Today, there are many reasons why businesses are placing a focus on becoming more energy-efficient – using less energy can be good for the environment as well as for a business’ bottom line. Here the team at AGL, AMTIL’s Corporate Partner for Energy, offer some tips.
Regardless of your goals, reviewing the efficiency of energy consumption is becoming increasingly commonplace as it makes better business sense. It’s therefore unsurprising that more industry and government initiatives have become accessible to support business efficiency practices. Some key resources include:
- gov.au/business is a national joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments administered by the Department of the Environment and Energy. The website supports the implementation of energy efficiency practices and shares best-practice information on energy efficiency, case studies and resource materials.
- AIG’s (Australian Industry Group) website is full of resources that feature information on energy efficiency, optimisation and management as well as an environment and energy toolkit and energy efficiency checklist.
- NSW’s Energy Saver program helps businesses identify energy saving opportunities, access funding and assists with project management and training.
- The Victorian Energy Upgrades Program is designed to make energy efficiency improvements more affordable, contribute to greenhouse gas reduction and encourages investment in energy efficiency goods and services.
- The Government of SA’s energy efficiency information, advice and programs.
On our part, AGL remains committed to helping businesses become more efficient, through practical guidance around different technologies:
Power Factor Correction: Why pay for energy that can’t be used?
For instance, many customers aren’t aware that – as well as the power that is used in equipment (real power) – a site may draw power that is not directly used (reactive power). The combination of the two is known as apparent power. Power Factor is the relationship between real and apparent power (kVA). If your site has a poor power factor, you could be paying for energy that cannot be used.
The AGL Electroserv team of experts specialises in helping our clients reduce kVA. By designing, manufacturing, installing and servicing Power Factor Correction equipment nationally, we may be able to extend the life of your equipment, ensure compliance with regulatory codes, or help ensure that more power is available for site expansion without the need for new switchboards and cabling.
Operational Energy Management: Converting building data into actionable items
From human behaviour to software faults and less than efficient hardware, there are many factors that contribute to potential energy wastage in commercial buildings – unless they are regularly monitored and expertly analysed.
That’s where OEM – a set of technologies and processes that identify anomalies as they occur, analyses the cause and reports back to the building manager to have them rectified – comes in. OEM works by converting a building’s data into actionable items. AGL has a dedicated team of OEM experts who aim to address this energy wastage and ensure every building we monitor is fully optimised.
How AGL can help?
If you’re interested learning about more ways to reduce your business’s energy consumption, get in touch with an AGL consultant on 1300 986 971 or email energysolutions@agl.com.au or visit: