31 July 2001

Auckland City Council is carrying out a range of measures to encourage energy efficiency and conservation.

Chief Executive Officer Bryan Taylor says the council will do all it can to help conserve energy while the levels of hydro lakes remains low.

“Auckland City Council is responding to the Energy Minister’s call and, with some effort, we can probably save 10 percent of our energy usage,” Mr Taylor said.

“We are looking urgently at a range of initiatives.”

Mayor, Chris Fletcher is backing the proposals and encourages Auckland City residents to come up with innovative ways of saving power.

“This is an opportunity for council and Aucklanders to take responsibility and assist in the national energy conservation effort.”

“Council will be saving energy without compromising safety to play our part in helping the country get through the winter months,” said Mrs Fletcher.

Mr Taylor noted that Council is already a member of the EnergyWise Council programme, supported by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, and already has in place a considerable number of energy saving measures.

“This limits the savings that can now be made, without resorting to measures that have an impact on the council’s operating efficiency”.

“However a 10 percent saving, additional to existing efficiencies, is achievable if the recommended measures are adopted,” said Mr Taylor.

Those initiatives include:

- Feature and floodlighting of Council buildings will be minimised, subject to security issues being acceptably handled. Tamaki Drive feature lighting will be minimised and Aotea Precinct feature lighting switched off;
- Property energy saving initiatives, including:

- a directive to staff modifying hours of work to 8:00am to 6:00pm (except for critical areas such as Call Centre). Anyone wishing to work outside those hours will be encouraged to work from home;
- reduction in air conditioning by two hours per day;
- reduction in the operating temperature of air conditioning;
- opportunities to maximise use of natural light should be made;
- a regime of switching off computers and electrical equipment at the end of the day will be implemented. A new switch-off campaign with staff will be implemented;
- reduction in lift service – one lift in each of the administration buildings to be decommissioned and staff encouraged to use the stairs where possible;
- assessment of generator usage – the desirability of switching to generator power will be assessed and reported to the directors as a separate issue;
- The Edge will delay use of chillers until noon each day and will initiate a switch-off campaign with staff.

The Council will review these measures on a daily basis.

ENDS

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