Energy efficiency

Literature Review

2.
2a. Search the internet / use Australian Energy Update 2021 report to summarise the energy
consumption, energy production, sources of energy, per capita energy use, and per capita
carbon emission in Australian states. Please select a state base on your student ID number (ID
ending with 0-1, NSW; ID ending with 2-3, VIC; ID ending with 4-5, South Australia, ID
ending with 6-7, NT, ID ending with 8-9, QLD). (4%)

Australia’s energy consumption fell during 2021 – 2022 due to the spread of COVID19. The
average households.

Energy effi ciency in South Australia

The energy
Energy consumption Energy consumption per capita
consumption per
Energy intensity Energy productivity
capita continues to
3,092.6

3,092.5

2,924.8

2,886.1
2,771.3

decline since 2017

in South Australia
like energy
consumption. The
energy
consumption
figures declined
360.8

346.5
341.9
336.0

since 2016. The

323.4
323.2

323.4

321.3

312.7
294.1

193.5
188.7

183.3

176.6
170.6

energy intensity is
2 0 1 5 -1 6 2 0 1 6 -1 7 2 0 1 7 -1 8 2 0 1 8 -1 9 2 0 1 9 -2 0
high during 2015
– 2017 in South
Australia. The energy productivity exhibited a significant increase since 2015 – 2020 in
South Australia. (Energy Update 2021).
South Australia accounts for total 5% of greenhouse gas emission in Australia. Highest CO2
emission is observed in transport sector which is closely followed by agriculture. Energy
industries account for 17% of greenhouse gas emission. South Australia emitted 25.4 million
tons during 2022. The South Australian government have set goals to reduce the CO2
emission by 2030. Currently, they represent 31% reduction of emission levels from 2005.

2b. Compare the current renewable energy sources and production scenarios in your chosen
state with overall Australia. (3%)
The relationship between energy use and economic output is given as energy intensity or
inversely known as energy productivity. Energy production rose by 2 per cent in 2019–20 to
20,055 petajoules, mainly as a result of increased natural gas and oil production.
 Natural gas production grew by 8 per cent in 2019–20, underpinned by increased
production in the northwest for export as LNG.
 Coal seam gas accounted for around one-quarter of Australian gas production and over
two-thirds of eastern gas production in 2019–20.
 Crude oil and condensate production increased by 18 per cent in 2019–20, while naturally-
occurring LPG production grew by 48 per cent, mostly associated with the increased gas
production in the northwest.
 Black coal production fell by 2 per cent in 2019–20. Brown coal production fell by 4 per
cent, reflecting the longer term shift away from brown coal fired electricity generation.
Total electricity generation in Australia was steady in 2019–20 at 265 terawatt hours (955
petajoules). This figure includes industrial, rooftop solar PV and off-grid generation.
 About 16 per cent of Australia’s electricity was generated outside the electricity sector by
industry and households in 2019–20.
 Black and brown coal-fired electricity generation fell in 2019–20, by 7 percent and 2 per
cent respectively. Coal was 55 per cent of total generation in 2019–20 and fell further to 54
per cent in calendar year 2020.
 Natural gas-fired generation rose by 5 per cent in 2019–20, to 21 per cent of total
generation, easing to 20 per cent of total generation in calendar year 2020.
 Renewable generation increased 15 per cent in 2019–20, contributing 23 per cent of total
generation. This was mostly a result of a 42 per cent increase in solar generation and 15 per
cent increase in wind generation, with solar and wind each contributing 8 per cent of total
generation.
 Renewable generation grew further in calendar year 2020, to 24 per cent of total
generation. Australia last saw a renewables share of total generation this high in the mid-
1960s when the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme came progressively online.
 Solar PV, especially large scale solar PV, was the fastest growing generation type in both
2019–20 and the 2020 calendar year.
The Australian economy has shown lower energy intensity and higher energy productivity
over time, as economic growth in Australia over recent decades has generally outpaced
growth in energy consumption (Energy Update, 2021). This reflects cumulative
improvements in energy efficiency as well as a shift in the Australian economy away from
highly energy-intensive industries such as manufacturing towards less energy-intensive
industries such as services. Increased use of renewable energy instead of fossil fuels for
electricity generation has also had a positive impact on energy productivity. Energy
productivity improved by 2.7 per cent in 2019–20 and by 21 per cent over the past ten years.
Australia now creates $324 million in GDP for every petajoule of energy consumed, which is
over $50 million more than a decade ago. Put another way, Australia now uses 17 per cent
less energy per dollar of economic output than a decade ago. Australia also uses 11 per cent
less energy per person than a decade ago.

2c. Soft tools are very important to change the behaviour of the public. Develop a strategy to
reduce fossil fuels in your selected state using soft tools (financial, regulatory, and social).
Please use relevant news articles or references to validate your argument. (3%)

Social media apps are excellent tools to change the public behaviour and develop awareness
among the targeted South Australian population. Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are the
suitable platforms for promoting financial, regulatory and social awareness among the public.
Burning fossil fuels generates huge CO2 emission and contributes to the air pollution. Hence,
social media posts and videos can make huge difference. In an article published by the Drum
magazine, six million hectares of Australian soil was damaged in fires during the beginning
of 2020. In order to gain awareness, the photos and videos were virally shared in social media
platforms to take effective precautionary steps. The Facebook campaigning conducted by
comedian Celeste Barber raised more than 50 million dollars. Small local groups from
Facebook also did volunteering efforts for bushfire relief.

2d. What is greenwashing? Discuss the pros and cons of greenwashing using appropriate
examples of greenwashing. Please use relevant news articles or references to validate your
argument. (3%)
Greenwashing is the process of investing of time and money claiming to be green by
marketing rather than implementing go green strategies in the business activities that reduces
the environmental impact. “Buying green, saving green, acting green,” is the new mantra
hummed by numerous amounts of people in the world today. Becoming environmentally
conscious has grown to a state where everyone shames those who leave a light on when they
leave a room or when they leave the tap on a second too long when brushing their teeth. Can
abiding by these rules solve our never ending issue of climate change? An overwhelming no
can arise from that. Green consumers these small acts are enough to reach their goal of
helping slow down the end of the world, although it may be the reason climate change is
getting worse.

Many who choose to buy green are distracted from the large corporations who fabricate
“ecofriendly” products so that they are able to make a large profit. “One can almost imagine
the big energy companies secretly applauding each time we distract ourselves from the big
picture with a hectoring list of’5 Easy Ways to Green Your Office. ” (Tidwell) Green
consumerism will enable the continuation of climate change because it blinds consumers of
the large corporations who pollute the most. Nearly everyone who has a chance to be a green
consumer in the past decade has become one.

A green consumer is someone who invests their money into items that will not cause
anymore damage to the environment in comparison to nonecofriendly products, an example
of this is someone buying an electric or hybrid car instead of one that runs off gasoline.
Though, with green consumerism comes with greenwashing, which is uncommon but it still
has its occurrences. Greenwashing is when businesses sell a product that is considered green
or eco-friendly, but it truthfully is extremely hazardous towards the environment. Before the
2015 lawsuit n car emissions against Volkswagen, their cars were considered a better choice
in automotive transportation because the emissions released into the atmosphere were said to
contain less toxins, when in reality Volkswagen’s emissions were just as bad as any other
diesel vehicle. Looking at corporations like Volkswagen, many people are able to see the
effects of greenwashing and the fallacies that may hide behind green consumerism. Those
who consider themselves green consumers should already view climate change as a moral
issue that needs to be acted upon as such, especially by those who pollute the most in the
society.

Those who represent the majority of green consumers are most likely using green products so
that there is a chance that there is a world left for future generations to inhabit. Mandating
how many emissions big polluters can freely release into the atmosphere is where we need to
start. “Instead, most people want carbon reductions to be mandated by laws that will allow us
to share both the responsibilities and the benefits of change. ” (Tidwell) The reality behind
saving the planet is that nothing will authentically get done without laws holding back those
who are damaging the most.

Green consumers taking action against these corporations is the first step in slowing down
climate change. Green consumers who choose to spend their time checking leaking faucets
and double-checking to make sure they bought laundry pods that are “phosphate-free” and
“certified biodegradable” are blinded by the misconceptions of ecofriendly products. These
consumers feel as if they are doing enough towards their part in solving climate change with
these small tasks, when they are truly not doing enough at all.
Green consumers should feel obligated to help regulate big corporations: “Everyone who is
aware of the enormity of the climate crisis still has a responsibility to make all the changes
possible in their personal lives. ” (Tidwell) People who consider themselves
environmentalists need not only to buy environmentally friendly things, but also to change
everything they consider harmful. If those most in a position to help the environment are
distracted from the bigger picture, less will be done to stop the incessant pollution by big
corporations.

Admittedly, green consumers can stop climate change by proactively using green products
and helping to pass legislation to minimize emissions. However, if green consumers choose
to do so, they must ensure that the green products they use are green. Even when large
corporations claim that their products are environmentally sustainable, those who consistently
purchase green products are still distracted by how those products are made

3. Analysis of Energy Efficiency for household:

3a. Describe the location/position of your selected households. Provide a sketch

similar to the one provided in the workshop handout (hand drawn sketch is fine). (2%)
The household chosen for this study is a home located near Carrington street, south
Adelaide, Australia. It has three bedrooms, one kitchen, one hall and 1 car.

3b. Quantify all the energy-consuming devices in the households. Also includes car,
cooktop and AC energy consumption. Calculate the annual energy consumption (in
KWh) and CO2 emission (metric ton - CO 2 equivalent) for your case in a Tabular
form. Show all calculations and diagrams of the households. Please use relevant
online information for cost/ energy-consuming devices to validate your argument
(6%)

A typical hostel have all types of household electrical equipment that consumes
energy. The Co2 emission was calculated using the online tool Genless which was
developed by EECA, New Zealand.
Load Rating Usage Quantity Annual CO2
(W) (hrs/day) energy emission
consumption
fan 80 14 1120 350400 45.10
Tube light 40 7 280 102200 13.15
Geyser 3000 4 12000 4380000 563.17
Heater 1000 4 4000 1460000 187.90
Water cooler 1700 3 51000 18615000 2395.75
Air 3100 5 15500 5657500 622.78
conditioner
Laptop 70 10 700 255500 32.88
Exhaust fan 160 6 960 350400 45.10
Cook top 100 5 500 182500 23.49
Phone charger 5 2 10 3650 0.47
Car 30 2 60 21900 2.82
Halogen lamp 1000 10 10000 3650000 469.75

No of people = 1 + (4/2) = 3
Travel by car = 3x 5 = 15 km per day
Average car travel per week = 3 x 11 = 33 km
Petrol usage = 8 + 3 x 0.4 = 9.2
The cost of petrol is $1.2L
Cook top and heat water usage
 Gas usage energy = 90 + 3x5 = 90 + 15 = 105 MJ per day
The energy usage is 4.05 c/MJ
AC consumption = 2500 + 200 x 3 = 2500 + 600 = 3100 W

3c. Identify all relevant information regarding possible alternatives and identify
opportunities to reduce energy consumption. For this, use especially CO2 emission
and cost of the devices and compare them in the tabular form. (4%)

Climate change is one of the greatest crisis faced by the humanity. Conducting a
regular energy audit in hostels would be ideal way to identify the waste of energy.
The incandescent lights should be replaced with LED lights and lamps to reduce the
energy consumption nearly 25% in the hostel. It is most preferable than CFL bulb
which emits 80% heat since it contains mercury. Switching off all kinds of electrical
appliances when not used is the best strategy to reduce the energy consumption. There
are 50 rooms in the hostel and hence, switching off the fans, lights and other
appliances could possibly make a great difference in reducing power consumption.
The water heater or geyser should be maintained at the temperature less than 120
degree C. It can save 550 pounds of CO2 emission per annum. Installation of low
flow shower head also reduces the flow of hot water and reduce 350 pounds of CO2
emission. Reducing the usage of Air conditioner or thermostat will reduce the
electricity consumption of the hostel. Using electrical appliances from certified green
energy clean energy will further reduce the CO2 emission. Installation of CO2
monitor is another strategy to monitor and track the emission levels within the hostel
settings.

3d. Perform the cost-benefit analysis (real payback period with 15% per annum
interest; id ending with odd number and simple payback id ending with even number)
for two improvement options. Please attach excel or a sample calculation sheet in the
answer script. (4%)

LCC analysis for the 20 W LED tube replacing Philips 36 W fluorescent tube.

Variables Value Unit

LED-wattage 20 Watts
LED-single unit cost AUD60.00 Ringgit
Existing light-wattage 36 Watts
Existing light-single unit cost AUD10.00 Ringgit
Number of lamps 8751 Lamp(s)
Running time per day 8 Hours
Operational days (per year) 260 Days
Cost of energy/kWh AUD0.39 Ringgit

Calculations Existing system LED

 Electrical costs    
 Electrical load of lamp(s) 315036 175020
 Running time per year 2080 2080
 Energy consumed per year (kWh) 655274.88 364041.6
 Electrical demand saving (kWh) 0 291233.28
 Total cost of energy (per year) AUD257,523.03 AUD143,068.35
 Saving the electrical fees (per year) AUD0.00 AUD114,454.68
Capital requirements    
 Purchase requirements Cost AUD87,510.00 AUD525,060.00
 Installation cost per unit AUD2.00 AUD1.00
 Installation costs AUD17,502.00 AUD8,751.00
 Total capital investment requirements AUD105,012.00 AUD533,811.00
 Net investment requirement AUD0.00 AUD428,799.00
Maintenance requirements    
 Life time of lamp (operating hours) 15000 50000
 Replacements required (per year) 1213.47 364.04
 Replacement costs (per year) AUD12,134.72 AUD21,842.50
 Installation cost per new unit AUD2.00 AUD1.00
 Maintenance costs (per year) AUD2,426.94 AUD364.04
 Total maintenance costs (per year) AUD14,561.66 AUD22,206.54
 Saving maintenance (per year) AUD0.00 −AUD7,644.87
ROI results    
 Total operating cost (per year) AUD272,084.69 AUD165,274.89
 Total savings first year AUD0.00 AUD106,809.81
 Saving the electrical fees + savings
maintenance
 Payback period in years n/a 4.01
 Time to payback capital requirement cost
 LED return on investment (ROI) over 15 years AUD0.00 AUD534,287.05
 

3e. Conclude the best option of the two in (g). Provide reasoning (i.e., in teAUDs of
energy efficiency, cost, environmental benefit, % reduction in per-capita CO 2
emission and energy consumption) (2%)
The best option is the replacement of LED instead of CFL bulbs in the hostel settings.
The return on investment is 534,287.05. The payback period is

3f. References and formatting of the report (Provide in-text citation in the report)
(1%)
1. Trifunovic, J. Mikulovic, Z. Djurisic, M. Djuric, and M. Kostic, M. 2009, “Reductions in
electricity consumption and power demand in case of the mass use of compact fluorescent
lamps,” Energy, vol. 34, no. 9, pp. 1355–1363. View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
2. Ma, P. Cooper, D. Daly, and Ledo, L. 2012, “Existing building retrofits: methodology and
state-of-the-art,” Energy and Buildings, vol. 55, pp. 889–902. View at: Publisher
Site | Google Scholar
3. Lee, A. 2000, “Verification of electrical energy savings for lighting retrofits using short- and
long-term monitoring,” Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 41, no. 18, pp. 1999–2008.
View at: Publisher Site | Google Scholar
4. Caicedo, A., and Leus, J. 2011, “Occupancy-based illumination control of LED lighting
systems,” Lighting Research and Technology, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 217–234.
5. Drum. 2020, Social Media as a Force of Good, The case of Australian Bush Fires, Available
online: Social Media As A Force For Good: The Case Of Australian Bushfires | The Drum
6.