Managing Energy in Local Government
Prepared for the Australian Greenhouse Office, 1999
About the workbook
This workbook will help you reduce greenhouse gas emissions through improving the energy efficiency of Council operations. It's designed to be useful and informative rather than prescriptive-to give you plenty of ideas and starting points rather than provide all the answers. See it as an evolving resource, a place you can collect all the extra information you're sure to come across as you move through the Cities for Climate Protection Australia program. The potential for sharing information is one of the key benefits of participating in the CCP Australia campaign and this workbook is only the beginning.
The workbook covers energy use by Councils, except transport energy. It does not cover greenhouse gas emissions related to materials or waste management; nor does it deal with the effects of Council activities on the energy consumption of the local community.
There are five sections: an introductory background section, three sets of information sheets, and a supplementary section to help you with calculations. The information sheets are a kind of toolkit of useful ideas, facts and figures to help you where you need it. You don't have to read all of them at once-you can sort through them and pick out the particular tools you want, depending on the job.
Section 1: Background
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This section is for all readers and is designed to be read right through. It describes the Cities for Climate ProtectionTM Australia campaign and introduces the relationship between improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Section 2: Council Sheets
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This section covers the operational groups found in most local government organisations. Within each local government organisation, there are a number of separate management or operational groups with specialist roles. Each group can potentially contribute to the organisational objective of improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, failure to gain active involvement of key groups can undermine success.
Initially, it may not be obvious how some Council operations influence greenhouse gas emissions-for example, a legal officer who drafts leases and contracts is not obviously using large amounts of energy. But the clauses in those leases and contracts can have long-term effects on levels of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the activities covered.
This section includes a series of information sheets for operational groups found in most local government organisations. Each sheet contains ideas to help you identify major influences on greenhouse gas emissions, and develop appropriate measures that can be incorporated into your energy management strategies and action plan.
Section 3: Strategy Sheets
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Information sheets that will help you harness your Council's normal business processes to maximise the effectiveness of your participation in the CCP campaign.
Section 4: Energy Sheets
These information sheets will help you maximise the benefits of an energy efficiency program to your Council. These extend beyond the obvious benefits of lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs.
The benefits of a well planned and managed energy efficiency program include:
- lower greenhouse gas emissions;
- lower energy consumption and costs;
- greater control over energy costs and greater confidence in estimating future energy costs;
- lower non-energy costs (for example, of consumables such as fluorescent lamps, due to their extended life);
- higher quality of energy services delivered, such as lighting and airconditioning (and hence a better working environment for staff and clients);
- higher productivity;
- reduced capital costs.
Section 5: Tools
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