The Gill Owen essay prize
AGL Energy, the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS, the Association for Environmental and Energy Equity, Uniting Communities and Guardian Australia are very proud to announce an essay competition to honour the memory of Dr Gill Owen. [Read more}
Breaking the solar gridlock
Client: AUSTELA
Researchers analysed and mapped potentially avoidable network investment and locations where concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) can address network constraints. This project investigated whether network support payments for installing CSP at grid constrained locations in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) could bridge the cost gap for CSP, while achieving societal savings in the costs of addressing network constraints. The project quantifies the potential economic benefits from installing CSP at grid constrained locations, and maps where CSP could provide cost-effective network support services. The project found that CSP can offer a commercially viable alternative to traditional network augmentation solutions in addressing electricity grid constraints. The study identified $0.8 billion of potentially avoidable network investment, and 533 MW of cost effective CSP which could be installed at grid constrained locations in the next 10 years. This would reduce greenhouse emissions by 1.9 million tonnes per year. The project was undertaken with funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, electricity network services provider Ergon Energy and the Australian Solar Thermal Energy Association (AUSTELA). The project was led by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney with the Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets at the University of New South Wales and AUSTELA. Assistance and advice was provided by IT Power. Network partners Ergon Energy in Queensland, Essential Energy and Transgrid in NSW, ElectraNet and SA Power Networks in South Australia, and SP AusNet and Powercor in Victoria, all collaborated on the project and assisted with data provision.
Clean technology applications in tourism accommodation
Client: Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre
The Institute’s expertise in clean energy systems and the principles of sustainable tourism led to the development of a framework for understanding the key issues and barriers to the introduction of clean energy in tourist accommodation following a review of relevant international literature. This framework was then used to collect information on best practice examples of the use and management of clean energy technologies in hotels and small scale rural and remote accommodation establishments. The resulting manual will assist decision makers to choose locally appropriate options on sourcing energy from either renewable (geo-thermal, solar, wind etc) or low impact forms of generation. The manual also outlines the energy savings that can be achieved from using appliances that are energy efficient and engaging people to use energy more wisely by, for example, turning lights off when not in the room. The research found that by being more energy and water wise, operators of small to medium accommodation establishments in rural and remote areas such as hostels, small hotels, and guest houses can achieve cost savings. The manual will be used as a tool for APEC economies to provide training and engage with their local communities. The project was undertaken as a partnership with the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC), APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and AICST (the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism).
Daly, J., Glassmire, Jo., Langham, E. and Paddon, M. 2010 Clean technology in tourist accommodation: a best practice manual [prepared for APEC Tourism Working Group], Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, Gold Coast, Australia. Download/view
Energy infrastructure & building performance
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
In partnership with Energetics, the Institute carried out research to quantify the potential savings from reduced investment in new energy infrastructure that could be achieved by investing in more energy efficient buildings. The value of avoidable infrastructure investment achievable through energy efficiency was found to be highly significant. The building sector could eliminate all projected growth in Australia's carbon emissions to 2020 at a net economic benefit to society. Two complementary methods were used in this research. The first established the relationship between the impacts of building energy efficiency measures on peak electricity and gas demand at critical times when the supply systems are at maximum constraint. The second determined the cost of providing new electricity and gas infrastructure to meet growth in peak demand, using historical and planned infrastructure investment data. This project filled a research gap in the implications of peak demand reduction for energy efficiency initiatives in residential, commercial and industrial buildings and contributed to informing policy that aims to deliver emissions reductions at lowest cost to society.
Ergon Energy’s demand reduction program
Client: Ergon Energy
Facing rapidly rising peak demand and an associated major network augmentation capital expenditure program, Ergon Energy, Queensland’s integrated rural electricity distribution network and retail business, sought the assistance of the Institute for Sustainable Futures and CSIRO to conduct a review of the cost-effective potential for demand reduction within its network. The Demand Reduction Potential Review (DRPR) project provided a unique opportunity to identify, quantify and communicate the benefits of expanding demand management programs. The results play a crucial role in formulating Ergon Energy’s medium term demand management plans, budget and proposals for consideration by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) in the context of upcoming two five-year regulatory periods (2015-2020 and 2020-2025). Project partner CSIRO developed annual electricity demand projections for the period 2012 to 2025, along with contributions from different energy using equipment and behaviours. The Institute developed a methodology to quantify the technical, economic, and achievable potential of demand reduction and energy conservation across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors over time, within nine geographical regions in Ergon Energy’s territory. The project drew on and adapted existing resources, expertise and modelling tools developed by ISF and CSIRO under the Intelligent Grid Research Program. The project delivered not only recommendations as to the levels of Demand Reduction for the setting of regulatory targets, but also a model designed to enable the integration of demand management and energy conservation within existing network management processes, facilitate capacity building within Ergon Energy and support communication of the potential for cost-effective demand reduction to key stakeholders.
Facilitating Local Network Charges and Virtual Net Metering
This project brings together a partnership of consumers, researchers, electricity providers and government to help level the playing field for local energy and prepare for the electricity grid of the future. This project aims to facilitate the introduction of reduced local network charges for partial use of the electricity network, and the introduction of Virtual Net Metering (VNM) between associated customers and generators in the same local distribution area.The combination of local network charges and VNM aims to offer desirable alternatives to customers who might otherwise choose to disconnect from the grid altogether or keep all their generation “behind the meter”, drastically reducing the amount of electricity they take from the grid. This could reduce the overall network costs in a more distributed energy future.The project will undertake five ‘virtual trials’ of local network charges and virtual net metering, in NSW, VIC, and QLD.
Intelligent Grid cluster research program
Client: CSIRO
The Intelligent Grid research program was an Australian collaborative research project between the CSIRO, the University of Technology, Sydney and four other universities that investigated technologies and practices to make our electricity networks smart, greener and more efficient. Institute researchers led the cluster which explored the economic, environmental and social impacts and benefits of the large-scale deployment of intelligent grid technologies in Australian electricity networks. The Intelligent Grid Research Program fell under the auspices of the CSIRO’s Energy Transformed Flagship, one of eight Flagships that constitute one of the largest scientific research endeavours ever undertaken in Australia, with a total investment from 2003 to 2011 of close to AUD$1.5 billion. The iGrid cluster contributed to the Flagship’s research goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions and doubling the efficiency of the nation’s new energy generation, supply and end use technologies. The Intelligent Grid Program itself received $3.4 million in funding from CSIRO and a further $6.1 million from the collaborating institutions. In addition to being the Cluster leader, ISF on behalf of UTS, led Project 4 of the program—Institutional Barriers to the Intelligent Grid. This involved investigating institutional barriers to decentralised energy (DE) through stakeholder engagement and economic modelling. Institute researchers developed a decentralised energy dataset as part of this project (D-CODE – Description and Cost of Decentralised Energy model), which includes cost data, technical considerations and emissions factors for a range of decentralised clean energy technologies. ISF also used the Dynamic Avoidable Network Costs (DANCE) Model to detail the institutional barriers to DE, their solutions, and the value of DE to networks. More information about the Intelligent Grid Cluster Research Program can be found at: http://igrid.net.au
Network Opportunity Mapping
The Network Opportunity Mapping project will visually present information to Renewable Energy and Demand Management providers in a consistent and easily accessible format that is not currently available. The maps will identify where it offers the best value to invest in renewable energy and demand management technologies and services within the electricity grid. By providing this information, the project aims to build the market for these decentralised energy resources and reduce costs for all consumers.
Parkes sustainable energy and water plan
Parkes Shire Council
Institute researchers developed a series of options that Parkes Shire Council could undertake to both reduce their energy costs, already a significant proportion of their budget and demonstrate leadership in the transition to low carbon energy supplies. To develop this plan, Institute researchers conducted a situation analysis, reviewing existing energy spending, estimating prospective changes in electricity prices and the impacts on PSC’s future budget. The Plan identifies local energy options that can deliver significant financial and environmental benefits by reducing energy use and generating local energy from renewable or low carbon sources. An energy options assessment tool, including a 25 year cash flow analysis, was also developed to allow the Council to revisit the business case as conditions change or firmer information is available. View/Download project information sheet.
Rutovitz, J., Langham, E., Ison, N. & Dunstan, C.G. 2011, 'Parkes Shire Council: Distributed energy plan - report', [prepared for Parkes Shire Council], Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS, Sydney, pp. 1-64. View/Download
Scoping study for evaluation of energy efficiency programs
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (NSW)
Institute researchers investigated various methodologies that could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of energy efficiency programs by analysing billing data. They were then able to recommend an approach to initiating, piloting and running an evaluation based on considerations of data, expertise and resourcing requirements, as well as an idealised timeline and milestones for the process.
SSROC renewable energy master plan
Client: Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC)
The major objective of this project was to identify the most effective ways in which Southern Sydney regional councils might jointly achieve a substantial increase in the proportion of energy used across the area that is derived from renewable sources. ISF identified new and innovative energy models for the councils’ collective use. This will build on existing initiatives currently being undertaken by the eight participating councils in improving their energy efficiency and investment in renewable energy in their own operations. A range of renewable energy technologies, including small wind, solar photovoltaics, solar hot water, landfill and sewage gas and other bioenergy generation were considered and workshops were held with residents and businesses to share ideas on how the project could both help them save money and help the environment by reducing carbon emissions. A Regional Renewable Energy Master Plan was produced for SSROC.