Seminars to help improve energy performance of Australian buildings

Australian Building Sciences (ABS) will be holding series of national seminars, in May and June, aimed at improving the energy performance of Australian buildings.

The inaugural seminars, focused on conservation and waste reduction, will provide continuing education, discussion and support to professionals responsible for the design of the built environment including architects, engineers, builders, surveyors, designers, energy raters and ESD specialists. The seminar will be held in Brisbane (29 May), Sydney (31 May), Melbourne (6 June), Perth (12 June) and Adelaide (14 June).

Topics will include advances in building sciences and technologies to improve the performance of our nation’s buildings, while reducing waste and conserving energy and resources.

The organisers aim to release a number of strategy papers following the seminars examining:

• The long-term performance of buildings
• Predictive capabilities to optimise building performance
• Prevention of building failures
• Steps to resolving building failure
• Building materials and components that can deliver design strategies
• A professional network of solution providers
• A foundation of knowledge and to prepare for 2013 Advanced Seminar

Keynote speaker at the seminars is leading American building science investigator, trainer and infrared thermographer Scott Wood. As a building professional, Wood has performed hundreds of building investigations into building construction, air barrier, condition monitoring, restoration and water intrusion.

He will discuss the growing acceptance in the US of building science thermography certification to understand the complexities of the application of thermography in the built environment and how it can used to detect and prevent heat loss, air infiltration and dampness. “I am looking forward to my Australian visit and especially to meeting with building professionals to get their views and opinions on a range of energy-related building performance issues - it’s always the best part,” he said.