Page 341 - Week 01 - Thursday, 12 February 2015
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(e) The initiative was designed to be budget neutral in that funding previously provided for GreenPower purchases would be re-directed towards energy efficiency measures through the Carbon Neutral Government Loan Fund. The initiative enabled the employment of two Energy Project Officers (housed in ACT Property Group), with specialist knowledge in energy efficiency opportunities, to identify and implement energy savings projects across government. Examples of energy savings projects implemented include:
• heating and cooling system efficiencies at Dame Pattie Menzies House, Macarthur House, 1 Moore St and Belconnen Library;
• addressing overnight and weekend energy use anomalies and powerfactor correction at numerous sites (detection of equipment malfunction prior to catastrophic failure, eliminating excess demand charges and facility downtime);
• trial of innovative ultraviolet technology for energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvements;
• measurement and verification of initiatives to quantify outcomes;
• capital upgrade project advice on best practise approaches to gas boiler, chiller and air conditioning upgrades; and
• inclusion of best practise maintenance requirements in key service contracts.
Carbon Neutral Government Fund (the Fund)
Fourteen ACT Government projects to the value of $6.3 million have been conducted under the Fund since 2010. These projects have ongoing annual cost and energy savings from the date of implementation. Estimated annual outcomes/savings from the Fund are:
$1.6 million in cost savings
8,543 tonnes CO2-e avoided
9,302 megawatt hours of electricity reduced
3,969 megajoules of natural gas reduced.
Large-scale LED lighting projects are upgrading the internal lighting in 90 Government buildings and expect to achieve a cost saving of $1.4 million per year and reduce electricity use by 20-30% at project sites.
(f) The Government’s 90% Renewable Energy Target will largely be achieved through the implementation of the Electricity Feed-in (Large-scale Renewable Energy Generation) Act 2011.
(g) The 5% GreenPower purchase commitment will be maintained until 2018-19. The Government will then re-assess the need to purchase GreenPower, or another form of carbon offset, in order to meet the target of carbon neutrality by 2020.
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