<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/capital-corporation">Capital Corporation</a> has announced that its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-townhouses/lovedale-farm-1054-1184-wine-country-drive-lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale Farm</a> residential, resort and golf project has secured $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks since the opening of its display home, underscoring the appetite for premium lifestyle property in the Hunter Valley countryside.

The sales milestone has been driven by a diverse mix of buyers, including owner-occupiers and investors from Sydney, Newcastle and the local Hunter region, purchasing both land-only lots and house and land packages across the development.

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e173edc9-e60e-4f19-a060-9dc4421a3233" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/LovedaleFarm_20250215-1.jpg?VersionId=1LY6CvOaD.Dzrt8tWpWxXtPyfchixNIo" />

&nbsp;

The result builds on the momentum generated at the display home opening on 22 March, which attracted more than 460 attendees.

With house and land pricing from $1.14 million, Lovedale Farm continues to attract strong interest from buyers seeking a premium lifestyle offering at a compelling price point. The development’s vision, a championship golf course, future epicurean village and access to the Hunter Valley’s celebrated wine country, has resonated with a broad buyer profile, from first-time investors to those looking to make the move and call the Hunter Valley home.

<img alt="Lovedale Farm records $21.4 million in sales in three weeks" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b358e789-e1eb-40ed-8105-ed5c8297136f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--6.jpg?VersionId=6GUO8TNnxuELONrsM6n9imDB6oc82Bor" />

Jim Hunter, Managing Director of Capital Corporation said the response since opening the display home has been encouraging.

"To reach $24.6 million in sales in just three weeks speaks to the genuine demand for a lifestyle community of this calibre in the Hunter Valley," Hunter says.

"We’re seeing buyers from across the region and beyond, including investors who recognise the long-term value, and owner-occupiers who simply want to live somewhere truly special.

“Lovedale Farm is two decades in the making, and the market’s response is everything we hoped for. We’re excited to see these first buyers become part of the Lovedale Farm story from the very beginning."

<img alt="Lovedale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="54d985cf-2ac2-400b-ac02-4401f3421ac7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/20260321LovedaleFarmDisplayHomeOpening--5.jpg?VersionId=3866bPoqpLZsm.3ACg9EafAr1W3miC_f" />

&nbsp;

Spanning 240 hectares on Wine Country Drive in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/lovedale-nsw-2325">Lovedale</a>, the $1 billion development is expected to deliver around 1,250 jobs during construction and inject more than $300 million into the local economy. The first 200 homes and championship 18-hole golf course are anticipated for completion in late 2027.

Capital Corporation has also lodged development plans for the Lovedale Farm clubhouse, set to become a vibrant hub for residents and the wider Hunter Valley community. Further releases are planned for later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=14476]

Joel Robinson

Lovedale Farm display home opening triggers $24.6 million in sales in three weeks

Prominent Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a> has unveiled <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">Aura</a>, the next stage of its $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct in Southbank, continuing its push into wellness-led, amenity-rich apartment living.

The $800 million tower, planned for 7 Hoff Boulevard, will rise 67 storeys and deliver 673 apartments, with COX Architecture drawing on both Japanese design principles and Australia’s natural landscape to shape the building’s identity. A rectangular grid aesthetic defines the building’s exterior, with COX drawing design cues from New York high-rises and Tokyo’s skyline.

Aura builds on a growing trend in high-density living, where wellness is no longer an add-on but central to the product. The development is structured around four key pillars, combining calm, minimalist residences with layered communal spaces, landscaped gardens, and a suite of wellness amenities designed to support both physical and mental wellbeing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367465]

At the core of the project is what OSK describes as a vertical wellness ecosystem, a multi-level approach to amenity that integrates health, lifestyle, and social spaces throughout the building rather than confining them to a single level.

The main resident hub, the Aura Club on level seven, will include a pool, cold plunge, spa, gym, Pilates and yoga studios, alongside more lifestyle-driven inclusions like a golf simulator, music rooms, library, and work-from-home spaces. Above, a series of higher-level amenity zones, including the Meridian Club and Cumulus Club, introduce more refined, social and retreat-style environments, with private dining, lounges, and premium wellness spaces positioned to take advantage of city views.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367467]

The residences themselves will largely include balconies, a key design move in a market increasingly focused on natural light, airflow, and connection to the outdoors. Views will extend across the CBD, the Arts Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens, and beyond.

Aura also introduces approximately 1,600 sqm of retail across the lower levels, further activating the Melbourne Square precinct, which already includes Kennedy Park, a Woolworths, childcare, and a growing mix of hospitality operators.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367474]

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>," says&nbsp;OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

“We have been very encouraged by the market’s response to the BLVD offering, and we know there is a strong demand for the level of amenity, service and design that the Melbourne Square precinct is known for.

“Complemented by work-from-home lounges for professionals, family friendly outdoor garden spaces, and state-of-the-art fitness and wellness facilities, Aura will continue our focus on maximising physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing,” he said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=151921 project_image_fid=367475]

The project follows the strong performance of BLVD, which is now around 80 per cent sold, and reinforces OSK Property’s long-term commitment to Melbourne Square as a fully integrated, mixed-use precinct.

Construction is expected to commence in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151921]

OSK unveils AURA, the latest stage in Southbank's $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct

National developer Time &amp; Place appears to have settled on a design for its long-anticipated Potts Point project.

After several years of back and forth with local council and the NSW Government, the developer, which has spent seven years targeting the former The Chimes site on Macleay Street, has now progressed its plans.

Following a concept design submission last year by SJB, Time &amp; Place has lodged a full State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government, this time for a scheme designed by Kerry Hill Architects.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="504d2a27-d65f-4227-8189-1e35e3376e62" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.38.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=_XqFKATYHF30KnVByPxhaI9UBzmkmfn7" />

The 16-storey proposal includes 44 apartments, 21 of which will be build-to-sell. These will comprise 19 three-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom units.

More than 50 per cent of the development will be dedicated to affordable housing, with 23 studio apartments to be delivered in line with the NSW Government’s Housing SEPP.

Kerry Hill Architects said the proposal is driven by a strong response to place.

“Our proposal for a new residential building for Potts Point in Sydney is driven by a deep consideration of place,” the practice said in its submission.

“This operates on multiple levels, including a landscape approach that reinstates endemic flora of the Sydney peninsula and provides a ground-floor garden for residents, reconnecting the site to its pre-European history. A brick podium further strengthens this relationship to context, integrating planting and fine bronze detailing that references the predominant material language of Macleay Street.”

The three-level podium will be topped by a communal resident space, featuring a covered pool designed to receive direct afternoon sun in winter, a neighbouring reflection pool, dining and event areas oriented to maximise sunset views, and an outdoor exercise zone.

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8d3eedc1-babb-44a3-bd96-d8a42f3adf1f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.37.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Ii7.4dvqNatu5GQi6bhqNjAswrMB998." />

The design also incorporates highly crafted shopfronts and a clearly defined residential entry to activate the street. Juliette balconies to the podium residences will provide passive surveillance and a strong sense of habitation.

Above, the larger apartments are housed within a light-coloured masonry and bronze tower.

“The tower steps back in a series of gently curved volumes that reference the rich Art Deco context of Macleay Street,” the architects said. “Carefully calibrated vertical fins frame the views while providing privacy and a sense of refuge.”

<img alt="Time &amp; Place" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6fab60f4-3140-4469-b47a-48c781e0a30b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-04-20%20at%209.28.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=e5XxrM3kzdASdKlcIACHAHbOSZhSKC9O" />

Time &amp; Place has been one of the most active developers nationally in the last 12 to 24 months. Late last year they completed&nbsp;The Queensbridge in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a>, a mixed-use tower with 353 apartments and a hotel. They are currently selling Park Modern, 246 apartments near the famous Botanic Gardens in South Melbourne.

The developer has approval for The Burke, a mixed-use project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/glen-iris-vic-3146">Glen Iris</a>&nbsp;being delivered in partnership with Woolworths. The 60 apartments, positioned above a new Woolworths supermarket, are expected to launch in the coming months. Time &amp; Place is also progressing plans for the redevelopment of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/northcote-vic-3070">Northcote</a>&nbsp;Plaza, and have recently submitted plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/time-place-unveils-plans-22-storey-south-melbourne-tower">22-storey tower</a>, another in South Melbourne.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/sydney-nsw">Sydney</a>, the developer has two projects in Manly: Two Tides, which is currently under construction, and an ultra high-end building on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/shoreline-manly-beach-89-90-north-steyne-manly">North Steyne</a>, fronting the beach. It is also continuing to work through the redevelopment of The Chimes building on Macleay Street in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/potts-point-nsw-2011">Potts Point</a>, as well as Marlborough House, the redevelopment of the original David Jones warehouse building in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/surry-hills-nsw-2010">Surry Hills</a>.

First look: Time & Place settles on design for The Chimes, Potts Point redevelopment

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/develotek">Develotek</a> is joining the likes of TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital, betting on a boom in Five Dock ahead of the 2032 mooted opening of the Five Dock Metro Station.

Develotek, which is currently developing Bianca on the Drummoyne waterfront and has plans approved for a tower in Chatswood, has filed a State Significant Development Application for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/79-81-queens-road-five-dock-nsw-2046">two-building project in the evolving Kings Bay precinct</a>.

The buildings, one more boutique just five storeys and the other 26 storeys, will rise from an 3,158 sqm site across&nbsp;79–81 Queens Road and 2–8 Spencer Street, will home 134 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, above ground-floor retail and five basement levels of parking.

A key component of the proposal is the inclusion of 15 per cent of residential floor space as in-fill affordable housing, unlocking additional height and density under the Housing SEPP.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ee31bf7-75ba-4bc5-b190-49885193219f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/podium_2.png?VersionId=730UbrduuwK3C1sO28RHjiLPUPqXqjkh" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a podium-and-tower configuration, with a five-storey street wall along Queens Road transitioning to a 26-storey tower set deeper into the site. The ground plane prioritises activation and permeability, with retail frontages and a new through-site link connecting Queens Road to Spencer Street.

At the upper levels, the tower façade has been conceived using a modular system to support prefabrication and reduce construction waste, while improving build efficiency. The splayed form draws on the geometry of surrounding industrial rooftops, reinterpreting the area’s heritage in a contemporary expression while also helping to reduce solar heat gain to east and west-facing apartments.

“This project aspires to transform a former industrial site into a connected, resilient and people-focused urban community, grounded in Country, shaped by history, and designed to enrich everyday life within the evolving Kings Bay Precinct,” said John Walsh, Principal at Plus Studio.

The proposal reflects the broader transformation of the Kings Bay Precinct under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, marking a shift from its industrial past to a higher-density, mixed-use urban neighbourhood.

<img alt="First Look: Develotek lodges State Significant shop top housing project in Five Dock precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abde734c-1e31-4a97-a1d2-fa9bcf31c380" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/building%20podium.png?VersionId=fNUupP6u146yEytQT31kKVRxwtACgPpP" />

Develotek is emerging as an active participant in the state’s affordable housing-led uplift pathway. The developer recently secured approval for a 34-storey mixed-use tower in Chatswood, where it similarly leveraged the in-fill affordable housing provisions to increase scale and deliver a 101-unit scheme with dedicated affordable apartments.

Their entry into Five Dock places them alongside a growing list of developers targeting the suburb ahead of its anticipated transport uplift, with Sydney Metro set to extend into the area. Major players including TOGA, Deicorp, and One Global Capital are all progressing large-scale precinct-style developments nearby, collectively reshaping the low-rise industrial fabric into a higher-density mixed-use corridor.

The Five Dock site sits within the Kings Bay Precinct, a key renewal area under the Parramatta Road Corridor Urban Transformation Strategy, where planning controls support significant uplift tied to affordable housing delivery. The consolidated 3,158 sqm site is currently occupied by low-rise industrial uses, including warehouses and vehicle workshops, earmarked for transition.

First Look: Develotek joins in Five Dock apartment boom

Ascot’s Racecourse Road continues to be a hive of activity for Brisbane developers.

Following Fortis and GRAYA, which are both preparing new projects along the key strip connecting Kingsford Smith Drive and Eagle Farm Racecourse, local developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/skyhold">Skyhold</a> is the latest to lodge plans for its own development.

The group is proposing One One Two Residences, a boutique project comprising just seven apartments, named after its address at 112 Racecourse Road.

The proposal outlines a five-storey building on an 810 sqm site. The built form slightly exceeds the four-storey expectation under the neighbourhood plan, aligning instead with the emerging character of the strip. As the planning report notes, “the locality is characterised by a transition toward medium-rise residential development, with a number of recent developments… above the stipulated height limits.”

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec577631-8c51-4163-960e-e7b3a77d655b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot.png?VersionId=iAzQ46D4Uu1UqiS0mVnlcy9jeFKBpJIj" />

Designed by 111 with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/paul-bangay-garden-design">Paul Bangay Studio</a>, the scheme adopts a layered architectural approach with strong articulation and a subtropical response. Deep balconies, integrated planters, and a mix of masonry and textured finishes define the façade, while upper-level setbacks reduce perceived bulk. The architectural statement describes “a series of horizontally expressed layers, defined by deep balconies and a consistent robust material palette,” aimed at delivering a refined streetscape presence.

Apartments are configured as large-format residences, including multiple three-bedroom layouts and a full-floor penthouse, supported by ground-level parking. A rooftop terrace will provide communal amenities including a pool and landscaped recreation areas. The design prioritises privacy, natural ventilation, and greenery, with planting integrated across all levels to soften the building form and contribute to the public realm.

<img alt="First Look: Skyhold lodges plans for boutique Ascot apartments as Racecourse Road revival gathers pace" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1e1219bd-b45a-4d7f-bbc7-7207d7b2fc94" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Ascot%20entry.png?VersionId=JIoUOLMgQ5xWpEF0etEI3ffIoIVjD7gO" />

The proposal sits within the Racecourse Road precinct, a key mixed-use spine in Ascot that continues to attract renewed development interest.

Later this year national developer Fortis will launch its own boutique development, which, pending council approvals, will be 16 apartments designed by Koichi Takada Architects, just down the street.

“Racecourse Road is going through a massive revitalisation and we’re proud to be a part of that transformation,” said Fortis's QLD General Manager, Dan Boman.

Nearby, GRAYA is advancing its larger-scale The Gallery, a mixed-use shop-top housing project designed to act as a “catalytic project for Racecourse Road.”

First Look: Racecourse Road, Hamilton revitalization to continue as Skyhold joins the party

Home Heating

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Telstra is pouring money into making homes smarter and in turn, growing its business.
That means the telecom company is trying to transform into a tech company through smart devices that talk to each other and control the heating, cooling, and lighting etc in your homes, according to a recent report in The Australian Financial Review.
Telstra is not alone. Tech giants Apple, Amazon, Samsung and Google have all been vying to control the emerging $US121 billion market.
As an example of how Telstra envisions its future, Telstra executive John Chambers uses his Smart Home app to check the liquor cabinet usage of his children.
“I now have a much deeper understanding of my home,” Chalmers told the AFR.
Eighty percent of Australians worry about leaving a light or appliance on when they go away, surveys show. It is this opportunity that Telstra is trying to cash in, with a $25-a-month Smart Home plan when its customers bundle up their mobile and broadband services.
 It could also become a boon for the elderly and disabled.
“You’ll be able to see when your mum is opening the fridge and how is she moving around the house, a whole variety of very simple non-invasive techniques just to keep an eye on your ageing parents,” Chambers says.
“We’re working on solutions to adapt it to the 500,000 homes of Australians with a disability.” 
He said existing smart devices are not cost-effective. Telstra is working on a single, intuitive platform which can integrate with Apple, Google or Samsung devices on one app.
Telstra’s new ventures are a response to the threat to its traditional business. The company has been pivoting hard and investing heavily in new businesses. 
Telstra Ventures – the company’s venture capital fund – has spent more than $240 million on 18 digital health businesses, with the aim of reaping $1 billion in annual revenues by 2020. It is still not profitable yet.
Whelan said Telstra Ventures aims to invest in  companies that are already generating revenue. 
“We have a process internally called the conveyor belt,” Whelan says. “We formulate ideas, we incubate them, we scale them and then transition them. We have businesses at all those stages of the life cycle.”
Chambers expects the number of devices in a people’s home will go up significantly in a few years.
“The potential to service a few million homes is very real,” he concludes.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Telstra bets big on making homes smarter

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/57114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Another hot and humid day in Sydney tomorrow with a maximum of 32 degrees in the city and 38 in the western suburbs.
How many times have we heard that on TV or radio weather reports?
But what would you think about the following forecast?
Temperatures in Wattle Street, Ultimo, will spike at 37 degrees around 10 am. Further up the hill at Point Street we can expect a top of 40 degrees shortly after 1 pm. Meanwhile, at the Observatory Hill weather station the 3 pm maximum will struggle to pass 32 degrees.
We are unlikely ever to be able to forecast temperatures to such pinpoint accuracy. Still, the above exercise reflects the very real differences in temperature – and thermal comfort – at the scale of the individual street, indeed individual block, within our cities.
The driver of this surprising variability is the interaction between urban form and the heat energy of the sun. Building heights and materials, width and orientation of streets, and presence or absence of vegetation all affect local temperatures across the city. And if we drive to work, the heat from our vehicle’s engine and exhaust might be adding a degree or two.
Recent media reports have highlighted the bizarre weather patterns in Sydney over January, February and March 2016. Some reports have linked evidence of temperature extremes to urbanisation and the loss of shading and moisture that vegetation provides. This is known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
A research collaboration between the UNSW Faculty of Built Environment and the Universities of South Australia and Melbourne has collected further evidence for the highly localised effects of building form, surface materials and street orientation on outdoor microclimate and pedestrian thermal comfort. The aim is to build a solid evidence base to inform design, planning and policy across Australian cities.
Meteorological data collected during the 2015-16 summer in Sydney reveals that air temperatures in the street “canyon” may vary by up to 5℃ from those the Bureau of Meteorology records at Observatory Hill.
<h4>
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/119034/width754/image-20160418-23606-mjsnwt.png" alt=""><a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a>
</h4>
Even more worrying are the surface temperatures measured on building facades. These may exceed 70℃ in the sun.
The vertical surfaces of multi-storey buildings account for much of the urban surface in contact with the surrounding air. Hotter surface temperatures elevate nearby air temperatures during the day.
Then, due to the thermal mass of typically dense and dark building materials, building facades continue to emit radiant heat well after sunset. This slows the cooling of local outdoor air temperature.
Without night-time cooling, human thermal discomfort is prolonged. Consecutive nights of elevated air temperatures have severe impacts on human health. This includes increasing heat-related mortality and morbidity.
More extreme heat days projected from climate change on top of localised heating due to urban design elevates the health risks from future heatwaves.
<h4>
<img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/119033/width754/image-20160418-23629-4gkckn.png" alt=""><a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a>
</h4>
<h2>Urban temperatures vary with design</h2>
Our research sought to quantify the effects of typical urban form and materials on street microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort. We recorded building surface temperatures and ambient air temperatures using a thermal camera and mobile weather station in various locations in metropolitan Sydney.
Preliminary results suggest that business-as-usual architectural and urban design are exacerbating urban heat and creating hotter cities. This is alarming when considering the current and projected population of Australia’s major cities, particularly the growing proportion of vulnerable elderly.
On January 14, 2016 – Sydney’s hottest day that month – the 9AM and 3PM air temperatures recorded at Observatory Hill were 30.8℃ and 32.4℃ respectively.
On the same day, pedestrian-height air temperatures were recorded mid-morning in Wattle Street, Ultimo – 32.34℃ at 9am – and mid-afternoon in Point Street, Pyrmont – 36.34℃ around 3pm. These temperatures in Wattle and Point streets were 1.54℃ and 3.94℃ higher – or up to 12.2 percent greater – than the maximums at Observatory Hill.
Prior studies have reported a significant increase in mortality for every 1℃ rise in air temperatures above a mortality-temperature threshold (typically around 32℃ for Australian cities). This applies particularly for the population aged 65 years and older. Conversely, every degree of cooling has health and economic benefits for urban residents.
The surface temperatures of nearby building facades confirm a potential source of localised heating. The seven-storey, northeast-facing Wattle Street facade recorded a maximum spot temperature of 65℃ and a mean surface temperature of 46℃ around 9AM. The eight-storey, northwest-facing Point Street facade recorded an average surface temperature of 42.4℃ and a spot maximum of 54℃ mid-afternoon.
Notwithstanding measurement uncertainty due to emissivity (how well a material emits heat energy), the higher daytime building facade temperatures suggest an influential relationship with observed near-facade air temperatures.
By taking into account the design drivers – including orientation and solar exposure, material albedo (reflectance) and emissivity, and views of opposite buildings and the sky – building designers can help cool our cities through “cool facades”.
<h2>Buildings hold key to outdoor comfort</h2>
We also calculated the effects of material properties on outdoor air temperatures and thermal comfort for January 14.
Footpath albedos (reflectance) in Wattle Street and Point Street ranged from 0.033 to 0.050 for rough weathered bitumen and smoother grey stone pavers respectively. Superficially the footpath materials appear to be the same colour. However, the rougher bitumen has a lower reflectance and therefore absorbs more solar radiation (and becomes hotter) than the smoother stone tile.
Prior studies have linked surface roughness to reflectance characteristics. The potentially contradictory effects of footpath surface reflectance on air temperatures and thermal comfort are evident in the grey globe thermometer (GGT) measurements.
The GGT measures only radiant heating to which humans are particularly sensitive. Cooler air temperatures are often correlated with higher albedo surfaces, but greater reflectance may increase the radiant load on pedestrians, increasing thermal discomfort.
The GGT 10-minute mean between 8.30AM and 10.30AM in Wattle Street was 36.95℃ and the ten-minute mean air temperature for the same period was 33.70℃. Between 1PM and 2.30PM in Point Street, the GGT ten-minute mean was 43.0℃ and the ten-minute mean air temperature was 38.57℃.
The relative differences between ambient and GGT temperatures are 4.87℃ and 6.05℃. This greater GGT temperature difference confirms the additional radiant heating from the more reflective footpath surface and nearby hot facade.
The conclusion? Weather is not simply what the bureau tells us. As higher urban temperatures occur at the scale in which people actually live – the building, the street, the block – the implications for our health and well-being are profound.
By informing those involved in city planning, management and design about the implications of their design decisions on urban microclimate, this research provides the evidence base for a “cool” urban future.
Paul Osmond is senior lecturer, Sustainable Built Environment, UNSW Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-osmond-205774" target="_blank">here</a>.
Jonathan Fox PhD Research Candidate, Urban Climates Research, UNSW Australia and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-fox-250999" target="_blank">here</a>.
Both are authors for The Conversation.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Building cool cities for a hot future

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GUEST OBSERVER
A few years ago, similar to views about future electricity demand, forecasters thought gas demand in Australia would keep rising. As it turns out, gas demand peaked in 2012 and may halve by 2025 - as we showed in our recently published University of Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) report.
Step by step, householders are making economic decisions that will eventually lead to many completely disconnecting from the gas grid, as they find gas to be an increasingly costly secondary source of home energy.
This is particularly true when it comes to space-heating. When the cost of operating a modern reverse cycle air conditioner (known in Tasmania and elsewhere around the world as a heat pump) can be one-third the cost of heating with gas, why wouldn’t a householder have a look at the possibilities?
Another attraction is that heating with a reverse cycle air conditioner is largely renewable. Our research has quantified that reverse cycle air conditioners in Australia recover more renewable energy than do all of the millions of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. Who knew?
Gas demand declining
The following chart illustrates how gas demand will decline in eastern Australia in all sectors: in the electricity generation sector, in industry and also in buildings as householders and building managers switch to efficient electric heating devices.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-1x3dun3.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-1x3dun3.jpg" alt="">
Previously we qualitatively described how in this “second electrification” of the Australian home, people will economically fuel-switch to induction cooktops, hot water heat pumps and reverse cycle air conditioners, resulting in their homes becoming gas-free.
As shown in the following chart, the money that householders can save when economically fuel-switching from gas to electricity can amount to hundreds and even over a thousand dollars per year.
Some of this change will occur very rapidly. In up to one million homes in eastern Australia, householders have already installed reverse cycle air conditioners for summer cooling but have never attempted to use them for heating. Why not? Time and time again I have been told by friends, acquaintances and those writing on social media, “Oh, I have always thought that gas must be cheaper.”
As shown in the following chart, analysis done by the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) indicates that using reverse cycle air conditioners to heat a large Melbourne home can amount to A$658 per year. But how is this possible?
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/Screen%20Shot%202015-09-07%20at%209.18.23%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/Screen%20Shot%202015-09-07%20at%209.18.23%20AM.png" alt="" width="782" height="491">
<h2>Heat pumps: global renewable energy giants</h2>
The biggest reason behind these new home economics is that reverse cycle air conditioners produce far more energy than they consume. Operating at efficiencies of up to 600%, they use a small amount of purchased electricity to capture free renewable heat from the outside air. For ducted gas heating, which can operate at efficiencies of less than 50%, the opposite is true.
The following diagram shows that a ducted gas system will consume 34.02 megajoules of energy (including gas and electricity for the air blower: the sum of the two blue figures on the left) in order to produce just 10 megajoules of useful delivered heat. The rest of the gas energy purchased is immediately, in a sense, thrown away.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28894-9yjaso.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28894-9yjaso.jpg" alt="">
This compares to an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner that requires only 2.55 megajoules of purchased electricity (the sum of the blue figures on the right) to extract an additional 9.53 megajoules of free, renewable, ambient heat from the air outside your house, and then produce the same 10 megajoules of useful delivered heat.
In other words, in this comparison, in order to get the same amount of heat from a reverse cycle air conditioner, the householder must purchase only 1/13th of the energy needed to operate ducted gas. This efficiency advantage wipes out the traditionally lower cost of gas energy versus electrical energy when those commodities are compared on a dollar-per-megajoule or per-kilowatt-hour basis.
In 2014, reverse cycle air conditioners were such significant harvesters of renewable energy in Australia that our research found they recovered twice as much renewable energy as did rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV). The following chart compares these 2014 figures and also shows the future potential of reverse cycle air conditioners as more people learn of their capabilities.
In the United Kingdom, the renewable-energy-harvesting power of reverse cycle air conditioners is recognised and they are even eligible for renewable energy certificates in that jurisdiction.
In Australia, where governments have not been interested in rewarding people for buying air conditioners, no similar scheme exists. However, in an application of the same technology, hot water heat pumps do receive renewable energy credits here.
<h2>Gas stays in the ground – for longer</h2>
One consequence of falling gas demand in eastern Australia is that it will take longer to deplete already-developed conventional gas resources. As shown in the following figure, the Australian Energy Market Operator’s recent gas demand forecast results in the depletion of 10,000 petajoules of gas by 2032. In the Melbourne Energy Institute scenario (also plotted below), which projects that less gas is used in buildings, the same volume of gas lasts for more than an extra decade.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-alh1ow.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28914-alh1ow.jpg" alt="">
Using less gas in buildings, thanks to economic fuel-switching, energy efficiency measures (such as insulation, draught-proofing and improved window treatments) and other factors, means that a significant volume of gas can be freed up for higher-value industrial uses, as illustrated in the following chart.
<a href="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28878-nvgpub.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/09/07/image-20150904-28878-nvgpub.jpg" alt="">
 
Plenty of people in Australia are talking about disconnecting from the electricity grid. However, the costs and technicalities of battery storage and the possibility of needing to resort to a back-up petrol generator will convince many to stay connected to that often-reliable electricity grid.
On the other hand, we’ve shown the gas network is different. Households are making, and will continue to make, economics-based decisions to reduce gas use.
When planning the future of our energy grids, we think it is time that energy planners move away from decades of focusing strictly on supply-side options, and now consider gas and electricity demand-management options as well.
 
Tim Forcey is energy advisor, Melbourne Energy Institute at University of Melbourne and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-forcey-104740" target="_blank">here</a>.
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