Rebecca Yang

Associate Professor Rebecca Yang

Leader of Solar Energy Application Lab

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A scholar of building, construction and distributed renewable energy who undertakes pure and applied research that can provide innovative solutions to the industry by integrating theories with cutting-edge technologies.

Overview

Rebecca has developed a strong and passionate commitment to industry-focused research and teaching. Her research resonates with RMIT’s vision of transforming the built environment to create sustainable and resilient cities, and her current research focuses on solar energy applications in buildings, and construction innovation.

She actively represents Australia as an Expert in the International Energy Agency (IEA) collaborative programs: she is the Australian lead in the Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) Task 15 Enabling Framework for the Development of BIPV (https://apvi.org.au/pvps-task-15/), and the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC) Task 66 Solar Energy Buildings. Her leadership role within these programs has provided great experiences working with lead researchers within Australia and internationally.

She is a member of the National Mirror Committee for International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC 82 Solar photovoltaic energy systems by Standards Australia, represents Australia to the development of an international standard IEC 63092 BIPV, reviews and comments on new proposed standards under IEC TC 82. With a background in building and construction and eight years’ experience in BIPV, she is uniquely placed to forge new directions in this field, combining sophisticated building design and modelling process and techniques with an understanding of BIPV features.

She has established Solar Energy Application Lab at RMIT and lead many academics, research students and research assistants from multiple in projects to support energy transformation through greater solar adoption in the building sector and the urban environment.

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Industry experience

Committees (external)

  • Student Chapter Advisor, CIB (International Council for Building), 2016-Present
  • Organizing Committee Member, Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference, 2020
  • External Committee Member, the International Research Centre for Sustainable Built Environment, Chongqing University, 2018-Present
  • Technical Committee Member, International Conference on Construction Project Management and Construction Engineering, 2018

Working groups

  • Global Representative and Theme Leader, International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme Task 15 Building Integrated Photovoltaics, 2018- Present

Discipline-based professional development

  • Trainer, Project Management for Researchers, RMIT University, 2019-Present
  • Small organization member (Solar Energy Application Lab), Australian PV Institute, 2020

Editorial boards and peer reviewing

  • Peer Reviewer, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), Australian Research Council (ARC), 2018
  • Editorial Review Board Member, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, SciQ1 Journal, 2017-Present
  • Editorial Member, International Journal of Construction Management, 2017-Present
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Research

Rebecca is a building and construction scholar working in the subfield of innovation adoption and stakeholder assessment. Her area of expertise is applied distributed renewable energy, and she is particularly known for my research on solar building envelope applications.

Research keywords

Building Integrated PV, Solar Building and Urban Environment, Energy Simulation and Modelling, Construction Innovation, Stakeholder Management

Research output summary

100+

Publications

13

Projects

1

Awards

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Supervisor interest areas

  • Renewable energy in buildings and urban environment;
  • Energy modelling and simulation
  • Construction innovations
  • Stakeholder management

Supervisor projects

  • Extraction and Analysis for ethylene vinyl acetate from crystalline silicon solar module waste
  • Machine Learning based building element recognition for BIPV application
  • Machine learning and automated building surveying
  • Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) – Design optimisation
  • Fire safety performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
  • Solar Energy Assessment in Urban Environment
  • Digitalising Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Products
  • Optimising distributed solar PV systems through virtual power plants in Australian cities
  • An Integrated Framework for Ict-Based P2p Distributed Renewable Energy Trading
  • Supply Chain Management of Offsite Construction in Australian Low-rise Residential Buildings A Framework for Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Design and Management in Australia in Early Design Phase
  • Informing Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Deployment in Australia: A Sociotechnical Perspective and Data Mining Methods

Feature publications

Economic viability of building integrated photovoltaics: A review of forty-five (45) non-domestic buildings in twelve (12) western countries

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 137, p.110-622

Weerasinghe, R.P.N.P., Yang, R.J., Wakefield, R., Too, E., Le, T., Corkish, R., Chen, S. and Wang, C., (2021).

Design and development of distributed solar PV systems: Do the current tools work?

Sustainable cities and society, 45, pp.553-578

Wijeratne, W.P.U., Yang, R.J., Too, E. and Wakefield, R., (2019).

Public and private blockchain in construction business process and information integration

Automation in construction, 118, p.103-276

Yang, R., Wakefield, R., Lyu, S., Jayasuriya, S., Han, F., Yi, X., Yang, X., Amarasinghe, G. and Chen, S., (2020).

Key publications by year

  • Bonomo, P., Eder, G., Chivelet, M.N., Eisenlohr, J., Frontini, F., Kapsis, C., Scognamiglio, A., Wilson, H.R., Yang, R., Categorization of BIPV applications, IEA PVPS Task 15 report, Sep 2021
  • Gunarathna, M.A.C.L., Yang, R. J. & Song, A. 2021, ‘Diverse Distributed Renewable Energy Trading Paradigms: A Business Model Review’, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2021.1877640
  • Lin, T., Lyu, S., Yang, R.J. & Tivendale, L. 2021, ‘Offsite Construction in the Australian Low-Rise Residential Buildings: Application Levels and Procurement Options’, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, doi:10.1108/ECAM-07-2020-0583
  • Liu, C.,Yang, J.,Yu, X.,Sun, C.,Wong, P.,Zhao, H. (2021). Virtual power plants for a sustainable urban future In: Sustainable Cities and Society, 65, 1 - 18
  • Weerasinghe, R.,Yang, J.,Wakefield, R.,Too, E.,Le, T.,Corkish, R.,Chen, S.,Wang, C. (2021). Economic viability of building integrated photovoltaics: A review of forty-five (45) non-domestic buildings in twelve (12) western countries In: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 137, 1 - 19

  • Yang, J.,Gunarathna, C.,McDermott, V.,Lingard, H.,Zhao, H.,Liu, C. (2020). Opportunities for improving construction health and safety using real-time H&S management innovations: A socio-technical-economic perspective In: International Journal of Construction Management, 20, 534 - 554
  • Jayasuriya, S.,Zhang, K.,Yang, R. (2020). Exploring the impact of stakeholder management strategies on managing issues in PPP projects In: International Journal of Construction Management, 20, 666 - 678
  • Weerasinghe, R.,Yang, R.,Too, E.,Le, T. (2020). Renewable energy adoption in the built environment: a sociotechnical network approach In: Intelligent Buildings International, , 1 - 18
  • Shooshtarian, S.,Maqsood, T.,Khalfan, M.,Yang, R.,Wong, S. (2020). Landfill levy imposition on construction and demolition waste: Australian stakeholders' perceptions In: Sustainability, 12, 1 - 15
  • Yang, J.,Wakefield, R.,Lyu, S.,Jayasuriya, S.,Han, F.,Yi, X.,Yang, T.,Amarasinghe, G.,Chen, S. (2020). Public and private blockchain in construction business process and information integration In: Automation in Construction, 118, 1 - 21
  • Wu, H.,Zhao, Z.,Xue, X.,Shen, G.,Yang, J.,Wang, . (2020). An integrated scientometric and SNA approach to explore the classics in CEM research In: Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 26, 459 - 474
  • Xue, J.,Shen, G.,Yang, J.,Zafar, I.,Ekanayake, E.,Lin, X.,Darko, A. (2020). Influence of formal and informal stakeholder relationship on megaproject performance: a case of China In: Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 27, 1 - 27
  • Xue, J.,Shen, G.,Yang, J.,Zafar, I.,Ekanayake, E. (2020). Dynamic Network Analysis of Stakeholder Conflicts in Megaprojects: Sixteen-Year Case of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge In: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 146, 1 - 16
  • Xue, J.,Shen, Q.,Yang, J.,Wu, H.,Li, X.,Lin, X.,Xue, F. (2020). Mapping the knowledge domain of stakeholder perspective studies in construction projects: A bibliometric approach In: International Journal of Project Management, 38, 313 - 326
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Feature projects

Pre-normative research on fire safety of solar building envelopes

Victoria Building Authority

2021 - 2022

Transitioning Bendigo’s energy economy: A feasibility study of renewable community energy (Retail and Generation) transition across an entire regional city

C4NET & City of Greater Bendigo

2020 - 2022

BIPV Enabler

Australia Renewable Energy Agency Commercialisation R&D fund 

2019 - 2022

Key projects by year

  • Pre-normative research on fire safety of solar building envelopes – Victoria Building Authority, 2021-2022

  • Transitioning Bendigo’s energy economy: A feasibility study of renewable community energy (Retail and Generation) transition across an entire regional city, C4NET & City of Greater Bendigo, 2020-2022
  • Digital Design Workflows and Fire Safety Requirements of BIPV Projects, APVI & ARENA, 2020-2021
  • Leveraging an Integrated Information Lifecycle Management Framework - Building and Infrastructure Sectors, Main roads WA, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, 2020-2021
  • Solar Decathlon China: Building Integrated Photovoltaic blockchain enabled sustainable building development, China Overseas Development Department & Shenzhen Unviersity, 2020-2021
  • Creation and Stimulation of End Markets for Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, 2020-2021

  • BIPV Enabler, Australia Renewable Energy Agency Commercialisation R&D fund 2019-2022
  • Advancing prefabricated construction through a trustworthy environment, Z Knight, 2019 –2021

  • Australia Renewable Energy Agency International Engagement Scheme 2018-2022
  • Unlocking Facility Value through Lifecycle Thinking, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre 2018-2020
  • A National Economic Approach to Improved Management of Construction and Demolition Waste, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, 2018-2020
  • Simulating the Impact of Construction Industrialization Policies on Its Update in Hong Kong: A Sociotechnical System Perspective, Public Policy Research Funding Scheme, HKSAR Government 2018-2020

  • Cost reduction and Deployment of Prefabricated Building Integrated Photovoltaics, Funded by: RICS Research Trust Grant 2017 from (2017 to 2018)
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Awards

Facilitator Prize, BIPV Tool, CSIRO ONPRIME program

Award date: 2019

Recipients: Rebecca Yang

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Grants

  • Pre-normative research on fire safety of solar building envelopes– Victoria Building Authority, 2021-2022
  • Transitioning Bendigo’s energy economy: A feasibility study of renewable community energy (Retail and Generation) transition across an entire regional city, C4NET & City of Greater Bendigo, 2020-2022
  • Digital Design Workflows and Fire Safety Requirements of BIPV Projects, APVI & ARENA, 2020-2021
  • Leveraging an Integrated Information Lifecycle Management Framework - Building and Infrastructure Sectors, Main roads WA, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, 2020-2021
  • Solar Decathlon China: Building Integrated Photovoltaic blockchain enabled sustainable building development, China Overseas Development Department & Shenzhen Unviersity, 2020-2021
  • Smart Modular Construction for Residential Buildings, Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, 2020
  • Creation and Stimulation of End Markets for Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, 2020-2021
  • BIPV Enabler, Australia Renewable Energy Agency Commercialisation R&D fund 2019-2022
  • Australia Renewable Energy Agency International Engagement Scheme 2018-2022
  • Unlocking Facility Value through Lifecycle Thinking, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre 2018-2020
  • A National Economic Approach to Improved Management of Construction and Demolition Waste, Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, 2018-2020
  • Simulating the Impact of Construction Industrialization Policies on Its Update in Hong Kong: A Sociotechnical System Perspective, Public Policy Research Funding Scheme, HKSAR Government 2018-2020
  • Advancing prefabricated construction through a trustworthy environment, Z Knight, 2019-2021
  • Cost reduction and Deployment of Prefabricated Building Integrated Photovoltaics. Funded by: RICS Research Trust Grant 2017 from 2017-2018
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Public and media engagements

2021

2020

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.