Residential buildings and systems:

Energy consumption - stats & trends

MIET2125 and MIET2522

Energy Efficiency and Demand Management

Delivered by: Dr Hamid Khayyam

Contact: hamid.khayyam@rmit.edu.au
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Australian residential energy consumption

Source: Australian Energy Update 2020

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Adapted using data from: Australian Energy Update 2020

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Effects of COVID 19

Adapted using data from: Australian Energy Update 2020

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The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a
“basket” of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food and medical care.

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Comments

• Consumption in the residential sector includes own use of electricity generated from
rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and from the grid.

• In recent years, energy consumption has been flat or in decline in response to

higher electricity prices and adoption of more energy efficient practices,
appliances and housing.

• Retail electricity prices for households in 2016–17 rose by 6 per cent and by 12 per
cent in 2017–18, but have eased since (Figure 2.7 – previous slide).

• Household gas prices also increased by 8 per cent in 2017–18, then by just 1 per
cent in 2018–19.

• Automotive fuel prices increased by 10 per cent in 2017–18 and a further 5 per cent
in 2018–19

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Residential energy use breakdown by fuel

Note: data taken from: Australian Energy Update 2020

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Residential energy use breakdown by fuel

460 PJ 2015-2016
459 PJ 2017-2018
456 PJ 2014-2015 460 PJ 2018-2019
449 PJ 2013-2014

458 PJ 2016-2017

Complete table from 1986 – 2020 available. Data from 2005-2020 is predicted.
Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Shifting fuel types

Percentage of total
residential energy use

Fuel 1990 2020

Elect. 46% 53%
Nat. gas 30% 37%
LPG 2% 2%
Wood 21% 8%

As we shift away from wood as a heating source we are becoming more dependent on both
electricity and natural gas

Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Trends

Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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What are people using energy for?

Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Trends

Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Trends

Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Trends – by end use

Apart from the obvious, cooling is also on the rise rapidly. The number of houses withA/C more than
doubled during the 1995 to 2005 to approx. 65%.
Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Trends – building size

People are building bigger and bigger houses!Also renovations are increases the size of existing properties
• 61% increases in the number of occupied houses
• 145% increase in the total floor area
Complete table from 1986 – 2020 available. Data from 2005-2020 is predicted.
Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Trends – consumption by state

Despite a lower population than NSW, VIC has the highest energy consumption. This higher
than average per household energy consumption is primarily due to the extensive use of gas for
space heating and the higher heating load from the cooler climate.

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Trends – space heating

Victoria dominates national gas space heating energy consumption. There is a significant trend
from heating individual rooms to centralised ducted heating (mainly in Victoria) which results in
higher energy consumption per household.

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Trends – space heating

Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Space heating - breakdown by state

Population data - 2007, source: ABS

New South Wales 6,926,990 32.7%
Victoria 5,246,079 24.8%
Queensland 4,228,290 20.0%
South Australia 1,591,930 7.5%
Western Australia 2,130,797 10.1%
Tasmania 495,772 2.3%
Northern Territory 217,559 1.0%
Australian Capital Territory 340,818 1.6%
Other Territories(b) 2,397 0.0%
Australia 21,180,632 100%

Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Trends – electrical appliances

Complete table from 1986 – 2020 available. Data from 2005-2020 is predicted.
Energy Use in the Australian Residential Sector 1986 - 2020

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Consumption per household

Energy consumption per household is relatively constant, apart from season to season variations driven
by climatic influences on heating and cooling demand.

There is predicted to be a very slight decline in per household consumption driven by energy efficiency
programs (minimum building energy performance ratings, and MEPS etcc)

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Consumption per person

Predicts a 20% increase in energy consumption per person from 1990 – 2020
Driven by all the factors discussed previously, but largely the increases in electrical appliance use and
space heating requirements.

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Housing shell efficiency

New houses are more energy efficient – MJ/m2

BUT
They are being built much larger, so total household consumption continues to rise!

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Trends in building construction

• New buildings are getting bigger and having fewer occupants

• Meanwhile building energy efficiency is only increasing slowly

– Building shell energy efficiency (defined as the total spacing conditioning (heating + cooling)
load per m2 of floor area;
– Down from ~ 280 MJ/m2 in 1990 to ~200 MJ/m2 in 2020

• This is driven by POLICY initiatives that commenced in Victoria and the ACT in the
1990s and by 2005 had expanded to include all states through the Building Code of
Australia (BCA).
– Discussed in coming slides

• Unfortunately, the improvement in building shell efficiency over the study period has
been outpaced by the rate of increase in average floor area.

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