Manufacturing changes made to the latest version of Colorbond steel have produced substantial environmental improvements. [ + ]

Thermal imaging cameras are a welcome technology in the aluminium production industry. India's JNARDDC institute is using thermal imagers to help aluminium production companies across the country save energy and find faults at a very early stage. [ + ]

Engineering consultancy pitt&sherry, in conjunction with Swinburne University, is working with key stakeholders from Australia's building industry to deliver recommendations for the National Energy Efficient Building Project (NEEBP) following a national review. [ + ]

When solar energy panels threaten to fail, defects will usually generate heat. Carlill Energy has successfully adopted the use of thermal imaging cameras to detect and identify problems with photovoltaic (PV) cells, junction boxes and grid network connections at a very early stage. [ + ]

The CDP Australia and New Zealand Climate Change Report 2013, released on 4 December, has shown that most ASX 200 companies' carbon reduction targets are short term and do not sufficiently acknowledge the scale and long-term attributes of climate change. [ + ]

CSIRO has developed a new model for coalminers, intended to forecast future mine water needs. The model was unveilled at the 20th International Congress on Modelling and Simulation (MODSIM2013), held in Adelaide from 1 to 6 December, the theme of which was 'Adapting to change: the multiple roles of modelling'. [ + ]

iota installed its Surepoint telemetry system to help improve service for the Merricks Beach Backlog Sewer Project which is managed by South East Water. [ + ]

Australian businesses are still expressing their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint, even though Energy Action has observed that there is perhaps a nuanced shift in the motivations that are leading companies to invest in energy efficiency and sustainability management. [ + ]

Construction is almost complete on new innovative diamond-shaped 25,000 m² purpose-built facility for the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). The impressive 'intelligent' facility, on Adelaide's North Terrace adjacent to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, has been designed to foster researchers' creativity and productivity. [ + ]

The North South Interconnection System Project (NSISP) has transformed the way SA Water's entire metropolitan water supply network operates. It supplements the state's existing water supply network and is part of an innovative, long-term solution to meeting the demands of drinking water needs in South Australia. [ + ]

Currently, there are over 15 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Australia, and 1 million new cars are bought every year, making us the 11th largest car market in the world. Unfortunately, new cars, which are manufactured or sold in Australia, are particularly inefficient by world standards, in part due to a lack of strong vehicle emissions standards. [ + ]

Much like any other industry, facility managers are facing increasing operational cost pressures and, as a result, are looking to energy efficiency improvements as a method to tackle this. But no longer are simple energy-monitoring solutions sufficient in achieving significant cuts in consumption. In today’s environment, integrated and cloud-based solutions are the next step in improving operations and delivering real value for businesses. [ + ]

Solar panel manufacturer Yingli Solar has completed a contract through its installation partner EnviroGroup, a specialist provider of renewable energy products and systems, to supply dessert producer Exquisine with solar PV panels for its manufacturing facility in Thornbury, Victoria. [ + ]

At the recent Retrofit & Refurb Conference & Expo held in Sydney, AE Smith's National Sustainability Engineer and accredited NABERS assessor David Odd was invited to share his experience on achieving and maintaining high NABERS ratings in existing buildings. [ + ]

The University of Queensland's Global Change Institute (GCI), officially opened in August, was constructed to be a hub for research into sustainable building solutions. The building's purpose is reflected in its design, with environmentally friendly features meaning the institute is carbon neutral and consumes zero net energy. [ + ]