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 energy saving projects
- implementing energy saving projects
- 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
- helping educate the UTAS community about energy consumption and ways to reduce it.
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.
Did you know?
- 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%. UTAS could save $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.
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.
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