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'Green lease' scheme mooted in second stage national energy efficiency push

Federal and state energy officials today proposed new energy efficiency programs including a ‘green lease’ scheme for all major new and refurbished government buildings.

The measures are set out in a consultation paper on a proposed stage two of the national framework for energy efficiency. Officials reporting to federal, state and territory energy ministers released the paper and expect to submit the final version to ministers later this year. The paper also sets out the achievements of stage one, which began in December 2004 and runs through to the end of June next year.

The green lease scheme would involve adopting nationally consistent energy performance standards and green leasing requirements for all buildings larger than 2,000m2 leased or owned by governments. The requirement would kick in from 2009-10. The scheme would also encourage greater take-up of green leases in the commercial office sector.

Stage two would also include a 10-year strategy to improve the energy performance of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The paper says HVAC systems consume 9% of electricity generated in Australia and account for between 40% and 60% of all energy used in non-residential buildings. It proposes developing standards for chillers, standardising qualifications for people working with HVAC systems and creating nationally consistent documentation and data capture systems. The strategy aims to improve the efficiency of installed HVAC systems by 20% over 10 years. This would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (4Mt CO2e) a year, it says.

Other proposed new measures are:

  • developing minimum energy performance standards for an expanded range of products, including home entertainment equipment and computers;
  • establishing a national water heater strategy that would include national greenhouse gas performance requirements for water heaters in new homes and major renovations; and
  • phasing out incandescent lighting, as flagged in February this year by federal environment minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The paper says stage one measures are on track to deliver major economic and energy savings. By 2015 stage one programs will deliver net GDP benefits of $380 million a year and energy savings of 42 petajoules a year, it says. They will also be abating greenhouse gas emissions by 7.8Mt CO2e a year. Stage one has included introducing minimum energy efficiency standards for new buildings, setting minimum energy performance standards for various appliances and introducing the federal Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act, which obliges large energy users to audit and report on their energy use.

A briefing on the phase two proposals will be held at the Hilton Melbourne Airport on September 25. Public comment closes the same day. Submissions and bookings should go to E2WGSecretariat@industry.gov.au.

Consultation Paper National Framework For Energy Efficiency: Stage Two (MCE Standing Committee of Officials, September 4, 2007)

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