The Community Energy Efficiency Program (CEEP) is a Commonwealth run funding scheme that funds energy efficiency upgrades of council buildings.
Low Carbon Australia Limited
LCAL provides finance and advice to Australian businesses and the wider community through innovative programs to catalyse investment in take-up and use of energy-efficient technologies and practices for cost-effective carbon reductions.
Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate (VEECs)
The VEET scheme is a Victorian Government initiative promoted as the Energy Saver Incentive. It commenced on 1 January 2009 and is administered by the Essential Services Commission (ESC).
MEDIA RELEASE: 2011 Managed Property Energy Efficiency Award Announced
CarbonetiX is proud to award the Port Melbourne Bayview Apartments Owners Corporation with the 2011 Energy Efficiency Award.
This award recognises the owner’s corporation’s continued efforts to reduce energy consumption in the common areas of the Bayview Apartment Complex. The owner’s corporation committee is managed by MiCM Property.
Through a range of measures including LED lighting upgrades, delamping and other projects such as an automatic pool cover, energy consumption has been reduced by an impressive 53% in the last four years. This has not only reduced running and maintenance costs substantially, but is avoiding 920 tonnes of carbon pollution each year.
CarbonetiX has undertaken energy efficiency projects at a range of residential, commercial and industrial sites. We understand the challenges energy efficiency projects throw at management and know that a 53% reduction is only possible with strong and dedicated leadership. The award makes special mention of both committee member Steve Brown and the MiCM management team and for their driving force and long-term sustainability vision for the Bayview Apartments.
The Port Phillip Council should also be very proud of the support they have given projects such as this. They are true sustainability leaders and a model of local governance.
Bayview Apartment’s outstanding achievement demonstrates that energy efficiency not only reduces cost overheads, but also benefits the environment, which benefits the wider community. Congratulations to all involved and keep up the great work.
Extreme Weather linked to Climate Change
The latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report from the USA highlights that extreme weather events are “a noticeable aspect of climate change”. It goes on to say that there is a 2 in 3 probability that man-made greenhouse gases have significantly worsened extreme weather events.
According to the nobel prize winning panel, climate scientists are 99% certain that there will be more extreme heat in the future, which will cause increased precipitation in the form of heavy rainstorms.
“By the end of the century, the intense, single-day rainstorms that typically happen once every 20 years will probably happen about twice a decade” the report said.
And there’s an 80 percent chance that the killer Russian heat wave of 2010 would not have happened without the added push of global warming, according to a study published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A large part of the resistance to climate action comes from individuals inability to physically experience the 1-2 degree increases in global temperatures. At the margin, such changes in temperature are difficult to “feel”. This report highlights the real dangers of climate inaction lies at the extremities of weather events.
Australia has always been a country prone to natural disasters, including strong rain storms in the tropical north-east. We hope this new report will act as further evidence of the economic and social costs of climate inaction.
Review of Climate Change Act: Have Your Say
With submissions due on 28 November 2011, the “Review of Climate Change Act” is your chance to get your voice heard on Victorian state government climate change policy.
The Climate Change Act 2010 commits Victoria to a 20% reduction in GHG emissions based on 2000 levels.
Clearly the peer-reviewed scientific consensus is that we need to urgently reduce emissions. With the review of the Act state government may remove the 20% target, opting to simply align Victoria with the national 5% target.
An aggressive Victorian climate change target responds to the moral imperative to reduce emissions and also supports Victorian green-collar business.
I’d encourage you to voice your support for a large reduction in Victorian GHG emissions. Visit this page for more info on how you can be heard on this most important issue.
http://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/home/review-of-climate-change-act
Google Uses More Power than Salt Lake City
Google has broken its silence on energy consumption, announcing that it consumed 2,259,998 MWh in 2010.
In a new section on the Google Green site, called “The Big Picture,” Google also said that it generated 1.46 million metric tons of carbon dioxide last year. Average annual carbon footprint per user was about 1.46 kg CO2 before offsets, and 0 kg afterwards, Google said.”
The company said that by purchasing and generating renewable energy, as well as buying high-quality carbon offsets, it has brought its carbon output to zero. “We’re very picky because we want to make sure that our investment has a positive impact that wouldn’t have happened without us. For example, we pay for reductions in emissions from a landfill near our data center,” Google said.
Read more at the Environmental Leader: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/09/09/google-reveals-electricity-use-breaking-its-silence/
Video: IT Energy Efficiency
By embracing IT energy efficiency in areas such as system architecture, hardware provisioning, software design, and operations, organizations can stretch their budgets and respond more rapidly to demands for additional services.
The following video comes from Microsoft’s IT Energy Efficiency initiative:
NABERS extended to 6 stars
Looking for our NABERS rating & BEEC service page? It is here: carbonetix.com.au/services/beec-certificates-nabers-rating/
The following is from the Official NABERS website:
“The NABERS rating scale has now been extended to 6 stars, to recognise market leading performance.
The ultimate purpose of NABERS is to drive improved environmental performance. To ensure that NABERS continues to offer an aspirational target and to drive innovation and environmental improvement, a 6th star is being added to the existing rating scale.
A 6 star rating is awarded for Market Leading performance, and represents a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or water use from a 5 star rating.
All buildings currently rated at 5 stars that are performing at a 5.5 or 6 star level have been issued new certificates reflecting their new rating. Visit the rated buildings list to find out which buildings have earned 6 stars.
The rating scales for NABERS Energy and Water tools for offices, hotels and shopping centres are being extended to 6 stars now, with 6 stars representing market leading performance. The existing five star scale for each tool will not change. The rating scales for NABERS Waste and Indoor Environment and NABERS tools for homes will be extended by mid 2012.”
The new rating scale:
0 ……….. Very poor
1 ………… Poor
2 ………….Below average
2.5 to 3… Average
4 …………. Good
5 …………. Excellent
6 …………. Market leading
What this means for your Commercial Building
We know that Green Offices are outperforming in lease and sales prices. It follows that buildings with higher star ratings will attract a higher price premium. Whilst those buildings who already perform at this “Market Leading” level will be automatically awarded a 6 star rating, buildings below this rating will now be seen as ‘further behind the pack’.
The extent that investors will respond to this is unknown. As well as the intangible benefit of a higher star rating, a NABERS star rating directly effects how much an investor can expect to pay in gas, electricity and water costs. With the price of electricity rising rapidly, one can easily imagine such a rating taking on an increasingly important role in the minds of business owners and investors.
The direct solution is to attempt to increase your star rating. There are many different ways to boost your rating, and each measure will differ in implementation time, cost and energy efficiency benefit.
Speak to a CarbonetiX energy efficiency consultant to discuss some of the ways you can boost your NABERS rating, lower your gas and electricity costs and reduce your carbon footprint. Call 1300 311 763 or contact us online.
Green offices worth up to 10% more
Source: smh.com.au September 12, 2011
“Office blocks with solid green credentials can be worth up to 10 per cent more than other office buildings, new research shows.
The Building Better Returns report, commissioned by the property industry, found that top energy ratings delivered a 9 per cent green “premium” in value overall. In Canberra, the rating attracted a 21 per cent premium compared with a 4 per cent premium in the Sydney CBD and 8per cent in suburban Sydney, the report found.”
Full Article: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/green-offices-worth-up-to-10-more-20110912-1k5ng.html