ENERGY

Get your carbon diet on track: 5 steps to carbon reporting

– Barbara Nebel, CEO thinkstep-anz Is reducing your carbon emissions on your list of New Year’s resolutions? Want to put your business on a carbon diet, but not sure how? Whether you are new to carbon measurement or looking to make an ambitious pledge to further reduce your emissions, the following five steps offer inspiration for tackling your carbon in 2021. This can be taken as a step-by-step guide or a reference for your company’s next carbon initiative. The reality is that reducing your carbon emissions is no longer an option — it’s as essential to a healthy planet as good nutrition is to a healthy body. The 2015 Paris agreement united 195 of the world’s governments in committing to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. At thinkstep-anz, we believe the actions of businesses will be instrumental to achieving this goal. Keep in mind that the carbon strategy you choose will depend on your business goals and who you share your carbon reduction plan with. 1. Start with a no-frills approach If you are new to this, we recommend starting with a no-frills approach. Internal carbon reporting should be your first step. Focus on aligning the actions you take with your organisation’s values and be carbon conscious. At the early stages, there is no need to communicate externally, nor is it necessary to get your targets externally verified or reviewed. However, it is always a good idea to follow best practice and get guidance from internationally recognised standards. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) provides the most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards in the world. 2. Demonstrate best practice If you want to gain some recognition, stand out among your peers for your carbon reporting, or even fulfil a membership requirement, you will need to demonstrate best […]

Solar giant Q CELLS enters New Zealand market

Globally renowned solar technology leader and total energy solutions provider, Q CELLS, is entering the New Zealand energy market for the first time in response to local demand for its high-quality, affordable products. The move comes as New Zealand establishes itself as one of the most exciting emerging renewable power markets in the world, reflecting the country’s strong commitment to a more sustainable future. According to state-owned energy supplier Transpower, over the next five years to 2025 New Zealand’s solar market is expected to more than double, making up 0.5% of the Country’s total power output. With New Zealand’s commitment to being carbon-neutral by 2050, household solar power is expected to play a key role in helping the country achieve its ambitious target. Established in Germany in 1999, Q CELLS is amongst the oldest and most well-known solar manufacturers in the world. The company is internationally recognised as a key player in solar panel innovation that focuses on high-quality, and is expanding its business area into integrated energy solutions. Part of Hanwha Group, Fortune Global 500 Company and the 7th largest conglomerate in South Korea, Q CELLS maintains its Technology and Innovations Headquarters in Germany with manufacturing facilities operating in the USA, Korea, Malaysia, and China. The first New Zealand solar installer to join Q CELLS’ Q.Partner program, a preferred network of vetted and trained Q CELLS suppliers, and be officially recognised as a supplier of Q CELLS solutions is Think Solar, comprising Wanaka Solar, Queenstown Solar and Dunedin Solar. Q CELLS is a leading supplier for residential and commercial solar in Germany, the USA, South Korea and Japan, where it is trusted for the quality of its manufacturing and is renowned for its research and development expertise. Mr Bae said that the partnership with Think Solar reflected Q CELLS […]

The Interview: Greg Kushnir, Founder, Emrod

Greg Kushnir. How are you finding current business conditions?Challenging. But there’s really only two things one can do about it. Complain (which doesn’t help much) or get busy doing whatever possible to persevere. We have been very busy all through the Covid-19 turmoil and actually hired additional staff during lockdown. Do you believe that through adversity opportunities exist?Competition is important and so is having an incentive to those who “win” it. It provides the sense of urgency which is essential for turning a good idea into a great start-up. This virus is not going to go anywhere soon. Has Covid impacted on your business plans? It has, unfortunately. It’s rather hard to build things like electronic systems and antennas if you can’t access your lab and test facilities. We have also suffered from delays in supply of components from overseas. But we have been luckier than most and I’m very grateful to be living in a country that has dealt with Covid so well. We have colleagues and friends overseas that have been under lockdown for months now. My heart goes to them. I wish we could do more to help those who have been less fortunate in dealing with the pandemic. Is your company utilising government financial assistance? We are. We have been utilising an R&D grant from Callahan Innovation. It would have been very hard to get to where we are without the consistent support we have been receiving from Callahan Innovation which extends far beyond the financial support. What are your short and long term plans for Emrod ? Develop deep IP in New Zealand and make sure we are providing maximum value to Kiwi employees and investors. In the short term we will be developing and delivering wireless power systems to electricity distribution companies. I would […]

Funding boost for UC research on airborne microplastics

Could microplastics in the atmosphere play a role in climate change UC atmospheric chemist Dr Laura Revell is leading an investigation into this important question, with the support of a $300,000 Fast-Start grant from the 2019 Marsden Fund Te Pūtea Rangahau. In July 2019, a new report by the Royal Society Te Apārangi highlighted the issue of waste plastics in Aotearoa, noting that the amount of plastic produced each year has doubled over the last 20 years and is still growing rapidly. Less than 20 per cent of the waste plastic generated each year is recycled worldwide. Much of this plastic waste piles up in landfills or the natural environment and, as it breaks down, produces microplastics that contaminate waterways, oceans and land. Some also becomes airborne, with microplastics having recently been discovered over several of the world’s megacities as well as in several remote environments throughout the northern hemisphere. Dr Revell, a lecturer in environmental physics, is leading a team looking into what role these airborne microplastics could be playing in climate change. The endeavour has attracted a Marsden Fund Fast-Start grant, awarded to select world-class standard projects by emerging researchers. Joining Dr Revell on the collaborative project are associate investigators Associate Professor Sally Gaw (UC), Professor Eric Le Ru (Victoria University of Wellington) and Dr Andrea Stenke (ETH Zürich). The project’s mentor is UC chemistry researcher Dr Deborah Crittenden. The discovery of atmospheric microplastics is still so recent that it is not known whether they significantly influence Earth’s climate or not. “However, given that they are now being discovered in the atmosphere around the world and that their abundance is expected to increase in future, it is important to understand the role of microplastics in a changing climate,” Dr Revell says. By combining observational work, laboratory investigations and […]

This is what we can really do about climate change

Despite efforts to achieve net-zero by 2050, global emissions are still rising. A new study suggests ways to fast-track efforts to decarbonise the planet. Building a business case for sustainable energy could drive the transition. It’s not too late to stop climate change. According to new research, decarbonising fast enough to stabilise the climate and fast-track the planet to net-zero rests on all of us changing how we think and act – and doing it fast. The report, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS), identifies six “tipping dynamics”, or interventions, that could act as catalysts to bring about rapid societal and technological change towards a sustainable future. The study highlights the importance of intervening to make fossil fuels less economically – and morally – attractive. A step-change of this kind could bring about tipping points that divert investment and consumer demand away from fossil fuels towards more sustainable energy sources. It says this can be done by: Removing fossil-fuel subsidies and boosting incentives to move to decentralised energy systems and make clean energy production and storage systems more economically competitive. Encouraging financial markets to divest of assets linked to fossil fuels, to divert investment towards less-polluting technologies, leaving investors keen to avoid the prospect of holding ‘stranded assets’ tied to fossil fuels. Building sustainable cities powered by renewable energy. Revealing the “moral implications” of fossil fuels. Disclosing greenhouse gas emissions information. Strengthening climate education and engagement. While awareness of the climate emergency is growing, global efforts to reduce carbon emissions are not moving fast enough to avoid irreversible damage to the planet. Moving from the fossil fuels that drive global warming to cleaner energy sources, such as wind or solar power, is at the heart of global efforts to decarbonize. Yet emissions […]

5G is about to change the world in ways we can’t even imagine yet

Blue sky thinking: We don’t yet know what wave of change 5G will create. 5G networks were rolled out in 2019 and will expand rapidly in 2020. 5G will connect everything and everyone. 5G will underpin remote surgery, self-driving cars – and movies you can download in seconds. We live in a time when words meant to represent significant or unique ideas are so overused, they have been trivialised. “Revolutionary” is such a word, a victim of hyperbolic marketing that has rendered meaningless a term meant to evoke profound change to our world. When everything is “revolutionary,” nothing is. Yet here I am, unable to find an alternative as comprehensively descriptive of 5G and the infinite number of ways the newest generation of wireless technology will change our world. In fact, the revolution has already begun. The global deployment of 5G networks got a running start in 2019 and is set to rapidly expand beyond anything we expected a year ago. But the public understanding of 5G hasn’t caught up. While 3G put the mobile Internet in your hand and 4G gave us mobile broadband – redefining how we interact with our world – 5G will connect everything and everyone. The technologies within 5G were and continue to be designed to vastly expand network capacity so cars, utility grids, appliances, medical devices, industrial machinery, homes, cities, farms and more can all be connected. And 5G will reduce delays and improve reliability, thereby enabling mission-critical tasks such as remote surgery, self-driving cars and enhanced public safety, to make possible secure connections so lightning-fast that an entire movie can be downloaded in seconds. The faster smartphones and always-connected personal computers that consumers are already using on the initial 5G networks are just a hint of the transformations to come. While 3G and 4G technology were designed to […]

Renewable energy skills from Canterbury to benefit Bhutan

New Zealand expertise in renewable energy will be put to good use in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan when a University of Canterbury (UC) engineering student returns to her homeland. Sonam Zam is a new graduate of UC’s Master of Engineering Studies (Renewable Energy) programme in the Civil and Natural Resources Engineering department. Her travel to Christchurch and study at UC was funded through a New Zealand Scholarship provided by the New Zealand Government. The scholarships are aimed at providing tertiary students with vital skills and knowledge to promote development in their home country. Sonam, who graduated top of her 2012 civil engineering class in Bhutan, says she has learnt a huge amount from the UC master’s degree which will have practical application when she returns to her role at the state-owned Druk Green Power Corporation in Bhutan, which operates and maintains hydropower assets. “What I’ve studied in New Zealand is renewable energy, hydro, solar and wind and I’m hoping I can apply these back at home. In some remote areas of Bhutan, hydropower isn’t viable so solar and wind-generated energy would be more practical options. I was completely new to those when I came here.” Sonam says the UC degree provided an up-to-date world view of climate change. “It also covered what can be done, not necessarily a solution, but a way forward.” “My Master’s project was focused on pumped hydro which will be important in Bhutan because at present we don’t have reservoirs for storing water.” She and several other international students awarded New Zealand Scholarships to study at UC, including people from Brazil and Zimbabwe, took part in a completion ceremony in November before returning to their home countries.

Climate change event in July

The Sustainable Business Council together with the Climate Leaders Coalition, EECA, Ministry for the Environment, and WWF New Zealand is holding a one-day event to empower business action on climate change. EMBARK is being held at SkyCity Auckland on July 24 and is designed to help businesses learn practical ways to reduce their emissions. “EMBARK is a one stop shop for businesses of all shapes and sizes who want to take action on climate change but don’t necessarily know how,” Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council Abbie Reynolds says. “The day is by business, for business. It will see those already on a low emissions journey share what they have learnt to help others make faster progress.” The morning will see speakers from the Climate Leaders Coalition, including Air New Zealand, NZ Post, Vector, Westpac, Z Energy, The Warehouse Group, SkyCity, Ports of Auckland, Meridian, and Fonterra talk about what they have done to reduce their emissions. They will also share practical tips to empower businesses to draw up their transition plans, measure their carbon footprints, set an emissions reduction target and finance it. The afternoon’s facilitated sessions will give businesses the opportunity to meet some of the providers of low emissions products and services who can help them make it happen. “Our aim is that by the end of the day attendees will come away with the building blocks of a great transition plan and will be connected with the people who can help them turn their plan into reality,” Ms Reynolds says. The event will also be used to celebrate the first anniversary of the Climate Leaders Coalition, including what it has collectively achieved over the past year, and the launch of a new statement. The event is certified carbon neutral. More information and registration is available […]

Energy efficiency on the land

-Edgar Ludwig, consulting engineer for energy efficiency Efficient use of fossil fuel and electricity will help farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the energy bill. While fossil fuel is mainly used for the vehicle fleet, electricity is used for running equipment such as milk processing and feed processing. Each farm is different and there is no general data available to gain sufficient understanding about their specific energy use and emission. This makes it hard for farmers to identify detailed saving opportunities and take actions. Particularly on milk processing where there are a variety of opportunities which should be addressed. Such as: Adequately sizing and locating equipment such as coolers, compressors and condensers. Optimising the operation for equipment such as pumps for vacuum, milk and water. Insulating tanks and recovering the heat from the refrigeration side to generate hot water. Operating the lighting with energy efficient bulbs, natural lighting. Deploying of renewable energy sources such as solar PV. The New Zealand government and the advisory sector provide practical advice and funding to help the agriculture economy to reduce their impact on climate change. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority EECA provides a wide range of self-assessment tools to map the energy efficiency, the achievable savings and compare against other dairy farms across New Zealand. More details are provided in their web site. https://www.eecabusiness.govt.nz/tools/dairy-farm-energy-efficiency-tool. The Energy Management Association New Zealand EMANZ provides a directory of specialist for conducting detailed energy surveys in accordance to industrial standards. The outcome of such an energy survey will include: Analysis of current energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Analysis of the farming benchmark and tariff structure. A plan to measure and manage the energy users. A business case for each opportunity to make a decision on the investment. An action plan. More details are provided […]

EITE business committed to low-emissions economy

A new report shows firms with high energy use working responsibly towards climate goals. A report by Castalia Strategic Advisors shows that EITE (Emission Intensive and Trade Exposed) businesses are proactively reducing emissions and have a common interest in helping the Government to meet its international climate change obligations. (Emissions-intensive firms use significant amounts of energy to create their products. Trade-exposed firms sell products overseas in competition with overseas firms. Firms that are both emissions-intensive and trade-exposed bear the cost of reducing emissions while competing against overseas firms that do not bear similar costs.) The report shows that New Zealand’s EITE businesses are a significant segment of the economy, employing around 15,000 New Zealanders. The businesses, members of a BusinessNZ EITE working group, want to help the Government achieve workable emissions reduction policies and an energy-intensive sector that is responsive to climate change policies. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says EITE businesses want to see emissions reduction policies that take account of unintended consequences and potential risks to the economy. “For example, there is a risk of uncompetitive emissions pricing forcing domestic businesses to close, with production shifting to countries with higher emissions intensity. “The EITE group is seeking ongoing and constructive dialogue with the Government to help ensure that unnecessary trade-offs are avoided, and investment can be encouraged. “EITE businesses produce goods that form the backbone of our economy including fresh food, building materials, critical industrial chemicals, and industrial metals. “EITE businesses create jobs, wealth and regional diversification, and contribute significantly to higher living standards for all New Zealanders. “Any emissions reduction policy must consider the economic and social impacts it will have on this important sector. “Predictable and durable policy settings are the cornerstone to unlocking greater investment in low-emission initiatives, and we welcome any opportunity to work […]

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