Australia can and should design new buildings without use of natural gas, a new report has argued.

At its Transform event last week, the Green Building Council of Australia released its Building Electrification Guide.

Prepared in conjunction with technical partner Cundall and funding partners in the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the NSW Government, the guide outlines a pathway for new buildings to be run entirely on electricity.

(top image: 5 Parramatta Square Building, image supplied)

According to the guide, the case for electrification of buildings has become clearer as renewable energy generation has increased.

Whilst natural gas cookers and boilers have in the past offered lower carbon solutions compared with grid electricity that used coal, that is now changing as buildings are increasingly powered by renewables.

Indeed, as the movement toward renewable energy continues, the guide argues that all-electric buildings powered entirely by renewables are now the preferred pathway by which to decarbonise Australia’s built environment.

Through such measures, it will be possible to remove all fossil-fuel powered energy generation from new buildings.

Further, the guide argues that all-electric buildings that use renewable energy will:

• Have access to sustainable finance – an important factor as investors seek assets which are on a decarbonisation pathway.
• Will not need to be retrofitted to remove assets or equipment that use fossil fuel from service as the economy moves toward decarbonisation.
• Avoid toxic air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and fine, toxic particulate matter which are generated by natural gas and can impact occupant health such as increasing asthma and respiratory illnesses.
• Will be more attractive to commercial tenants who have made public commitments toward decarbonisation as well as to consumers.

According to the guide, opportunities to replace gas with electricity exist across several areas.

For example:

• In space heating, central gas boilers could be replaced with heat pumps or reverse cycle air conditioning.
• In domestic hot water, central gas boilers can be replaced with heat pumps with thermal storage tanks.
• In commercial cooking facilities, gas cooktops could be replaced by induction cooktops, flame & char could be replaced by electric charcoal grille/portable green hydrogen cooktop/electric grille with steam for moisture, induction gas wok burners can be replaced with induction wok burners and gas ovens can be replaced by electric ovens and electric stream ovens.
• In domestic cooking, gas cooktops, ovens and barbecues could be replaced by induction cooktops, electric ovens and electric or charcoal barbecues.
• In backup and emergency power, diesel generators could be replaced by biofuel generators, hydrogen fuel cells or large battery storage solutions.
• New buildings can be designed to accommodate the additional loads and space which is needed to support electric vehicle uptake.

At its 6 Star Green Star certified Burwood Brickworks precinct, developers Frasers Property have targeted full electrification for the centre by working closely with tenants (particularly those in food and beverage – during early design and feasibility to identify and address barriers to electrification and to gain tenant buy-in toward the precinct’s all-electrification goal.

In their guide, GBCA and partners point to several case studies in which opportunities to avoid use of gas are being realised.

In the commercial sector, the 5 Parramatta Square building (see top image) which will house an enhanced Parramatta Library will be free of gas when it opens later this month.

Whilst full electrification was not part of the original reference design, lead contractors Built won the project with a plan to make the building 100 percent electric.

Instead of gas boilers and chillers, the building uses a variable refrigerant flow system and rooftop condensers. This removes the need for gas and cooling towers – a benefit which also reduces potable water consumption by 70 percent.

Furthermore, an electric domestic hot water system and thermal storage will provide the hot water needed for the building’s end of trip facilities and kitchenettes.

Courtey of this along with a renewable energy power agreement and design optimisation to include natural ventilation and reduce energy demand, the building will be carbon neutral in operation upon its opening.

In the multi-residential apartment sector, meanwhile, Nightingale Housing hosts ‘induction inductions’ to assist homeowners to understand the benefits of cooking without gas at its 20-unit Nightingale 1 apartment building in the northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick which opened in 2017.

Designed by Breathe Architecture, the complex was developed with a ‘no gas, no question’ ethos and uses hydronic heating to provide a pleasant, radiant heat along with induction cooktops.

An induction session for induction cooktop cooking, hosted by Nightingale Housing (image supplied)

Of course, aforementioned solutions require several issues and be considered.

Whilst use of heat pumps will deliver lower operating costs, no air pollutants and zero greenhouse gas emissions (if the electricity is powered by renewables), it will also require a greater capital investment up-front.

Such a strategy would also require larger plant room and natural ventilation.

On replacement of diesel generators for backup power, meanwhile, biofuel needs fuel tanks which are designed for biofuel. Meanwhile, battery storage solutions as another form of alternative would need to be used in conjunction with other systems as power outages may not necessarily occur at a time when the battery is fully charged.

GBCA Head of Market Transformation Jorge Chapa said the guide demonstrates that all-electric buildings are possible for every new build.

He says gas equipment is a large source of greenhouse gas emissions and poses as a significant hurdle in the journey toward decarbonisation.

“An all-electric building comes with many benefits – from easy access to renewable energy, to healthy spaces for occupants,” Chapa said.

“As we move into a decarbonised world, all-electric buildings are future-proofed from having to be refurbished to eliminate outdated technologies. They have less risk of becoming stranded assets.”

Co-author and Cundall Partner David Clark says that achieving net zero will be carbon will not be possible unless we cease to embed fossil fuel infrastructure in our buildings.

“All of the technologies and approaches outlined in the guide are based on available solutions, and Cundall has already incorporated these into projects in Australia, Asia, Europe and the UK,” Clark said.

“Our clients want reliable, cost-effective, low carbon solutions, and we know these solutions work.

“What has been holding many developers and asset owners back has been lack of clear and practical guidance that will support decision-making and alleviate concerns with moving away from yesterday’s normal.

“All-electric buildings will soon be the new normal. We are glad we could work with GBCA to help bring the future forward.”