eex.gov.au Energy Efficiency Exchange » Industry Sectors

Transportation Energy Futures Project – another US perspective

vanessamorris — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:28:52 +0000

Transportation accounts for 71% of total U.S. petroleum consumption and 33% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

The U.S. Department of Energy has designed the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project to examine underexplored oil-savings and greenhouse gas–reduction opportunities by aggregating transportation energy knowledge and estimating opportunities.

The project addresses high-priority questions to inform transportation energy strategies, priorities and investments. Research and analysis identifies near-term actions that support long-term energy goals.

It looks beyond technology to examine the marketplace, consumer behavior, industry capabilities and infrastructure.

The project is organized in four research areas: light-duty vehicles, non-light-duty vehicles, fuels and transportation demand. Findings are detailed in a series of nine reports.

To download the reports and source more information on the project, go to the US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website.

Opportunity to test Green Star – Performance

vanessamorris — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:51:21 +0000

The Green Building Council of Australia office has a 5 star rating

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is looking for facility managers and building services engineers to participate in beta testing of the Green Star – Performance draft rating tool.

Green Star – Performance, the GBCA’s new rating tool for the operational performance of existing buildings, is now entering the final phase before its launch later this year.

The Green Star – Performance rating tool has been developed for use across a wide range of building types – from hospitals to hotels, and from shopping centres to schools. Buildings do not need to have a Green Star Design or As Built rating to achieve a Green Star – Performance rating.

Green Star – Performance will help existing building owners, operators and occupants to:

Gain an understanding of their building’s overall operational performance.
Gain a third-party certified rating that demonstrates their building is performing to its full potential.
Identify clear pathways for sustainable improvement that will lower operating costs and provide better indoor environments for building users.

To find out how you can get involved in beta testing, please contact Robert Milagre, Acting Green Star Development Manager at robert.milagre@gbca.org.au .

New data to accelerate development of Carbon Capture and Storage

vanessamorris — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 01:43:16 +0000

Bathymetric map of the Petrel Sub-basin off the coast of the Northern Territory

Geoscience Australia has released new pre-competitive data that will contribute to Australia’s efforts to accelerate the development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology.

The new data, collected offshore from the Northern Territory in the Petrel Sub-basin, is a significant first step in the Australian Government’s $40 million investment to assess the geological suitability of highly prospective offshore basins to potentially store CO₂.

The recently released Energy White Paper highlights the important role that CCS technology will play in helping Australia, and its prospective coal and gas industries, to find ways to reduce emissions.

The data will enable industry to make more informed decisions regarding the suitability of sites for CO₂ storage and encourage industry to potentially uptake this site.

Geoscience Australia will use the data to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the CO₂ storage potential of the Petrel Sub-basin. The results of this assessment, including the associated geological reports, will be available mid-2013.

In addition to the Petrel Sub-basin, assessments will also be completed for the Vlaming Sub-basin (offshore Western Australia), the Browse Basin (offshore Western Australia), and the Gippsland Basin (offshore Victoria).

The data package for the Petrel Sub-basin, including initial data analysis and post-survey reports, is available through the Geoscience Australia website.

Qantas research aims for smarter flying

vanessamorris — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:47:10 +0000

The University of Sydney and Qantas have entered into a four-year partnership to develop a flight planning system that will help the airline fly optimised routes, reduce fuel consumption and improve operational effectiveness.

The Qantas Future Flight Planning Project (QFFPP) follows closely on the tail of a successful pilot program that targeted the development and demonstration of a prototype commercial aviation flight-planning system.

Professor Salah Sukkarieh, the Australian Centre for Field Robotics’ (ACFR) Director of Research and Innovation, says the commencement of the QFFPP punctuated a decade of research in the area of flight planning and control, and multi-vehicle coordination and optimisation.

“Our initial work looked at how aerodynamics, flight mechanics, large-scale optimisation and machine learning algorithms can be used to design better flight planning routines and fuel prediction models.

“We believe this will help pave the way for optimised flight routes that will improve operational efficiency for Qantas – complementing its existing focus on new navigation technology – and support greener commercial aviation,” says Professor Sukkarieh.

This system will help pave the way for optimised flight routes that will improve operational efficiency and support greener commercial aviation, says Professor Salah Sukkarieh.

The agreement with the University will look at further developing the system as well as conduct new research into operational factors such as weather avoidance and traffic flow. The project will support six research fellows and up to 10 PhD students.

Professor Sukkarieh says overall the system is the first of its kind in the world, offering Qantas a suite of algorithms that are custom made to Qantas’ operation and that will support its future needs.

Qantas’ Head of Operations Support, Peter Broschofsky, said the partnership would help Qantas build on its strong record of innovation through technology deployment in flight operations.

“We are delighted to be working with the University of Sydney on a project that is at the cutting-edge of aviation technology research,” Mr Broschofsky said. “We expect the QFFPP will replace our current flight planning systems in around four years and, coupled with new aircraft and ground technology, bring about significant improvements in Qantas’ operational efficiency.

“More efficient flying is an operational priority for Qantas – it will help us improve our performance for our customers and reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions. The system being developed by Professor Sukkarieh is in keeping with Qantas’ longstanding commitment to smarter technologies such as Required Navigation Performance, where we are an industry leader.”

The prototype system was based on the latest research in stochastic optimisation and planning and implemented in software using data supplied by Qantas. The system combined all the relevant aerodynamic, route profile and aircraft performance into the optimisation algorithms that were based on Dynamic Programming principles, and demonstrated greater accuracy and provided enhanced operational effectiveness.

The ACFR is based in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies at the University of Sydney and is dedicated to the scientific advancement of robotics and intelligent systems. Professor Salah Sukkarieh is a former mechatronic engineering student at the University of Sydney. He completed his PhD in avionic systems and his research has been dedicated to the development of innovative algorithms and software solutions to bring about intelligent aerospace platforms and systems.

Super energy savings at the local supermarket

vanessamorris — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:07:35 +0000

Just four weeks after implementing a range of energy saving measures, the owner of an independent supermarket in Melbourne is reaping the rewards.

IGA Meadow Heights, in Melbourne’s north, has recorded a 16 per cent drop in energy use in the past month.

And the store’s owner anticipates he will save more than $25,000 on his energy bills over the course of a year because of the changes he has made.

Meadow Heights IGA is one of six privately owned IGA stores which have engaged Australian electrical innovation company, Specialised Electrical Design and Construction (SEDAC), to improve their energy efficiency.

The Meadow Heights store was the first store to go through the process with SEDAC.

The store’s owner, Neal Morgan, hired SEDAC to assess, monitor and implement cost-saving improvements to reduce his overall energy costs.

The project brief was simple: “Sales and profitability are down due to economic factors beyond our control so we must find ways to significantly reduce the cost of doing business,” Mr Morgan said.

Energy savings have come from a range of improvements, such as:

installing automatic power switches on timing
improving gas leakage from refrigerators
optimising the times of day that air conditioning and heating is used, and
maximising the use of fans and other ventilation.

The store also made simple changes like changing lights from Halogen to LED.

Plans are in place to continue the rollout at IGA stores in the Victorian towns of Melton, Sunbury, Gisborne, Delahey and Glengala.

This article was first published on the Clean Energy Future website

eex.gov.au helping save businesses energy & money

eex — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:22:50 +0000

The Energy Efficiency Exchange website has been designed to assist Australian businesses to implement energy efficiency practices.

eex.gov.au has been developed by the Australian, state and territory governments in response to industry research that highlighted the need for quality information on energy efficiency in one central location. For more information on eex.gov.au government partners, see the About Us page.

Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, says the Energy Efficiency Exchange is one part of a suite of measures being implemented to support energy efficiency in Australia’s medium and large energy-using businesses. See Minister Ferguson’s media release.

The design of eex.gov.au is based upon ‘user centred’ research. During the site’s development, interviews with a range of company representatives were held in their workplaces. Potential users were asked about their energy efficiency knowledge, information needs and the way they source information.

From this research, the site has been designed for the ‘energy champions’ in companies. The layout of the website incorporates four key content streams: Energy Management, Industry Sectors, Technologies and Business Support.

The Sectors and Technologies streams are designed for technical users such as engineers and site staff, who can access practical examples of energy efficiency opportunities, detailed technical resources and case studies.

The Energy Management and Business Support areas enable corporate and head office staff to find information on energy management, financing options and business case development skills.

Sector-specific content

A range of industry sectors are covered in the Energy Efficiency Exchange, including manufacturing, transport and commercial buildings. Further sector pages on mining and resource processing will be published in coming months.

Under Manufacturing (which covers the chemicals and plastics, pulp and paper, and food and beverage subsectors), energy efficiency opportunities focus on the optimisation of production processes, supported by case studies and examples from related industries. Users can scan the opportunities with the fastest payback or progress through the list to those with longer term savings and higher upfront costs.

In the Commercial and Services sector, opportunities focus on the management of energy in buildings using metering and monitoring, lighting, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and other strategies to minimise energy use. Where relevant, these opportunities are linked to related technology pages, providing comprehensive and detailed options for the sector.

The Transport pages currently focus on road and air transport. It will be useful for freight and haulage companies and airlines wishing to take advantage of cost-saving opportunities in areas such as eco driving, maintenance practices, aerodynamics and fleet management.

Technologies

As technologies are commonly deployed across industry sectors, a stream of the website is devoted to the energy efficiency benefits of different technologies and process systems. Technologies on the website presently include HVAC, lighting, motors, pumps and fans, compressed air and process heat. Sections on comminution, materials movement and energy management systems are due for release soon.

The Technology pages, like the Sector pages, incorporate referenced opportunities listed in order of payback potential, as well as case studies and detailed technical resources for users wanting to undertake further analysis.

Energy Management

Information is designed for companies who may be new to energy management, drawing on best practice materials from EEO and other government programs. It covers the identification of energy efficiency opportunities, how to assess and select opportunities and how to engage with staff and stakeholders so they can see the merits and benefits of energy efficiency.

Guidance on developing successful business cases for energy efficiency projects outlines effective approaches to securing resources for project implementation, using real life examples from EEO companies.

The Energy Management stream also provides an introduction to the energy market outlining a range of demand management strategies which can assist in negotiating energy supply contracts and reducing energy costs.

Ongoing improvement

The Energy Efficiency Exchange will continue to evolve as new information becomes available. Pages will be peer-reviewed and regularly updated with the latest research. New sector and technologies pages are also planned to expand the site into new areas.

Users are encouraged to provide feedback to improve the site further. A protocol is being developed to support the peer review process of third party resources recommended by industry.

Suggestions on new content areas and other site enhancements are also welcomed – use our Feedback form or email eex@ret.gov.au

For more information Contact Us or Subscribe for updates.

Finance for Clean Technology Grant Bids

eex — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 03:34:52 +0000

Low Carbon Australia is offering assistance to help industry meet the cost of their energy efficiency projects when they take advantage of the Australian Government’s Clean Technology Program.

The $800m Clean Technology Investment Program and the $200m Clean Technology Food & Foundries Investment Program provide funding for between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of project costs. Low Carbon Australia is helping companies to finance the balance.

How can Low Carbon Australia assist?

Low Carbon Australia and their finance partners can work with companies to help them demonstrate their project’s credentials in relation to the grants merit criteria by providing assistance with:

carbon saving calculations and evaluations
preapproved finance to demonstrate your capacity and capability to deliver the project
demonstrating your ability to achieve a positive return on investment

The grants program requires businesses to submit evidence of their ability to fund their share of the total project cost. This table outlines the amount of grant funding and the corresponding Low Carbon Australia finance available.

Grant amount	Annual turnover ofapplicant*	CTP grant applicantco-investment ratio	Percentage of total project cost covered by Clean Technology Program grant	Percentage of total project cost that Low Carbon Australia can help fund
$25,000 to <$500,000	Less than $100 million	1:1	50%	Up to 50%
$25,000 to <$500,000	$100 million or more	1:2	33.3%	Up to 66.7%
$500,000 to <$10 million	NA	1:2	33.3%	Up to 66.7%
Applications for funding of > $10 million plus	NA	1:3	25%	Assessed case by case

What can be funded?

All energy efficiency equipment and industrial process upgrades that result in emissions reductions or energy savings can be funded by Low Carbon Australia.

Low Carbon Australia and their co-finance partners have the expertise and the finance to help businesses realise the most effective energy efficiency solutions and industrial upgrades for company operations. Their energy efficiency finance will allow businesses to meet their share of project costs without up-front capital.

For more information about Low Carbon Australia visit www.lowcarbonaustralia.com.au

$1 billion for cleaner manufacturing

eex — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:07:50 +0000

The Gillard Government has launched $1 billion in funding for manufacturers to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution.

The Clean Technology Investment Programs will provide grants to help manufacturers buy new plant and equipment which cuts their energy costs or reduces carbon pollution.

The Industry and Innovation Minister, Greg Combet, launched the $800 million Clean Technology Investment Program and the $200 million Clean Technology Food and Foundries Investment Program – part of the Government’s Clean Energy Future package.

They will support jobs and provide incentives for manufacturers to become more efficient, more competitive and more sustainable.

Eligible manufacturers can now apply for funding under the programs.

Mr Combet also announced that the Government would change co-contribution requirements to make the grant programs more attractive for small and medium-sized firms.

Manufacturers with turnovers of less than $100 million requesting funding under $500,000 will now only have to match the government grants on a dollar for dollar basis.

For all other grants under $10 million, applicants will be required to contribute $2 for every $1 from the Government.

For grants of $10 million or more, applicants will be expected to make a co-contribution of at least $3 for each $1 of Government support.

Projects that can be supported include switching to less carbon intensive energy sources or installing new manufacturing equipment, processes and facilities to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Information sessions on the Clean Technology Programs will be held around Australia in March.

For more information visit www.AusIndustry.gov.au or call the AusIndustry Hotline on 13 28 46.