Best Paper Award: International Conference on Sustainable Energy Engineering

Awarded Best Paper at the International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering (ICSEE 2026), this research by Jena Glover presents an architect-led framework for integrating building design and autonomous energy systems in off-grid housing. Using a completed off-grid home in regional New South Wales as a case study, the paper introduces a structured “Synergy Loop” that links architectural design decisions with energy modelling, system sizing, cost optimisation, and performance validation. The research demonstrates how passive solar design, thermal performance, spatial planning, and renewable energy systems can be developed together through an iterative design process, reducing unnecessary system oversizing while maintaining reliability. The findings highlight the critical role architects play in shaping energy demand, improving affordability, and delivering resilient off-grid homes, while also proposing a framework that could inform future Australian building regulations and performance-based pathways for autonomous housing.