the bench tops.
	Temperature The air temperature is partly controlled in both buildings by insulation materials used in the walls and roof, and by different glass types. There are five different glass types used in construction. The main purpose of the glass is to control heat. A special kind of glass known as "low emissivity" glass, or smart glass, has been used to minimise heat gain and glare.

Power Generation

	Like taking 700 cars off the road One of the main purposes of the CSIRO Energy Centre is to demonstrate how effective one facility can be in reducing greenhouse emissions. Use of renewable energy combined with energy saving initiatives will result in the building producing less than half the greenhouse emissions associated with similar buildings. That is about 2,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas every year, equivalent to taking 700 cars off the road all year.
500 kW generated locally Roughly 500 kW of power will be generated locally, almost half from renewable sources. All the generation units will operate synchronously and in parallel with the grid feed. In addition to showcasing new technologies, the Centre will also monitor the effectiveness of technologies on site, researching ways to improve performance and identifying niche innovations.
	Three kinds of photovoltaic cells Three different kinds of photovoltaic cells (solar panels) will generate about 90 kW of electricity. Mono-crystalline cells are used as roof tiles on the laboratories, offices, and library; polycrystalline cells are clipped onto the auditorium roof; and titania solar cells are used on the western face of the southern plant building. These Titania cells do not need direct exposure to sunlight.
Dark Green Energy The Energy Centre's microturbines are fuelled by a mixture of natural gas and air, which expand to drive a turbine and an electricity generator. Their very low production of greenhouse emissions has resulted in this form of energy being dubbed "dark green energy". In CSIRO's Energy Centre, two units produce 150 kW. To reduce the energy costs and the demand on the grid, the turbines are scheduled to run during peak demand.

Our Vision for the Future

Building showing louvres, underfloor ventilation,
light shelves and operable windows

CSIRO prides itself on the excellence, relevance and impartiality of its scientific research and solutions.

Our research covers energy resources, both fossil fuels and renewables, and ways to generate, store and use energy efficiently, minimising greenhouse gas and other environmental emissions. We also look at ways in which urban, industrial and mining activities can affect air and water quality and develop solutions to some of the major problems.

Coal will be an important source of energy for Australia for many years, as well as a valuable export. Much of our work involves improving the efficiency of coal technologies and finding ways to reduce environmental impacts. We are also exploring ways of combining coal, gas and renewable energy.

Most progressive energy suppliers and distributors recognise the emerging importance of distributed energy. That is, the localised generation of power close to where it's needed using a combination of power sources including solar panels, wind turbines, microturbines and fuel cells, usually linked to the main grid.

Our ultimate future aim is to find ways to generate energy through sustainable sources with minimal or zero emissions.

Partners and Technology Transfer - Putting Theories into Practice

We will focus on building partnerships with other
organisations interested in sustainable energy

The decision to invest in the new Energy Centre is linked closely to CSIRO's research and development strategy and to the national priority of reducing greenhouse emissions.

By demonstrating new and emerging technologies in a working building, CSIRO will show industry and government partners what can be achieved in practice. The key to the new Centre will be partnerships - both to undertake the research and demonstration and to transfer technologies to the market.

The new investment will ensure CSIRO and its partners play a key role in developing and demonstrating the newer technologies and energy systems associated with distributed energy (energy generation located close to the end-user), new generation transport based on advanced drive technologies and intelligent transport systems and energy efficiency.

Contacts

Divisional Contact

Mr James McGregor, Energy System Manager
Phone: (02) 4960 6027
Email: james.mcgregor@csiro.au

Corporate Contacts (Building enquiries)

Mr Trevor Moody
Phone: (02) 6276 6561
Email: trevor.moody@csiro.au

Mr Bede Foley
Phone: 0418 330 890
Email: bede.foley@csiro.au