Northern Alliance For Greenhouse Action

TZNE Review

TZNE Review

It’s now 2 years since the implementation of TZNE began

It’s now 2 years since the implementation of TZNE began. NAGA members will undertake a review of the projects and the collaboration. The review will include identification of barriers and challenges, and future directions for TZNE, and will involve input from NAGA Executive and Steering Committee members, culminating in a workshop to be held later this year. Like to share your thoughts on TZNE - just This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Making cogeneration happen

Making cogeneration happen

 The barriers to cogeneration have been well documented and continue to vex councils and urban redevelopment. Several NAGA members are active in this space, in particular with aquatic centre development. More extensive planning for distributed generation, in multi-purpose developments and local mapping, has been undertaken by Manningham at Doncaster Hill and by MEFL in Moreland. Further mapping and testing of potential will also take place in Melbourne to identify localities of greatest potential. NAGA members’ work complements the ClimateWorks initiative ‘Unlocking Barriers to Cogeneration: Project’ now advocating for a rule change to the National Electricity Rules to streamline the process of connecting to the grid.

Getting down to business

MEFL’s Zero Carbon Moreland Business program has shown that simple, low -cost devices can yield big benefits for the bottom line in ‘high street’ retail and hospitality businesses.

Getting good results is based on being able to deliver well-tested products and service. Experiences of Moreland Energy Foundation’s Zero Carbon Moreland Business, Darebin Council’s Light$mart program and local partnerships with the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) have demonstrated that it is possible for local government to effectively engage local businesses on sustainability. Projects delivered through Councils’ Economic Development units, with a well-tested offer, delivering a quality product with identified savings, are well received when they save money and energy costs. Check out the following case studies at  Moreland Energy Foundation and contact Emma Hopkins at Darebin Council This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Yarra Energy Foundation joins TZNE

Established by City of Yarra in 2010, the Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) is participating in implementing the TZNE regional plan, including in the regional Delivering Clean Energy Solutions and data access projects. YEF will also be tackling greenhouse and energy interventions for renters. We look forward to a long and productive association with YEF.

Low carbon financing options for local government and business

New initiatives for local government and commercial building energy efficiency retrofit financing were outlined at a Financing Options seminar for NAGA members in July.

Low Carbon Australia (LCAL) has called for Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from councils and businesses for finance and advice for investment-ready energy efficiency measures to retrofit non-residential buildings. LCAL’s new finance options, including loans, provide a means of overcoming a major hurdle to investment in energy efficient and low carbon upgrades. Low Carbon Australia, formerly known as the Carbon Trust, has been established by the Australian Government as an independent company with over $100 million initial funding to provide financial solutions and advice.

Building energy literacy

Many householders don’t know if their energy use is high or low. A new project to communicate energy use to build energy literacy in local communities will commence soon.

Using local data provided to NAGA by electricity and gas distributors, the ‘Community Energy Use in Local Communities’ project will enable households to compare their energy consumption with neighbours. Social norms can be a powerful driver to encourage sustainable behaviour. The project, led by Manningham City Council, on behalf of NAGA, has been funded by the Victorian Local Sustainability Accord. NAGA has now received local electricity and gas consumption data by postcode for over 2 years on a voluntary basis from distributors. Two key outcomes from the earlier Local Energy Consumption Data project led by City of Yarra were the establishment of a toolkit to store and analyse raw data, and a formalised agreement made with Jemena electricity network to supply and share data with NAGA. The new project builds on that previous work and takes the information out to local communities to inform and influence their energy use based on benchmarks and social norms.

Small business programs hit the mark

Darebin Council’s Light$mart program has achieved some remarkable results in its first year. After extensive development and trialling almost 2000 lights have been upgraded to more efficient models.

With a 75% conversion rate from sign-on to implementation of actions,Light$mart has vastly exceeded take- up rates normally recorded for small to medium business programs an exceptional result! Collectively 1,254 tonnes of CO2~e are estimated to have been abated, saving businesses $28,400 annually. Light$mart has exceeded its first year targets, with 28 businesses signing up to the program and 21 completing their retrofits to date. Businesses contribute to the cost of new lighting installed by qualified EcoSmart Electricians. Further work will take place to explore ways to link the program with the expanded Energy Saver Incentive scheme for SMEs due to commence in 2012.

New financing options for 1200 Buildings

1200 Buildings, the City of Melbourne’s major commercial building retrofit initiative, has finalised a new funding option for building owners, removing a major barrier to financing sustainable upgrades to existing buildings.

Financial institutions will be able to advance funds to commercial building owners for environmental retrofitting works. These funds will be recovered by the City of Melbourne through a charge linked to rates collection.

The City of Melbourne has pioneered the financial mechanism with banks to build incentive for environmental retrofits and overcome the difficulty that many building owners had accessing capital upfront to finance their environmental projects (even where these have guaranteed paybacks).

Regional solar collaboration in practice

Delivering Clean Energy Solutions (DCES), the NAGA region’s residential solar program has been extended to March 2012.

Solar PV and hot water systems have been subject to pricing fluctuations arising from several policy and market changes. These have impacted markedly on DCES ability to promote solar at a stable price. Nonetheless, participant satisfaction has been high.

“The information and responsiveness of DCES made it really easy for me to install solar PV. I mightn't have done so, if the offer was not available. Thanks for making it so accessible and straightforward.” “Great concept supported by a competitive price and security of a local non-profit organisation supporting local communities. Definitely the way to go if the whole idea of solar panels is just too complex or time consuming. Good product, good installers. I was relaxed knowing most of the work was done for me by DCES.”

To date, over 180 installations have been completed. The program is being delivered by MEFL with all NAGA members promoting the program. A comprehensive information kit on installing solar in the home forms part of the support provided to residents.

Innovation and facilitating B2B Sustainability in Hume

Hume Council is a state leader in trialling a new approach in business -to -business resource exchange, based on the UK National Industrial Symbiosis Program (NISP). Described as a cross between speed dating and the stock exchange, resource ‘haves’ and ‘wants’ are traded, sometimes leading to new business ventures.

Hume Council’s Business Efficiency Network (BEN) is developing a strong local network of businesses seeking opportunities to transform their businesses based on sustainability principles and collaboration. The recent Manufacturing Melbourne’s Future Forum heard how local businesses Futuris and Close the Loop combined to create new products from automotive industry ‘waste’. Using the UK NISP experience with local manufacturing and service providers, BEN has been successfully creating matches between ‘haves’ and ‘wants’. On a larger scale, the NISP model is being pursued as a potential national program in partnership with the Victorian Industrial Ecology network and interstate groups.

What is TZNE?

TZNE is an ambitious regional collaboration undertaken by NAGA members in northern metropolitan Melbourne to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions.

TZNE is the first attempt by a regional grouping to set a strategic direction based on data and world’s best practice.  The TZNE Plan was completed in mid 2009 and officially launched in April 2010 following its endorsement by all of its members. You can download a copy of the TZNE Plan Executive Summary.

TZNE was developed for NAGA by Arup in close consultation with the NAGA membership. Arup continues to provide advice and support to NAGA and its members through the implementation of TZNE. Thank you, Arup.

TZNE Year One review

A review of the first year of implementation of TZNE found that members believe that TZNE has made a great start. They also recognised that 2011 is a critical time for TZNE if it is to progress towards delivering on its promise of substantial emissions reduction.  For TZNE to maintain momentum, it must demonstrate it can deliver regional benefits at scale. A key objective of the several local pilot projects and innovative trials is to develop program models that can be scaled up for wider application. The importance of continuity, learning and building on past projects cannot be underestimated.

Actions arising from the review include an updated handbook to guide implementation, regular project reporting and information exchange to NAGA’s Executive and Steering Committee, and an annual review workshop.

Resourcing TZNE

Adequate resourcing to develop and implement projects remains a constant challenge. Sustainability Fund grants to deliver regional bulk purchasing of solar products, ‘Delivering Clean Energy Solutions’, and the extension of sustainability in planning processes across NAGA via STEPS/SDS, will accelerate activity in residential planning and householder engagement.  Both projects have the objective of continuing beyond the life of the grant funding.