The towering power of energy savings schemes

Archive context: This article summarises analysis published on 22 October 2018. Its targets, certificate prices and projected savings are historical figures, not current program guidance.

Writing for the Energy Efficiency Certificate Creators Association, Hamish McGovern argued that certificate schemes in Victoria and NSW helped make energy-efficiency upgrades affordable. The article compared 2017 scheme savings with power-station generation and described how better lighting, chillers and building upgrades could reduce demand.

What the 2018 analysis reported

• The Victoria and NSW schemes' January–June 2017 savings were described as equivalent to 1,450 GWh per year.

• A hypothetical replacement of high-bay lighting across Australia was estimated to save about 880 MW of demand. This was a modelled opportunity, not an achieved result.

• The article called for stronger demand-side policy and described 2020 scheme targets as a forward-looking comparison at the time.

Examples cited in the article

Sunshine Hospital's approximately 4,500-light retrofit was reported to reduce lighting consumption by 68%, or about 1.27 GWh per year. The Art Gallery of NSW chiller upgrade was presented as eligible for more than 12,000 energy savings certificates. A solar-reflective roof coating at a Sydney DHL warehouse was estimated to save about 390 MWh per year. These are project-specific figures reported in the source, not typical outcomes.

Program targets, methods and prices have since changed. Review the current scheme rules before planning or claiming an incentive.

Source: Northmore Gordon, 22 October 2018. The source credits an earlier Ecogeneration publication.