• Energy Research
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Aged care communities have been under the spotlight since the beginning of 2020. Energy is essential to ensure reliable operation and quality care provision in residential aged care communities (RAC). The aim of this study is to determine how RAC’s yearly energy use and peak demand changed in Australia and what this might mean for RAC design, operation and energy asset investment and ultimately in the healthcare plan for elderly residents. Five years of electricity demand data from four case study RACs in the same climate zone are analyzed. Statistical tools are used to analyze the data, and a clustering algorithm is used to identify typical demand profiles. A number of energy key performance indicators (KPIs) are evaluated, highlighting their respective benefits and limitations. The results show an average 8% reduction for yearly energy use and 7% reduction for yearly peak demands in the COVID-19 year compared with the average of the previous four years. Typical demand profiles for the four communities were mostly lower in the pandemic year. Despite these results, the KPI analysis shows that, for these four communities, outdoor ambient temperature remains a very significant correlation factor for energy use.

The construction industry plays a vital role in the urbanization process and global economy, and there is a growing interest in utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to improve sustainability, productivity, and efficiency. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis regarding the progression of AI in the construction context, particularly from the sustainability angle. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting a scientometric analysis of AI research in construction by focusing on historical clusters, emerging trends, research clusters, and the correlation between sustainability pillars and key project stages. A Scopus search, between January 2000 and July 2023, was conducted that used 25 construction industry-related keywords, resulting in a total of 9564 publications. After evaluating practical AI applications in construction, 3710 publications were selected for further analysis using VOSviewer for visual diagrams and to further understand connections and patterns between literature. The findings revealed that: (a) Literature on AI in construction has experienced steady growth over the past two decades; (b) Machine learning, deep learning, and big data are seen as the key enabling digital technologies in the construction sector’s performance; (c) Economic and governance pillars of sustainability exhibit the highest potential for AI adoption; (d) Design and construction phases demonstrate substantial advantages for AI adoption; (e) AI technologies have become, despite adoption challenges, a strong driver of construction industry modernization, and; (f) By incorporating AI, the construction industry can advance towards a more sustainable future by consolidating its processes and practices.

Communal living for older people exists in many different forms, such as suburban communities, lifestyle communities, retirement villages and residential aged care communities (RAC) where electricity is supplied via a main gate meter to the whole community. Australia’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme incentivizes individuals and businesses to install renewable energy systems up to 100 kW peak. A system of this size, however, may not meet a community’s energy needs or sustainability goals. In contrast, other residential dwellings are allowed to install a minimum solar inverter of 5 kW. Therefore, this paper investigates small-scale renewable energy targets on a per bed basis for RACs and the impact of a change from the current 100 kW peak small-scale renewable energy policy. A data driven clustering-based method has been implemented to identify financially optimal photovoltaic (PV) system ratings for ten RACs across four climate zones. Explored are 100 kW peak PV and net zero electricity scenarios. Results show RACs with 5 kW PV per bed can move closer to a net zero electricity goal and generate 800 to 1400 GWh of renewable electricity each year with significant financial savings. A fairer renewable policy, based on kilowatts per bed, is advocated to improve communities’ energy resilience, financial sustainability, and environmental sustainability.