Energy Saving News
Australian Standards and Awards for Business Energy Efficiency
AN Australian National Energy Savings Scheme is likely to provide a combination of energy efficiency standards and financial rewards for businesses that make long term investments to cut their power use.
Rob Murray-Leach, Chief Executive of the Australian Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) said,
''Our position is that a national energy efficiency target should be reducing energy demand by 20 per cent below business as usual levels by 2020."
“A national scheme would handle part of that, but then you have to look at mandatory standards for commercial buildings and a range of other measures too.''
The EEC stated in a recent report that the top 200 companies in Australia use almost twice as much power as all households put together, and improving their energy use by 1% would slash emissions and save over $2 billion a year.
Any scheme put in place will only reward companies that make significant and longer-term investments in using less power, Murray-Leach added.
Plans are being considered by the Australian federal cabinet today that would also result in energy companies being forced to find ways of using power more intelligently, and some therefore being compelled to sell less electricity.
Energy retailers in Australia are at present considering the various combinations of schemes and options that would be given to them under a national energy saving scheme.
Tuesday 13th July 2010
