The Nexus Between Water and Energy 2014-2015
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The Nexus Between Water and Energy 2014-2015 THE NEXUS BETWEEN WATER AND ENERGY | i Executive Summary Central NSW Councils (Centroc) received particularly where this would benefit low In line with CEEP2 objectives the Nexus funding under the Australian socio-economic and other disadvantaged between Water and Energy Program also Government’s Community Energy communities or support energy efficiency aimed to deliver the following benefits: Efficiency Program (CEEP) Round 2 for 14 in regional and rural councils. increased embedment of energy Councils participating in the Centroc efficiency programing in Centroc Nexus between Water and Energy CEEP2 Objective 2: Demonstrate and member councils. Program. encourage the adoption of improved reduced energy costs for Centroc energy management practices within members and their communities. The purpose of this report is to provide an councils, organisations and the broader increased awareness and capability to overview of the Nexus between Water community. adopt energy efficiency practices and Energy Program (the Program), its throughout Centroc member Councils objectives, the energy efficiency The Nexus between Water and Energy and their communities. achievements and recommendations to Program’s corresponding objectives were reduced greenhouse gas emissions and the Australian Government and the to: a positive contribution to regional Centroc Board resulting from the Program 1. increase the energy efficiency of a climate adaption. delivery. range of Council assets across 14 councils by an average of at least 15%; Program Summary Through the collaborative efforts of the 2. Install a variety of energy efficiency national award winning Centroc Water products across the region to Through the Centroc Water Utilities Utilities Alliance, Centroc has successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of a Alliance fourteen Centroc member implemented this complex regional variety of technologies to our Councils participated in a program of program on time and within budget in the members, communities and beyond works aimed at increasing the energy context of the challenges of the reform of our borders; efficiency of water and waste water pump the Local Government sector in NSW. 3. Build on work undertaken in the region stations and filtration plants at 30 sites through the CEEP Round 1 Learning across the Local Government Areas of Objectives of CEEP2 and the Nexus and Sharing Energy Efficiency Program Blayney, Bathurst, Boorowa, Cabonne, between Water and Energy in revolving energy savings funds; Cowra, Forbes, Harden, Lithgow, Oberon, 4. Build capacity in the region and be Orange, Parkes, Upper Lachlan, Weddin, CEEP2 objectives that the Program implementation ready for further and Young. programming in the Nexus between aimes to meet are: Water and Energy; and The types of activities undertaken 5. Promote energy efficiency to our included: CEEP2 Objective 1: Support a range of members and communities through local councils and community Improving the energy efficiency of communication of program activities water and sewer systems through organisations to increase the energy and outcomes through traditional and efficiency of different types of non- repairs to inhibit system infiltration on-line media. and leakage and reduce the pump residential council and community-use buildings, facilities and lighting; load; Improving motor efficiency on sewer/ THE NEXUS BETWEEN WATER AND ENERGY | ii water pumps through installation of Outcomes and Benefits to Councils efficiency improvement calculations, in variable speed drives (VSD’s); line with the requirements for funding, and their Communities Level 2 Energy Audit of a water assumed that the inflow to the sites treatment plant; The outcomes included in this report correlated to the energy used at those Implementation of revolving energy relate to what has been able to be sites with the energy efficiency and inflow funds to secure cost savings from measured in the timeframe for the at each site analysed. energy efficiency programming for funding with increased results anticipated future works; and over time. At least 12 months is needed to To provide another level of information Development of a Water Loss enable data collection and analysis. The for further use, Centroc measured the Management Toolkit that targets report details issues relating to the actual energy usage per site and actual reduction in energy use as a priority in monitoring of results. cost savings. This has informed advice on water management. site specific issues relating to: To date the Nexus between Water and Measurement Communications Energy Program has achieved an 8% Timeframes increase in energy efficiency across 18 of Variables e.g. The progress and results of the Nexus the 27 sites where energy efficiency was - Energy usage of other on-site between Water and Energy Program were analysed. infrastructure communicated to key stakeholders in a - treatment processes variety of ways. These included: At these 18 sites the total energy - population increase Centroc’s website and Blog consumption reduced from 5557MWh per - climate /rainfall. Social Media – Twitter and Facebook annum to 5100MWh per annum, a Council Newsletters decrease of 457MWh per annum. The The factors impacting analysis detailed in Inserts in Council Rates Notices total cost savings at these sites is the site specific templates included in the Presentations at Conferences (NSW estimated to be around $70,000 per report provide a solid platform for future Water Industry Operators Conference) annum and are expected to increase over programming, auditing and strategies Presentations to Councils, Water time. This is more than double the going forward to improve energy Utilities Alliances, ROC Executives estimated savings for these sites. efficiency across the Central NSW region Reports to Councils, Centroc GMAC, in the area of water management. Centroc Board and the CWUA. Of the 27 sites, 19 sites experienced a reduction in the volume of inflow (ML) to Capacity has been built amongst our These communication methods allowed the site. The total inflow at these sites Councils in terms of their understanding Councils and their communities to be reduced from 25021 ML per annum to of the impact that efficient management informed of the progress of the Program 20369 ML per annum, a decrease of 19% of water and waste water systems has on and how energy efficiency measures were or 4652 ML per annum. energy usage and associated costs. The implemented. benefit of this to Councils and their An important consideration in relation to communities is an immeasurable outcome analysis of the outcomes is that the of this program. methodology proposed for the energy THE NEXUS BETWEEN WATER AND ENERGY | iii Project Management site specific issues with a view to inherent in its operations, consider scoping further regional programming regional funding rounds that are more The Nexus between Water and Energy including: outcomes focused for Local Program was a regional project managed - Implementation of a regional Government and less focused on by Centroc on behalf of the fourteen manhole rehabilitation program milestone reporting. Should this be participating member Councils. - Roll out of the Regional Water Loss achieved it is recommended that: Management Program; and appropriate risk management Management of this regional project by - Improvements to the measurement controls be put in place; and Centroc enabled the Australian and monitoring of energy usage. frequent tailored quality stops Government to provide funding to Through the Centroc Regional are included in Project Plans multiple Councils for multiple energy Directors of Corporate Services review particularly for complex regional efficient activities without having to energy system requirements and program with multiple activities manage the multitude of risks associated resourcing within each Council in and stakeholders. with a large project. relation to the implementation of Review amount attributed to Revolving Energy Funds. administrative support for regional As an organisation, Centroc is focused on programs to recognise the greater project management at a regional level It is Centroc’s recommendation that the amount of resourcing required. and while well experienced to undertake Australian Government: Maximize the growth in capacity and a project of this magnitude, there were Continue funding energy efficient understanding of the operating many lessons learned from difficulties programs for Local Government giving environment of Local Government of encountered in the delivery of this consideration to the timeframes for CEEP Case Managers. Program that can inform process pre and post project work needed to Recognise that the same logo and improvement. verify energy efficiency gains. branding for the life of the program is Consider incremental process preferable to communicating a clear, Recommendations improvement of the funding model for consistent and positive message about energy efficiency programming going the program and its activities. Key observations relating to the forward. management of a regional program of this Utilise Local Government regionally to magnitude involving multiple stakeholder achieve results from a broader base and multiple activities across 30 sites has with less risk/work at the Australian resulted in the following Government level for project recommendations. management. Consider a separate funding stream It is recommended