Carbon and Energy Management Plan - Kapiti Coast District€¦ · Kāpiti Coast District Council recognises climate change as one of the most significant challenges facing the district.

Carbon and Energy Management Plan

Kāpiti Coast District Council

Person responsible: Jake Roos, Senior Programme Advisor (Environmental)

Prepared by: Jake Roos, Senior Programme Advisor (Environmental)

Dated: 6 October 2015

Version: 3.0

Verification Status: Verified

For the period: 01/07/2012 to 30/06/2022

Base year: 01/07/2009 to 30/06/2010

CZCL09 MRP template v2.0, ©carboNZero Holdings Ltd, 2011 Page 2 of 43


Contents

1. Foreword ....................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Rationale ........................................................................................................................................ 6 3. Top management commitment ................................................................................................... 12 4. Officer responsible ....................................................................................................................... 12 5. Awareness raising and training .................................................................................................... 12 6. Significant emissions sources ...................................................................................................... 13 7. Targets for operational emissions reduction ............................................................................... 15 8. Funding sources ........................................................................................................................... 16 9. Offsetting ..................................................................................................................................... 23 10. Measures (specific emissions reduction projects) ....................................................................... 25 11. Unintended environmental impacts ............................................................................................ 33 12. Key performance indicators ......................................................................................................... 34 13. Monitoring and reporting ............................................................................................................ 34 14. Emissions reduction calculations ................................................................................................. 34 15. Performance against plan ............................................................................................................ 34 Appendix 1.1 – Summary of carbon and energy management work ................................................... 35 Appendix 1.2 – ‘The Emissions Treble’ ................................................................................................. 39

Figure 1 – Council energy use and cost shown by reporting group ........................................................ 8 Figure 2 – Council energy use and cost shown by energy type ............................................................... 9 Figure 3 – Council operational GHG emissions by type ......................................................................... 10 Figure 4 – Council operational GHG emission costs by type ................................................................. 11 Figure 5 - Council’s operational GHG emissions .................................................................................... 13 Figure 6 – Energy use and cost forecast by reporting group in the alternate scenario ........................ 18 Figure 7 – Energy use and cost forecast by energy type in the alternate scenario ............................... 19 Figure 8 – Operational emissions and emissions cost forecast in the alternate scenario ..................... 20 Figure 9 – Cost forecast (energy, emissions, and streetlight maintenance) in the business as usual and alternate scenarios ................................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 10 – Energy use and emissions forecast in the business as usual and alternate scenarios ....... 22 Figure 11 – Carbon sequestration rates of new forest .......................................................................... 23

Table 1 – Investment and operation savings in the ALT scenario ......................................................... 16 Table 2 - Projects to prevent emissions and reduce liabilities. ............................................................. 32 Table 3 - Emissions intensity calculations .............................................................................................. 34


1. Foreword Kāpiti Coast District Council recognises climate change as one of the most significant challenges facing the

district. The Council is committed to reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases, improving the resilience

of its operations and mitigating increasing energy costs, which are predicted to rise from $2.44M/yr in

2010-11 to $4.40M/yr in 2021-22 and $7.49M/yr in 2031-32 in a ‘business as usual’ scenario.

The Council has joined the carboNZero programme and has become CEMARS1 certified to transparently

demonstrate its commitment to addressing its contribution to climate change. The Council has been

active in this area for many years, and this plan and the associated CEMARS process is a formalisation and

refocusing of this ongoing work.

The plan concerns the emissions sources the Council is responsible for, as defined by the ISO standard for

carbon footprinting (14064) – referred to as ‘operational’ emissions - and its organisational energy use.

The plan does not directly concern carbon and energy management in the wider community. Measures to

support environmental sustainability more widely are set out in the Council’s Long Term Plan. The plan is

also the greenhouse gas (GHG) Emissions2 Management and Reduction Plan that forms the ‘manage’ step

of the organisation’s application for CEMARS/carboNZero Programme certification.

The plan has the objectives of:

- measuring, managing and reducing emissions

- improving energy efficiency

- increasing the use of renewable energy

- improving the resilience of operations to energy supply disruptions

- aiding the development of a low-carbon economy.

The Council set a target of 45% reduction in emissions in 2014-15 compared to the baseline year of 2009-

10. The plan also describes additional measures whose combined effect is an 83% emissions cut by 2021-

22. Further work is required to develop these projects to the implementation phase, and this has included

in the plan. A target of 80% reduction in emissions in 2021-22 compared to the 2009-10 baseline has

been set.

This plan sets out a specific work programme to achieve these targets, including supporting actions

relating to improving processes, measurement and reporting.

The plan will be funded from existing budgets included in the Long Term Plan, Most emissions reduction

projects will be self-financing using the operational cost savings they achieve, yielding net savings for

ratepayers over their life. Maximum use will be made of external funding sources including EECA grants

and low interest Crown Loans. The combined avoided operational cost from implementing all projects in

the plan is estimated to be $1.31M/yr in 2021-22 rising to $2.24M/yr in 2031-32.

1 Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme (CEMARS).

2Throughout this document ‘emissions’ means ‘GHG emissions’.


The plan will be refreshed annually and will evolve as the longer-term projects it describes are finalised

and ‘locked in’, new technologies emerge and external factors change, such as the price of carbon. The

ultimate goal is to reduce Council’s operational carbon footprint to zero, as globally this is what is

required to address the climate challenge. Whether this is possible within a useful timescale will depend

on these wider developments, but the Council is committed to being at the forefront of this transition.

Signed

Patrick Dougherty, Chief Executive of Kāpiti Coast District Council


2. Rationale Global context

Severe cuts to global greenhouse gas emissions are needed within the next decade to preserve the possibility of limiting global warming to 2.0 degrees C, the internationally recognised threshold of dangerous climate change

3. Investments in high carbon infrastructure made now increasingly ‘lock in’

future emissions, and must be avoided4. ‘Business as usual’ emissions pathways we are likely to follow in

the absence of strong and determined action are projected to lead to 3 - 6 degrees C of warming by 2100, which would be catastrophic

5.

Furthermore, researchers at Oxford University have identified that because the principal man-made greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) has a very long residence time in the atmosphere, it is the total stock of CO2 that is released which is crucial to the amount of warming that will occur. The implication is that net CO2 emissions must go to zero before the total stock in the atmosphere exceeds the amount that will cause dangerous climate change. Expressed as carbon (C) instead of carbon dioxide, limiting emissions to a total of less than one trillion tonnes C will give a 50% chance of staying within the 2.0 degreeC threshold. Over 0.5 trillion tonnes of carbon have already been emitted

6. These findings have been confirmed by the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in their fifth assessment report released in 2013.7

Therefore, it is crucial that emissions of CO2 are addressed as a priority, and that the ultimate objective is to reduce them to zero before this threshold is breached.

Other greenhouse gases with much shorter atmospheric residence times than CO2, (such as methane (CH4)) have a global warming effect that relates much more strongly to the rate that they are emitted. This means that while cuts to these GHGs are important and helpful, they are not an effective substitute for cuts to CO2 emissions and other long-lived GHGs, such as nitrous oxide (NOx)

8.

Human CO2 emissions are inextricably linked with fossil fuels and energy. Concentrated energy supplies, particularly for transport and off-road machinery, are crucial to the functioning of modern society. Liquid fossil fuels (diesel, petrol and kerosene) serve this need at present. As such the prospect of ‘peak oil’ – the decline of conventional supplies of crude oil - raises the possibility of severe disruption to the economy. However, it is possible to synthesise direct substitutes for conventional liquid fuels from natural gas and coal. Proven reserves of fossil fuels are sufficiently large that if they are burnt, they would raise atmospheric CO2 levels many times higher than that required to cause dangerous climate change

9. This

does not include unproven reserves currently being explored such as shale gas and offshore oil and gas in

3 Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate change: emission scenarios for a new world. Kevin Anderson and Alice Bows, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2011

369, 20-44

4 Press release – IEA World Energy Outlook 2011

(http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/pressreleases/2011/november/name,20318,en.html)

5 OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050: The Consequences of Inaction (www.oecd.org/environment/outlookto2050)

6 http://trillionthtonne.org/

7 IPCC Working Group 1 Fifth Assessment Report – Summary for Policymakers: www.climatechange2013.org

8 The Exit Strategy: Nature Reports Climate Change. Myles Allen, David Frame, Katja Frieler, William Hare, Chris Huntingford, Chris

Jones, Reto Knutti, Jason Lowe, Malte Meinshausen, Nicolai Meinshausen & Sarah Raper. Published online: 30 April 2009

(www.nature.com/climate/2009/0905/full/climate.2009.38.html)

9 Unburnable Carbon: Are the world’s financial markets carrying a carbon bubble? http://www.carbontracker.org/carbonbubble

http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/pressreleases/2011/november/name,20318,en.html

http://www.oecd.org/environment/outlookto2050

http://trillionthtonne.org/

http://www.climatechange2013.org/

http://(www.nature.com/climate/2009/0905/full/climate.2009.38.html

http://www.carbontracker.org/carbonbubble


deep water and in the Arctic. There is a strong risk that in response to peak oil, investment will be directed into these high carbon options rather than low or zero carbon alternatives.

Local implications

Climate change has serious implications for the Kāpiti Coast District. More extreme weather and sea level rise have the potential to have severe adverse effects on our community whether they are directly experienced, or indirectly through the impact on other parts of the world to which we are now linked by international trade. Furthermore, the Council is a significant emitter of greenhouse gases in the district, through its energy use and waste disposal: operational emissions in 2013-14 financial year were 6,446 tonnes of CO2e. Its holdings of forest land also present a significant stock of carbon, an estimated 34,787tonnes in 2014-15. Refrigerants in Council-owned air-conditioning and heat-pump systems also represent a liability estimated at 677 tonnes (See Kāpiti Coast District Council Emissions Inventory Report 2013-14

10).

Growth in the district means Council’s energy needs are likely to increase as new households require water, waste water, streetlighting and other services Council provides. A ‘business as usual’ projection of Council energy demands and costs is shown in Figure 1 and 2. This includes energy cost inflation forecasts for local Government from BERL

11. These figures do not include the implications of carbon pricing which

may also become significant – two scenarios are shown in Figure 3 and 4.

What Council can do The response of Council to the twin drivers of helping avoid dangerous climate change and maintaining its levels of service in the face of increasing energy costs and price volatility is to

measure, manage and reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases

improve energy efficiency and

work towards eliminating its emissions of CO2 by converting to renewable energy sources If these energy sources are also locally produced and not internationally traded, then this will also reduce Council’s exposure to the effects of oil price volatility and improve resilience. The pace of the transition is dependent on the technologies that are available and their cost, but the Council is active in assisting private sector businesses to develop and commercialise ‘clean’ technologies and energy sources. The Council has acknowledged the challenges of climate change in its current (2015) and previous Long Term Plans and has included budgetary provisions to support work to address them. the Council and has for many years been working in the area of energy efficiency and emissions reduction, having undertaken numerous carbon reduction projects (See Appendix 1.1). This plan is a built upon these strong foundations.

10 Report can be found at www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/CEMARS

11 BERL note to SOLGM: Forecasts Of Price Level Change Adjustors – 2011 Update

http://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/CEMARS


Figure 1 – Council energy use and cost shown by reporting group – actual 2009-11, then forecast 2011-32

Purchased energy use summary by reporting group

(BAU)

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Figure 2 – Council energy use and cost shown by energy type – actual 2009-11, then forecast 2011-32

Purchased energy use summary by energy type (BAU)

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Cost summary (excl CO2 price) by energy type (BAU)

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Figure 3 – Council operational GHG emissions by type – actual 2009-11, then forecast 2011-32

Emissions summary by type (BAU Council, $25/tCO2)

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Petrol Landfilled off ice w aste Flights

Emissions summary by type (BAU Council, $100/tCO2)

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Figure 4 – Council operational GHG emission costs by type – actual 2009-11, then forecast 2011-32

Emissions costs by type (BAU Council, $25/tCO2)

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Emissions costs by type (BAU Council, $100/tCO2)

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3. Top management commitment This heading has been included for audit purposes. Top management commitment has been

demonstrated in Section 1 and Appendix 1.1. The Council’s Elected Members endorsed the ongoing work

of this plan and its targets at the Environment and Community Development Committee meeting held on

11 October 2012 (Report SP-12-688).

4. Officer responsible The officer responsible for overall emission reduction performance and reporting to top management is

the Senior Programme Advisor (Environmental), in the Strategy and Planning Group.

5. Awareness raising and training Controlling emissions, energy consumption and related costs requires good practice management

approaches and engagement with a wide range of staff. Data must be regularly collected and collated in a

way that minimises the administrative burden. The results of projects to reduce emissions must be

measured and evaluated.

Relevant Information needs to be fed back to stakeholders at an appropriate level:

high level summaries for senior managers and councillors

site/source specific data with historic performance trends for the managers who are directly

responsible

easily understandable versions of the same for the staff who work with those sites and sources,

e.g. office workers, drivers, plant operators.

a combination of key highlights at high level and site/project-specific level for the general public.

Facilities both old and new can be optimised to ensure they live up to their potential in terms of energy

performance. Staff can be trained in ways that they can help limit wastage and emissions. Awareness

raising reminders are also helpful. The Council ran a campaign of training and awareness in 2014-15,

called the Emissions Treble. Examples of material from this campaign can be found in Appendix 1.2.

Achieving best practice carbon and energy management requires a sustained focus of a ‘core’ group of

staff drawn from across council, ongoing senior management support and financial support for routine

costs. The Council’s Carbon and Energy Management Group was formed in 2013 for this purpose.

.


6. Significant emissions sources Council’s latest verified ‘carbon footprint’ and how it is calculated is detailed in the Kāpiti Coast District

Council Emissions Inventory Report 2013-1412

. The Council’s baseline year is 2009-10. Projections of

council energy use, energy costs, CO2e (‘equivalent’). Emissions and Emissions costs in ‘business as usual’

scenarios with low and high emissions prices are shown in figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 - Council’s operational GHG emissions (note 2014-15 results are provisional)

Figure 5 shows the Council emissions sources in the last six financial years expressed as CO2e. These

sources are what this plan seeks to address. The largest emissions source was the mixing agent (chipped

wood and green waste) that was combined with sewage sludge (the formerly second largest emissions

source) when it is disposed of in the Council landfill at Otaihanga. The Council virtually eliminated its use

of mixing agent in 2011-12 and this has been reflected in ‘business as usual’ emissions projections as it

happened before the original version of this plan was finalised. Data quality on sewage sludge volumes

has been improved and these improvements have led to updates to the Council’s 2009-10 and 2010-11

emissions inventories.

Other significant waste emissions come from sewage plant screenings, public litter bin waste collected by

the Council Operations team and office waste. Waste emissions may be reduced by up to 90% by

disposing of it in a landfill with gas capture or by composting or other methods that ensure the methane

gas ‘potential’ of the organic material in the waste is minimised. The Otaihanga landfill (which closed in

mid 2015) did not have landfill gas capture (LFGC), but other landfills in the region do. Hokio landfill in

Levin, where council office waste is sent, was equipped with LFGC in 2012. This saving has been included

in BAU emissions projections.

12 Report can be found at www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/CEMARS

http://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/CEMARS


One of the top emissions sources in 2009-10 was diesel used by for sewage sludge drying, which has

already been dramatically reduced through the conversion to wood pellet fuel (See Appendix 1.1). Diesel

is still used for the Council’s ‘Operations’ group e.g. water system repairs and grounds maintenance

vehicles and equipment. Petrol is principally used for the Council’s carpool. Ministry of Economic

Development’s Energy Outlook 201113

assumes the NZ vehicle fleet will improve its overall fuel economy

by 0.75%/year and this has been included in ‘BAU Council’ projections for diesel and petrol use. Much

greater rates of improvement are possible through settings in vehicle purchasing and management

strategies. It should be noted that staff already commonly use public transport to go to appointments in

central Wellington. Gaining larger reductions in emissions from diesel and petrol use will depend on the

availability and price of new low or zero emission vehicle technologies and/or ‘drop in’ fuels that can be

used in existing vehicles and equipment .

The largest consumers of electricity within Council are for water and waste water pumping and treatment,

and streetlights. Two major changes impact on electricity use were anticipated and these were included in

‘business as usual’ scenarios from the outset – the introduction of water meters in 2014, which by

reducing water consumption will also reduce water pumping and treatment electricity use, and the

opening of the Coastland’s Aquatic Centre in 2013, which uses an electric heat pump for primary heating.

The Aquatic Centre opening coincided with the closure of Raumati Pool, which was gas heated, as are the

other pools, which represent the bulk of Council’s natural gas usage. Large heat loads can be served by

wood-fuelled boilers, however their economic viability depends on the price of equipment and fuel

compared to natural gas. Wood boilers are more expensive to purchase and physically larger than gas

boilers, but their fuel has the potential to be significantly cheaper.

Emissions from grid electricity fluctuate depending on how much thermal power generation is used in any

given year, which in turn depends on hydro-lake levels. It should be noted that the government has a

target of 90% of electricity being provided from renewable generation by 202514

and this target if

achieved will have a significant influence on Council emissions, equating to a cut of 1,334 tCO2/year or

11% of Council’s total footprint compared to the baseline year. However, the MED Energy Outlook 2011

forecast the NZ electricity generation mix15

to 2040 and found that the percentage of renewable energy in

2025 in the ‘reference’ scenario was only 78%. Under a ‘high emissions price’ scenario this percentage

increased to 84%. MED forecasts have been used to forecast council emissions from electricity use.

The Council can reduce its electricity emissions by reducing demand through efficiency improvement and

by generating its own renewable electricity. Some areas of energy use have more potential for efficiency

improvement than others, related to the closeness to fundamental efficiency limits of the technology

involved – e.g. lighting and heating generally have more scope for improvement than motors and pumps.

There is a large opportunity relating to implementing LED streetlighting. However, audit studies of council

water and waste water facilities have found them to be already efficiently run with a high level of control

(variable speed drives) and equipment selected for maximum efficiency.

13 MED Energy Outlook technical guide www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/pdf-docs-library/energy-data-and-

modelling/modelling/energy-outlook

14 NZ Energy Strategy 2011 www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/strategies

15 MED Energy Outlook generation mix spreadsheets http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/pdf-docs-library/energy-data-

and-modelling/modelling/energy-outlook/electricity-generation-and-capacity.xls/view

http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/pdf-docs-library/energy-data-and-modelling/modelling/energy-outlook

http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/pdf-docs-library/energy-data-and-modelling/modelling/energy-outlook

http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/strategies

http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/pdf-docs-library/energy-data-and-modelling/modelling/energy-outlook/electricity-generation-and-capacity.xls/view

http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/pdf-docs-library/energy-data-and-modelling/modelling/energy-outlook/electricity-generation-and-capacity.xls/view


Renewable electricity options on existing sites are generally limited to solar photovoltaics. Generating

renewable electricity from bio-gas is a viable option for many wastewater and landfill operators, and

eliminates the GHG potential of waste. The Council’s waste water treatment process and waste volumes

have previously been assessed with respect to biogas production and so far this has not been considered

viable.

‘Other’ emissions include air travel, freight of sewage sludge from the treatment plant in Ōtaki to the one

in Paraparaumu, refrigerant losses from council owned air-conditioning systems, staff use of their own

private vehicles for work, conferences, accommodation and use of taxis. Air travel relates to councillors

and staff attending conferences and meetings. Common destinations include Auckland and Christchurch,

which are difficult to reach quickly by other means.

Non-operational emissions

Forestry emissions are not part of the council’s ‘core’ operational carbon footprint and target setting

regime. However Council-owned forest land is a significant source and sink of emissions compared to the

core footprint. Generally Council’s policy is to maintain forested land as forest, but significant CO2

emissions occur when exotic trees are cleared to replant native species, or in response to storm damage.

These emissions are gradually offset by the CO2 sequestered as the new trees grow.

‘Embodied carbon’ (the CO2 produced in the production of materials) of Council’s capital works can be

significant. For example, an estimate of the embodied carbon represented by the steel, concrete and

insulation projected to be used in the new Coastlands Aquatic Centre (to open in 2013) was 630 tonnes of

CO2e. There may be viable options available to Council that can reduce embodied carbon emissions if they

are identified at the outset of a capital project. Naturally these choices must include consideration of

practicality and cost as well. Ease of obtaining data on total material volumes for embodied carbon

calculations can be improved by requiring this in quantity surveying contracts.

7. Targets for operational emissions reduction

Council is committed to managing and reducing its emissions in accordance with the carboNZero

programme requirements. Section 8 provides details of the emission reduction targets to be

implemented. These are ‘SMART’ targets (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-

constrained). The council is seeking and setting targets for absolute reductions in GHG emissions rather

than reductions in emissions intensity.

The Council aims to reduce its operational carbon footprint by 45% in 2014-15 compared to its 2009-10

baseline year. This target was met by a considerable margin in 2012-13 (48% reduction) and 2013-14 (49%

reduction). At the time of writing the result for the 2014-15 financial year is unverified, however it

appears the emissions reduction was around 44%, 1% short of the target. It is expected the emissions

reduction compared to baseline will significantly exceed 45% in 2015-16 due to changes in sludge disposal

(See Appendix 1.2 for more discussion on 2014-15 provisional results).

Council will continue to develop measures to cut emissions further. The estimated potential impact of

those measures already identified in this plan (if all are implemented and realise their potential) is an 83%

reduction in emissions in 2021-22 compared to its baseline year. A target of 80% reduction has been set


to challenge Council to realise this level of savings while leaving room to accomodate unforeseen and

uncontrollable variables.

The ultimate long-term goal is to reduce council’s net emission of GHGs to zero. In particular, CO2

emissions must go to zero and therefore fossil fuel use must effectively cease at some point. It is not clear

when this will be practically feasible, but as a principle, the Council will seek to achieve CO2 emissions cuts

as soon as possible in order to do our part in limiting its accumulation in the atmosphere.

The estimated effect of all measures detailed in the following section have been used to create an

alternative scenario for energy use, emissions and costs , shown in figures 6 to 10. This scenario was used

to set the targets, explore the likely impact of further projects identified already and examine the scale

and type of Council’s ‘residual’ emissions.

8. Funding sources

The plan will be funded using the following methods and principles.

Investing to save

The estimated combined energy, emissions and maintenance cost savings from implementing the

measures described in this plan, the ‘ALT’ scenario, compared to business as usual, measured

cumulatively to 2021-22, are $6.2 M (see figure 9). Cumulative savings rise to $24.0M by 2031-32 even if

no further projects other than those described in the plan are undertaken. These sums give a theoretical

upper limit on what can be invested to achieve the ‘ALT’ emissions scenario (as seen in Figure 10) while

still remaining cost neutral overall. Table 2 below shows estimated costs of the projects in the plan

compared to their cumulative operational savings to 2031-32, which is at least 10 years after they have all

been implemented.

Table 1 – Investment and operational savings (including energy costs, ETS costs @$25/tonne and streetlight maintenance) in the ALT scenario

$M

Cumulative operational saving to 2021-22

Cumulative operational saving to 2031-32

Additional investment required compared to BAU

Eliminate sludge emissions 0.5 1.4 Unknown. possibly nil

Wood fuel at pools 0.4 3.8 1.0 - 1.2

LED streetlights 2.9 11.2 2.8 - 3.2

Woodchip fuel at WWTP 1.3 2.9 nil

Other projects 1.1 4.7 1.7 - 2.1

Total 6.1 24.0 5.5 - 6.5

Using EECA Crown Loans and grants

There are several internal and external funding sources that Council will utilise to fund the Carbon and

Energy Management Plan, including dedicated energy saving budgets. Measures have generally been

included on the basis of being able to create measurable net financial savings for Council long before the

end of their useful life. The availability of low interest EECA Crown Loans means projects that reduce


operational costs (energy, carbon, maintenance etc) can theoretically be carried out with no direct rates

funding if their ‘simple payback’ is less than 5 years, the repayment term of the loan.

Capital budgets

In some asset areas, there are existing provisions for capital projects and renewals that can be directed

towards low emissions options – for example streetlight renewals. These can be used in conjunction with

the energy saving budgets.

Projects relating to sewage sludge and screenings will not attract EECA funding unless they have a significant

energy saving component. However, desirable options are likely to have a significant cost reduction

component for Council. Funding to implement such projects will need to be met from waste water and/or

solid waste capital budgets. Additional borrowing may be required, but it may be possible to cover interest

and principal payments from operational savings.

Covering related costs

There are supporting and enabling measures that are essential to the plan but the direct financial benefit is

often difficult to capture. In some cases EECA funding is available for feasibility work. There are budget lines

in the 2015 Long Term Plan for these including small projects, feasibility studies and investigations and

promotion relating to this plan, as well as CEMARS certification and provision of a Corporate Environmental

Data Management System (CEDMS). These are refered to as the ‘energy saving’ budgets as they originated

under the Council energy saving policy funding mechanism.

Normal Council approval processes apply

Any projects of significant scale in terms of cost and/or operational implementations will require a fully

developed business case to be presented to the Senior Leadership Team, and if appropriate, elected

members (through the Annual Plan or Long Term Plan processes) before being able to proceed.


Figure 6 – Energy use and cost forecast by reporting group in the alternate (ALT) scenario (plan implemented)

Purchased energy use summary by reporting group (ALT)

0

5000000

10000000

15000000

20000000

25000000

2009

-10

2011

-12

2013

-14

2015

-16

2017

-18

2019

-20

2021

-22

2023

-24

2025

-26

2027

-28

2029

-30

2031

-32

kilo

watt

ho

urs

(kW

h)



Water Stormw ater

Energy cost summary by reporting group (ALT)

$-

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

$7,000,000

$8,000,000

2009

-10

2011

-12

2013

-14

2015

-16

2017

-18

2019

-20

2021

-22

2023

-24

2025

-26

2027

-28

2029

-30

2031

-32



Water Stormw ater


Figure 7 – Energy use and cost forecast by energy type in the alternate (ALT) scenario (plan implemented)

Purchased energy use summary by energy type (ALT)

0

5000000

10000000

15000000

20000000

25000000

2009

-10

2011

-12

2013

-14

2015

-16

2017

-18

2019

-20

2021

-22

2023

-24

2025

-26

2027

-28

2029

-30

2031

-32

kilo

watt

ho

urs

(kW

h)

Diesel Wood Petrol Natural gas Electricity

Energy cost summary by energy type (ALT)

$-

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

$7,000,000

$8,000,000

2009

-10

2011

-12

2013

-14

2015

-16

2017

-18

2019

-20

2021

-22

2023

-24

2025

-26

2027

-28

2029

-30

2031

-32

Diesel Wood Petrol Natural gas Electricity


Figure 8 – Operational emissions and emissions cost forecast in the alternate (ALT) scenario (plan implemented)

Emissions summary by type (ALT, $25/tCO2)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

2009

-10

2011

-12

2013

-14

2015

-16

2017

-18

2019

-20

2021

-22

2023

-24

2025

-26

2027

-28

2029

-30

2031

-32

ton

nes o

f C

O2e




Emissions costs by type (ALT, Council, $25/tCO2)

$-

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$140,000

$160,000

$180,000

2009

-10

2011

-12

2013

-14

2015

-16

2017

-18

2019

-20

2021

-22

2023

-24

2025

-26

2027

-28

2029

-30

2031

-32





Figure 9 – Cost forecast (energy, ETS @ $25/tonne) in the business as usual (BAU) and alternate (ALT) scenarios, with out-turn (ACTUAL)


Figure 10 – Emissions (top) and energy use (bottom) and forecast in the business as usual (BAU) and alternate (ALT) scenarios, with out-turn (ACTUAL). The 2014-15 emissions result is provisional.


9. Offsetting Council’s residual emissions if all identified measures are implemented are estimated to be 2,000 tonnes per year,

mostly from electricity, diesel and petrol, as shown in figure 8. These emissions may be eliminated by a complete

conversion to renewable electricity, renewable fuels and/or electric vehicles. As discussed in the previous section,

such measures have not yet been included in the plan as at this point it is not clear this can be done cost-

effectively, although they may become so at some later date.

Offsetting these residual emissions by purchasing and retiring carbon credits also has not been included in this

plan as the offset projects they support are outside the district (in other countries or other parts of NZ), so do not

offer any directly tangible benefits to Kāpiti ratepayers for the money spent on them. However, Council could

consider increasing the amount of native forest planting it funds as a form of offsetting that would create multiple

co-benefits within the district, such as improved environmental quality, increased biodiversity, land stabilisation

and rainwater attenuation, tourism, employment and amenity. Such land could be put into the Government

‘Permanent Forest Sink Initiative’ to recognise its carbon sequestration value16

.

Using official government tables for sequestration17

, establishing a new native forest sequesters 324 tonnes of

CO2 per hectare over 50 years, and then would store it indefinitely. (see figure 11). Exotic species such as pinus

radiata sequester carbon more quickly than indigenous forest according to these tables, but does not offer the

same level of co-benefits, nor is it likely to be acceptable to the public to create permanent exotic forest.

Carbon Sequestration of New Forests

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Years following planting

ton

ne

s C

O2/H

a

Pinus radiata (Southern North Island) Indigenous forest

Figure 11 – Carbon sequestration rates of new forest

Using the government figures as a guide, offsetting the estimated embodied carbon related to the construction of

the Aquatic Centre (estimated at 630 tonnes) would require 2Ha of new native forest. Offsetting council’s residual

emissions at a rate of 2000 tonnes per year would require at least 309 Ha, but this would not all need to be

16 Ministry of Primary Industries Permanent Forest Sink Initiative http://www.mpi.govt.nz/forestry/funding-programmes/permanent-forest-

sink-initiative

17 Climate Change (Forestry Sector) Regulations 2008 http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2008/0355/54.0/DLM1633721.html

http://www.mpi.govt.nz/forestry/funding-programmes/permanent-forest-sink-initiative

http://www.mpi.govt.nz/forestry/funding-programmes/permanent-forest-sink-initiative

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2008/0355/54.0/DLM1633721.html


established at the same time, or be all in the same location. Furthermore Council, by providing funding and other

direct or indirect support, already enables or carries out significant environmental restoration work, which may

be possible to count as offsetting its operational emissions. However It is likely the rate or scale of such work

would need to be increased.

In terms of where land for ‘new’ native forests might be found, it is worth noting Department of Conservation has

considerable unforested land holdings in the district (e.g. Whareroa Farm is 449Ha) and no significant planting

programmes of their own. Council involvement in and funding for new planting on such land could be clearly

demonstrated as meeting the ‘additionality’ test of good quality carbon offsets, even though it is not the

landowner. Further investigation of this approach to offsetting will be carried out as part of this plan.


10. Measures (specific emissions reduction projects)

Management, planning and reporting measures

Measure Detail Target date Responsibility

Funding

source

Status at

September

2015

1 Form carbon and energy management team to oversee delivery of this plan and its measures.

Team shall include representatives from each of the following groups, Water and Waste Water, Aquatic Facilities, Property, Operations, Solid Waste and Finance and meet at least quarterly. The group will approve carbon and energy reports to the Corporate Business Committee. The group will have administrative support.

01/09/2012 CEO Existing Achieved

3 Report on energy use, emissions and plan progress to senior management and councillors.

Energy use, costs and emissions and the progress of the plan will be reported to quarterly to the Corporate Business Committee via the existing activity reporting structure. An annual report coinciding with CEMARS recertification will also be presented, along with any updates or amendments to the plan.

31/12/2012 ongoing

Jake Roos N/A Achieved

4 Put other significant emissions data into a corporate environmental data management system (CEDMS) on an ongoing basis to enable ‘live’ reporting of Council’s operational carbon footprint.

These emissions sources include sewage sludge, screenings, and office waste. This will require the regular submission of weighbridge dockets and other data to the CEDMS data team. Water consumption and flights will also be included.

31/12/2015 Jake Roos Energy saving

budgets

In progress with new CEDMS

provider Water

Outlook

5 Get data processed volumes into CEDMS for largest energy-using sites and create monthly performance reports for the relevant managers.

SCADA data on waste water and water volumes for the Paraparaumu Waste Water Treatment Plant and Waikanae Water Treatment Plant can be integrated into the CEDMS to get useful measures of efficiency e.g. kWh/m

3 for these

sites. The inclusion of sludge data will allow the efficiency of sludge drying to be evaluated also. Other sites may also be considered – e.g. larger pump stations.

31/12/2015 Jake Roos, Martyn Cole

Water and waste

water

In progress with new CEDMS

provider Water

Outlook


6 Improve measurement of sewage sludge and screenings tonnages

It has been identified through the CEMARS process that the accuracy of sewage sludge and screenings tonnages can and should be improved to increase the accuracy of reporting of Council carbon footprint. This will be done through a combination of weighing screenings bins and integrating daily moisture content test results with flow data from the drier plant.

31/08/2013 Dave Bassett Water and waste

water

Achieved

7 Run an ongoing staff awareness campaign focussed on areas where staff behaviour can make the most difference.

This may include working with staff on efficient driving and improving recording of odometer readings, or on the use of pool covers. Training, reminders and tailored reporting are tools that will be used. A summary of what staff awareness and training work has been carried out will be included in the annual update of this plan.

Ongoing Jake Roos, managers of

relevant areas

Energy saving

budgets

Achieved – see

‘Emissions Treble’

newsletters in Appendix

1.2

8 Require a carbon and energy management review process of major projects, including embodied carbon assessment

It will be policy for the Group Manager responsible for a new capital project over $1M value to convene a carbon and energy review group, including the senior programme advisor (environmental), the project manager, themselves and others as appropriate at the project’s outset. The purpose of the review will be to identify ways to minimise the project’s carbon footprint (including embodied carbon) and ongoing energy costs and improve resilience. The recommendations of the review will be reported to decision makers before Council commits to a final design.

Ongoing Group Managers

Capital Project budget,

EECA design review grant

Otaki Pool redevelop-

ment design starting.

10 Further develop the concept of expanding Council support for native plantings on unforested land to offset residual operational emissions and embodied carbon of major projects.

Project team will explore costs and funding and the rate of planting that would be feasible from financial and practical perspectives, and seeking the advice of key partner organisations. Further investigation of sequestration rates of native forest in the local environment will be carried out.

31/12/2015 to report to SLT and get

feedback on next

steps

Jake Roos, Rob Cross

Leisure and Open

Space, Strategy

and Planning

In progress, discussion

paper prepared and land

assessed in partnership

with MPI


11 Continue to review, investigate and develop other emission reduction options as opportunities emerge.

Technologies are continually evolving and their costs reducing. Options which do not appear viable at present may become so in future. New measures may be included in the plan annually when it is updated.

Ongoing Jake Roos N/A On going

Measures to reduce emissions from waste

Measure Detail

Estimated

emissions

reduction

Target date Responsi-

bility

Funding

source

Status at

Sept 2015

12 Eliminate use of sludge mixing agent

The use of a mixing agent is not essential for the disposal of dried sludge. The disposal contractor has been using it as their contract with Council specifies it. As of April 2012 they have been instructed not to use a mixing agent.

4,835 tCO2e/yr

30/06/2012 Nienke Itjeshorst

N/A Achieved

13 Develop the business case for eliminating sewage sludge emissions via the biosolids strategy

Disposal of sewage sludge is an ongoing challenge for Council, not just in terms of GHG emissions. Funding has been allocated in the 2012-13 waste water budgets to develop a new biosolids strategy. There are a number of methods by which the GHG potential of the sludge could be reduced while also addressing other disposal issues and costs.

3,623tCO2e/yr in 2021-22 (if sludge emissions

completely eliminated)

30/06/2013 to complete investigation

Implement-ation after

2014-15

Martyn Cole, Jake

Roos, Nienke

Itjeshorst

Waste water, energy saving

budgets, waste levy

Biosolids re-use trials

being executed in

2014-15. Emissions

factors determined

14 Investigate costs to divert WWTP screenings to landfill with landfill gas capture

Waste water treatment plant screenings include approximately 50% inorganic material, including plastics. Although the organic content could be composted and separated with the right processing arrangement, given the relatively small volumes it is unlikely to be cost effective. It would be simpler to address these emissions by disposal in landfill equipped with gas capture. This will also be investigated as part of the biosolids strategy.

79 tCO2e/yr (if sludge

emissions completely eliminated)

30/06/2014

Implement-ation after

2014-15

Dave Bassett,

Jake Roos, Nienke

Itjeshorst.

Waste water

Achieved - screenings

going to Bonny Glen

landfill from 2015

15 Reduce office waste by diverting compostable and recyclable materials

The Council has implemented an office waste reduction system at its Rimu Rd office following its return to these premises in February 2013. There are no deskside litter bins and food waste is diverted to a wormfarm.

8 tCO2e/yr 30/06/2014 Simon Calcinai

Property Achieved


Measures to improve energy efficiency

Measure Detail

Estimated

emissions

reduction

Target date Respon-

sibility

Funding

source

Status at

September

2015

16 Require energy performance optimisation to be carried out on new facilities in their first two years, including the new Civic Building and Coastlands Aquatic Centre

New buildings and facilities often do not perform as well as expected in terms of energy consumption due to shortcomings in their construction and commissioning. The Council will intensively monitor its new facilities to identify and correct energy performance issues to ensure they live up to the design potential.

N/A (design performance used in BAU projection)

30/06/2015 ongoing

Jake Roos Energy saving

budgets, EECA

Achieved. Building energy

performance improved in second year of operation

in both cases.

17 Implement a fleet management and purchasing policy with measures to improve the average efficiency of the fleet

The Council will review its fleet management and purchasing policy settings and include a target for the average efficiency of the fleet. A fleet optimisation study to assess whether routes can be rationalised and/or the fleet size reduced will also be carried out.

Rising to 40 tCO2e/yr in

2022 at 0.75%/yr

improvement on top of

background rate

30/06/2014 for policy, reduction increasing

to 30/06/2022

Sean Mallon

Operations budget

Achieved

18 Investigate further efficiency improvements options at Council buildings – e.g. lighting, heating, small power

Existing council buildings such as libraries and offices are likely to be where viable energy efficiency projects can be found. For example by use of LED lighting, improving building services controls, replacing heating and cooling equipment and fitting timers to office equipment. These buildings and projects will continue to be investigated and implemented.

Rising to 33 tCO2e/yr at

2%/yr improvement for 10 years

Ongoing, reduction increasing

to 30/06/2022


budgets, Property budget,

EECA grants and

loans

Ongoing. LED lighting

installed in P. Library Art Space and

meeting room

19 Install a condensing 29 tCO2e/yr 31/10/2013 Jake Roos Leisure and Open

Achieved


boiler at Ōtaki Pool Space, EECA grant

20 Further develop business case for converting streetlight stock to LED lamps with Internet enabled control.

New streetlighting technology with light emitting diode (LED) lamps and web-enabled control offers large efficiency improvements and maintenance and management benefits compared to the high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps which represent 90% of the streetlight stock the council operates and maintains. Light quality is also dramatically improved.


2021-22

30/06/2013 to develop

programme for

approval

Neil Williams

Energy saving

budgets, Access and Transport

In progress. Full change over to

be implemented in

2018-21

22 Purchase battery electric rubbish compactor truck.

See case study in Appendix 1.1 12 tCO2e/yr 30/08/2013 Jake Roos Ops Achieved.

Renewable energy measures

Measure Detail

Estimated

emissions

reduction

Target date Respons-

ibility

Funding

source

Status at

September

2015

23 Change wood fuel supply for sewage drier at Paraparaumu WWTP to wood chip

The wood boiler at Paraparaumu WWTP was designed and built to run on wood chip fuel. High quality pellet was to selected as a fuel source to de-risk the project in its initial settling-in phase. However, conversion to wood chip should reduce operating costs. The development of cheaper wood fuel supply will make the use of wood fuel at further sites (such as council swimming pools) more viable.

N/A On hold pending

outcome of measure 24

Jake Roos Waste water

treatment

Outcome of 2013 wood fuel tender was to stay with pellet until June

2015.

24 Carry out a trial of wood chip fuel in the WWTP boiler

Working with a fuel supplier to run the boiler on chip for approximately one month to assess the practicalities of operating on wood chip fuel, including managing fuel supply quality.

N/A 30/06/2016 Martyn Cole

Waste water

treatment

Not started

25 Continue to investigate and develop plans to convert all

Conversion to wood fuel is contingent on securing a local wood chip supply at the right price relative to alternatives. Council will continue to review the business case for wood boilers at pools. If wood boilers are used, the existing gas boilers may be

458 tCO2e/yr

Estimated cost: $1.0 -

Target implement-ation period 2021-22 (to


budgets, EECA

Council working with partners to investigate


swimming pools to wood chip boilers for primary heating.

kept as back-up if they have remaining useful life. 1.2M

Saving: rising to $212K/yr in

2021-22

be reviewed in conjunction

with the Annual Plan)

grants and loans

wood gassification technology

and develop a trial install.

26 Further develop business case for installing grid connected solar photovoltaics (PV) at all suitable sites

Solar PV continues to reduce in price. Although there is no ‘feed-in-tariff’ to enhance returns from exporting power, the Council has many sites with peak daytime electricity loads that PV installed there could offset, bringing better returns. Estimates of the suitable roof area for mounting PV panels at such sites suggest that Council could install up to around 300 kilowatts peak (kWp) of capacity that would gain optimum return on investment. Ground-mounted systems could be also be considered at treatment plants.


2021-22 (300 kWp installed

capacity)

Estimated cost: $700 – 900 K

Saving: rising to

$120K/yr in 2021-22

Target implement-ation period 2014 - 2022


budgets, EECA loans

32kWp system has

been installed at the

Paraparaumu Waste Water

Treatment Plant. Further installations

on hold pending further

reduction in capital costs.


Deleted measures

Measure Detail

Estimated

emissions

reduction

Responsibility

Funding

source

Status at

September

2015

3 Carry out an ‘oil crisis’ planning workshop with relevant managers to create a response plan.

This one day workshop will identify the degree of vulnerability and importance of various aspects of council operations to shortage of liquid fuels and prioritise them accordingly. A basic response plan with trigger points for activation based on the workshop outcomes will be produced and agreed.

N/A Jake Roos N/A

9 Review significant energy loads with respect to half-hourly data collection and sub metering to improve understanding of energy performance.

This will require assessment of the benefits of having the information (e.g. being able to detect when equipment is running when it shouldn’t) relative to ongoing data service costs. Note that the implementation of advanced meters by electricity retailers will provide council with half hourly data for an increasing number of its sites.

N/A Jake Roos Energy saving

budgets

Submetering system in at

Aquatic Centre. No further

submetering planned. HH data

more available due to advanced meter

rollout

22 Implement emulsion fuels in older diesel vehicles and mowers

Council commissioned controlled tests of emulsion diesel (a blend of water and diesel with an additive that allows them to mix) in one of its mowers which found diesel savings from up to 13% depending on how the engine is loaded. Council will progressively implement the fuels where appropriate and evaluate results on an ongoing basis.

8 tCO2e/yr, decreasing

to 0 by 2021-22 as old vehicles are phased

out

Tony Martin Operations Fleet survey found only six vehicles would benefit from

using blended fuel. Supplying

such a small fuel volume was deemed not viable by Blended Fuels

NZ Ltd.


The emissions inventory identified various emissions liabilities. Table 2 details the actions that will be

taken to prevent GHG emissions from these potential emissions sources.

Table 2 - Projects to prevent emissions and reduce liabilities.

Emissions

source Actions to reduce liabilities Responsibility

Completion

date

27

Refrigerant

(R410a and

R22)

Procedures are in place to capture refrigerant

when systems that hold it are decommissioned. Sean Hester N/A

28 Forests Maintain or increase total area of council-owned

native forest.

Tamsin

Evans N/A


11. Unintended environmental impacts Project reference number 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 25 26 27 28

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Co

un

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and

Resource use

Electricity consumption

Fuel consumption

Water consumption

Wastewater discharge

Waste to landfill

Air, land and water quality

Transport congestion

Biodiversity

Land use

Flooding

Local economy


12. Key performance indicators

Council’s emissions intensity in 2009-10 was 224 tonnes of CO2e per $M gross turnover (operating revenue)

reducing to 92 tCO2e per $M in 2013-14. Operating revenue will relate weakly to footprint as greater levels of

service or growth in population will both tend to increase revenue and emissions. However, there are much

stronger short-term influences, such as the timing of major infrastructure projects. A major drop in Council

carbon footprint per $ turnover (all other things being equal) should occur through implementation of the plan.

Council emissions in theory should have a closer relationship with the number of rateable properties in the district

or the district population as these relate back to the extent of the services Council must provide and therefore the

size of its operation. The emissions intensity by these measures is shown in the Table 2 below. As previously noted

the council is seeking to make absolute reductions in its emissions, rather than reductions in emissions intensity

only.

Table 3 - Emissions intensity calculations

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

operational emissions tCO2e 12,610 11,167 9,261 6,554 6446

operating revenue ($M) $ 56.4 $ 55.1 $ 61.9 $ 66.3 $ 70.4

rateable properties 24,054 24,253 24,380 24,444 24452

population 47,865 48,579 49,080 49,104 51070

tCO2e/$M 224 203 150 99 92

tCO2e /rateable property 0.52 0.46 0.38 0.27 0.26

tCO2e /person 0.26 0.23 0.19 0.13 0.13

13. Monitoring and reporting This heading has been included for audit purposes. Monitoring and reporting of this plan is covered in ‘measures’

(Section 8).

14. Emissions reduction calculations This heading has been included for audit purposes. These calculations are shown in the Emissions Inventory

Report 2014-15.

15. Performance against plan Outturn compared the the BAU and ALT forecasts for energy use, relevant operational costs and emissions are

shown in Figures 9 and 10.


Appendix 1.1 – Summary of carbon and energy management work

Kāpiti Coast District Council has been active in the areas of climate change mitigation and energy management for

many years, and has an ingrained culture of continuously pursuing greater efficiency in its operations.

Councillor and senior management commitment

In 2003, the Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EECA to

become an ‘EnergyWise Council’, which formally committed it to enhancing its

own energy efficiency and increase renewable energy supply.

In 2004 Council joined the Cities for Climate Protection NZ programme which

required Council to measure its GHG emissions and report them along with plans

and progress to reduce them annually. A dedicated member of staff was

appointed for the first time to progress this work, and these goals were reflected

in Council’s Long Term Plans from this point forward. Council produced four

annual reports (2005 – 2009) and achieved Milestone 3 of the programme. The

CCP-NZ programme ended in 2010.

In 2009 Council adopted an energy policy to provide a framework by which self-

financing energy saving projects could be approved and implemented. It also

earmarked savings from the project to convert the sewage drier at Paraparaumu

Waste Water Treatment Plant from diesel to wood to be ring-fenced to finance

further energy saving work both within council and in the wider community. This

policy has been discontinued but ongoing budgets were retained to support emission reduction and energy saving

work.

Also in 2009, Mayor Jenny Rowan signed the Local Government Leaders’ Position Statement on Climate Change on

behalf of the Council. Signatory councils committed to playing their part ‘in helping New Zealand face the climate

change challenge’.

In 2012 Council became the first local authority to become CEMARS certified (Carbon Emissions Measurement and

Reduction Scheme) by the carboNZero programme (Landcare Research), which involves measuring and reporting its

operational GHG emissions to the recognised standard for carbon footprinting (ISO14064), and having it and its

emissions management plans externally reviewed and verified.

Management

Council has measured GHG emissions in the past, and established a 2001 baseline. This was 2,633 tonnes of CO2

(equivalent) for Council’s direct use of electricity, natural gas diesel and petrol. For comparison Council’s emissions

of these four fuels was 4,199 tCO2e in 2009-10, and 2,734 tCO2e in 2010-11. Waste emissions, including that for

disposal of sludge, were not included in Council’s CCP emissions reporting, nor were smaller emissions sources such

as flights and refrigerant losses. The 2001 baseline has not been used for CEMARS as it is incomplete and it is not

possible to verify the accuracy of the data and assumptions to the ISO standard.

Energy use, cost and emissions reporting was improved in 2010 with the adoption of an energy management

system, which collects all Council energy invoice data into a central database on a monthly basis and is accessible

Former Kāpiti Coast Mayor Alan

Milne speaking at CCP-NZ

summit in 2005


anywhere via a web-browser. This system is used for regular and ad-hoc reports and queries concerning energy use

and savings, and account management.

Energy audits have been carried out on all Council’s sites with significant energy use, including water and waste

water treatment, swimming pools and Paraparaumu Library. In the water and waste water area, audit work has

verified that these are generally very efficiently run, with advanced variable speed control used wherever

appropriate, and motors and pumps regularly upgraded and selected for their efficiency. Some of the measures

found in audits of the swimming pools and the library have been carried out, while work on others is still ongoing.

Energy and emissions saving project examples

Otaki Bore Pumps

In 2005 the Water and Waste Water Treatment Manager assessed the energy consumption of the main pumps at

Tasman Bore in Otaki, and identified control scheme modifications could achieve better energy efficiency without

compromising water supply requirements. A computerised system was installed to control the pump and a 20%

reduction of electrical power consumption was achieved. After the modifications energy consumption at the Otaki

plant was reduced by 8,300 kWh per month, equivalent to 12 tonnes of CO2e per year.

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

kW

h / m

on

th

Feb-0

4

Apr-

04

Jun-0

4

Aug-0

4

Oct

-04

Dec-

04

Feb-0

5

Apr-

05

Jun-0

5

Aug-0

5

Oct

-05

Dec-

05

Feb-0

6

Apr-

06

Monthly Power Consumption - Tasman Bores

New Pump

Control System

Graph showing electricity use reduction at Tasman Bore in Otaki as a result of improved control.


Wood fuel conversion of the sewage drier at Paraparaumu

Waste Water Treatment Plant

The Council has cut its operational GHG emissions by

approximately 1,140 tonnes of CO2e per year through a

$1.2M investment in a 500kW wood boiler for sewage

sludge drying at its main waste water treatment plant in

Paraparaumu,. The wood boiler replaced a diesel fired

burner, and presently uses wood-pellet fuel. The project

was funded by an EECA Wood Energy Grant and Crown

Loan. The boiler was supplied and installed by Living

Energy and was commissioned in August 2010. Operating

savings in 2011 were estimated to be $327,000.

Ōtaki Pool solar pool heating system

Council installed a 535m2 solar thermal array for pool

heating at Ōtaki Swimming Pool in 2011, carried out in

conjunction with other energy saving measures at the site.

The project was made possible by an EECA Crown Loan.

The system is the largest solar thermal array (by area) in

the country. It was supplied by the Solar Group Ltd and

installed by Peter Jackson Plumbing.

PC power management software

Council deployed ‘Greenkeeper’ software to power down

its desktop PCs at night to save electricity in 2011.

Ōtaki Library and Memorial Hall solar PV system

In conjunction with electricity network company Electra,

Council installed a 2.0kWp grid-tied photovoltaic system

on the Ōtaki Library and Memorial Hall building to publicly

demonstrate the technology and gain experience with it.

Real time data, graphs and background on the system can

be found at:

www.splashmonitoring.com/system/otakilibrarysolar. The

system was commissioned in November 2011.

Binder 500kW wood chip boiler at Paraparaumu WWTP

Solar panel installation on Ōtaki Pool roof

Solar photovoltaic installation at Ōtaki Library and

Memorial Hall

http://www.splashmonitoring.com/system/otakilibrarysolar


Battery electric compactor truck

Council purchased NZ’s first full battery-electric rubbish

truck in 2013, working with Palmerston North

manufacturer Zero Emission Vehicles to develop the

vehicle. The 9-tonne truck is the most heavily utilised in

the Council’s fleet and is used to empty public litter bins

and drives a loop of the northern part of the district daily.

The vehicle has a normal range of 150km on a full charge

but has driven over 200km in a single day with top-ups

during work breaks. Recharging costs are a third of the fuel

costs of an equivalent diesel vehicle, providing a saving of

around $3,800 annually for Council. Greenhouse gas

emissions savings are 12 tonnes of CO2 per annum

Coastlands Aquatic Centre

The Coastland’s Aquatic Centre in Paraparaumu opened in 2013. It features a clear roof that by harvesting

solar energy reduces primary heat demand by 12% and lighting energy requirements by 70% annually.

Primary heating is provided by a heat pump that recovers energy and water from outgoing air. The facility

has a system to measure and monitor energy use of each part of the facility and the efficiency of the main

heat pump. Pool covers are used nightly by staff, who also used their initiative to make a hydroslide cover

also. An EECA Crown Loan was secured for the covers and energy monitoring system.

Awards

Paraparaumu Library, built in 2003-4, won a

New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Supreme

Award (one of only five awarded in 2004) and

Silver Award in the Association of Consulting

Engineers of New Zealand’s ‘Innovate NZ 2004’

Awards of Excellence, in part for its energy

saving features. The main library hall has no air

conditioning, but instead circulates night air

through its massive floor slab, storing this ‘free

cooling’ for the next day.

Council won the ‘Local and Central Government

Stepping Up’ category of the 2011 Ministry for

the Environment Green Ribbon Awards for its

work on environmental sustainability, including

climate change mitigation and energy

management.

Council was highly commended in the ‘public sector’ category of the 2012 EECA awards for its energy

management work. At the 2014 EECA Awards the Council Won the Public Sector and Community categories

and was highly commended in the Energy Management category. The Council also won the ‘Reducing Our

Greenhouse Gas Emissions’ category at the 2014 Green Ribbon Awards.

Deputy Mayor Mike Cardiff, Council’s Energy Advisor Jake

Roos and Opus International Consultants Managing Director

Peter Mathewson at the 2014 EECA Awards

Kevin Pritchard empties litter bins in Ōtaki with

the electric truck


Appendix 1.2 – ‘The Emissions Treble’

‘The Emission Treble’ was a campaign focussed on staff awareness relating to council’s emissions reduction

targets and what they could do in their jobs to help minimise these emissions and save money. It involved

taking staff suggestions, highlighting the good things already happening, giving out tips and providing

training. Driving habits were a particular focus as this is where the majority of staff could have a noticeable

impact by improving their technique. Messages were distributed in the form of a printed newsletter,

intranet stories and by senior managers at all-staff briefing sessions. Six newsletters were produced early in

the financial year, and seventh following up with results was produced at the end of the year. Examples of

these newsletters are on the following pages.


Issue 6, page 1


Issue 6, page 2


Issue 7 – page 1


Issue 7 – page 2

Carbon and Energy Management Plan - Kapiti Coast District€¦ · Kāpiti Coast District Council recognises climate change as one of the most significant challenges facing the district.

Documents