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Energy and Greenhouse Gases

UTAS Home ›  › Commercial Services & Development › Sustainability  › Energy and Greenhouse Gases

The University is committed to minimising wasteful energy consumption. UTAS reports its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007.

Energy consumption cost the University around $5.7 million in 2011. Electricity usage contributed to approximately 90% of this energy cost. This is equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 4400 Tasmanian homes.

Energy management at UTAS

Energy management is aimed at reducing UTAS' energy consumption costs through strategies, systems, procurement and development.

Some of the common tasks and services provided by energy managers are:

  • collating and analysis of energy data
  • developing and implementing energy saving projects
  • implementing procedures and policies to help save energy 
  • developing procedures and policies to help save energy
  • monitoring  buildings and systems to ensure efficient operation
  • providing technical review, advice and briefing for construction projects on campus
  • liaising with the energy retail companies.

Some of the energy and green house gas saving activities undertaken as part of implementing the UTAS Environmental Management Plan 2009-2011 include:

  • energy performance contracts including building management and control systems upgrades
  • LPG and diesel fuel source replacements with natural gas
  • conducting energy challenges and competitions
  • undertaking energy audits of a number of buildings
  • participation in Earth Hour
  • development of standardised energy displays
  • annual building level energy reporting.

 

UTAS overall energy and greenhouse gas profile for 2012 calendar year

View the overall energy profile for UTAS for 212 (PDF 83KB). From this graph, it is evident that electricity is the largest energy use and emission source for UTAS.

UTAS building performance data

Through spatial data, asset data and metering the University is able to broadly benchmark and monitor the energy performance of its buildings.

The 2011 UTAS energy benchmarking summary report (PDF 85.1KB) provides comparative and historical data. Building codes in the benchmarking summary report are from the Archibus system and are used in SISfm also.

  • 'Fully captured' denotes if a building¡¯s energy consumption has been fully captured or not, as some are served by unmetered supplies or by central heating systems.
  • The Green Star benchmark is derived from the Green Star Education V1 rating tool and spatial data.
  • Energy density is based on the usable floor area of the building.
  • N/A has been used where no historical values are available or sufficient spatial data.

Transport emissions

Transport activities are covered under both Scope 1 and 2 emissions and are thus reportable under NGERS. Building level reporting of energy consumption has been detailed for a number of buildings since 2010 and benchmarking added by means of energy density and application of base energy consumption levels from the GBCA, Green Star Education rating tool.

Transport performance, history

The University has approximately 150 fleet vehicles with a current asset cost of $4.3 million. There are some leased executive vehicles, which are not the responsibility of UTAS Vehicle Fleet management and are not included in the asset cost or fuel consumption data. The reductions in petrol use shown in the figure below have been attributed to a shift to smaller, more efficient vehicles. The figure highlights petrol as the most used liquid transport fuel in the UTAS vehicle fleet.

Top 6 petroleum categories

UTAS top six petroleum consumption categories

Waste emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from waste management activities are covered under the NGERS Scope 3 category. While not legally required to report Scope 3 emissions under NGERS, UTAS will work to establish baselines and determine how this emission source is best tracked into the future for possible legal requirements as well as being able to consider this emission source in any carbon neutral goal setting. It should be noted that reporting requirements to support this have been included in the scope of work for the proposed state-wide waste service.

What can you do?

  • Lighting is responsible for about 20% of a university¡¯s energy consumption. Switch off lights and appliances when not required and help reduce light energy consumption by 10%, which could save UTAS $100,000 per year.
  • Switching off computer monitors switched when they are idle may save as much energy as it takes to power 24 Tasmanian homes for one year.
  • Printers and photocopiers may sit idle for 95% of the time. Activating energy save mode rather than standby mode on just one printer or copier over a year could reduce energy consumption equivalent to a return trip by car from Hobart to Launceston.
  • Reducing heating by one degree Celsius in winter across our campuses could easily save enough energy to power the whole of the Inveresk campus or the Centre of Art campus for one year.
  • Laboratory freezers are big energy users. Setting ultra-low temperature freezers to higher temperatures than -80¢ªC (when possible) would considerably reduce energy consumption. Electricity use doubles going from -60¢ªC to -86¢ªC; standard freezers save about 75% of energy over ultra-low temperature storage.
  • By taking some simple actions, like turning off lights, printers, appliances and computer monitors when not in use, staff and students can make a difference to the energy consumption of UTAS buildings. Every kilowatt counts.

By taking some simple actions, like turning off lights, printers, appliances and computer monitors when not in use, staff and students can make a difference to the energy consumption of UTAS buildings. Every kilowatt counts.

More information

Contact

For more information on energy, contact energy.utas@utas.edu.au and for greenhouse gases, contact carbon.utas@utas.edu.au.