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Energetic about savings

Energy costs in large organisations like Councils can be a serious drain on budgets, as well as having long term effects on the environment.

With many large organisations, private or public, it is often difficult to monitor where major energy use is occurring and how to achieve greater efficiency. Yet, Melville Council in Western Australia has successfully implemented a radical Energy Management Program in its Learning Recreation Centre.

The program aimed to record, monitor and evaluate total energy use in the Centre with a target of reducing energy use by five percent within the first year. Planning began in late 1992 with clear objectives and goals being established. These were put in place in three stages.

Stage one involved informing, educating and encouraging staff about the goals of the program and benefits that could be achieved through better energy management. Stage two involved a total energy audit and a minor capital outlay of $2,000.

Stage three required a larger capital investment with the installation of a solar hot water system, an electric boiler and a computerised building management system to complete the Program.

Since the final stage was implemented in December 1995, energy consumption has been reduced by 20 percent. This translates in dollar terms of savings for Council of $30,000 per annum on an ongoing basis.

For further information contact Deirdre Rebeira, Media Officer, telephone (09) 364 0234.

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