Uralla : A Zero Net Energy Town
- Angela Forero
- Mar 31, 2013
- 3 min read
What is a zero net energy town?
A zero net energy town is a place, community, city that balances, reduces and off-sets its local energy needs with a 100% renewable energy supply. This is done by firstly reducing energy consumption and secondly importing locally produced energy to meet or exceed its demand. This article will be focusing on Uralla, the first Australian municipality taking its first steps to become a Zero Net Energy Town.
Uralla
Uralla is taking its first step into an exciting journey to become a Zero Net Energy Town (ZNET) by meeting its energy needs with renewable energy (this project excludes transport fuels such as petrol and diesel). The New South Wales (NSW) Government through the Office of Environment and Heritage has supported the Z-NET initiative and it is coordinating actions to achieve ZNET.
Uralla town has approximately 6000 people, its energy needs are met by electricity (49%), firewood ( 45%) and LGP (6%).There are four ways that have been proposed for business, institutions and households to reduce energy consumption:
• Using less energy through increasing insulation or installing energy efficient appliances.
• Generating their own energy on their property and potentially exporting energy for the use of others as well as the incorporation of batteries storage for later use.
• Generating energy nearby, it includes wind turbines, solar farms and others systems that produce energy that can be used by Uralla.
• Importing and purchasing renewable energy from existing energy sources instead of generating it on-site or nearby.
How are they doing it?
Step number 1: Consider the context of Uralla and respond questions such as : where does the energy come from? How is the energy used? What are the future energy requirements? What are the highlights issues that represent limitations or risks?
Step number 2 Set two stages to achieve the Z-NET goal:
•The first stage of the project involves immediate practical action such as using local or nearby generation opportunities that have a positive business case relative to the cost of importing renewable energy.
• The second stage requires to provide a framework for developing partnership and joining national policy and advocacy initiatives to remove barriers and establish a viable context for large-scale renewable generation.
Step number 3 :Identify all the possible options/ solutions:
Evaluate what will work and what wont; resolve how it will be implemented, weighing up a range of factors, define who will be responsible for what and define resources requirements.
Step number 4 :
Assess the desirability, feasibility and viability of different measures for the local community in order to reduce energy consumption and be more energy-efficient. Also, consider the technical and regulatory risk, customer market, business case, environment benefit, social benefit, and economic benefits side.
Step number 5 :
Propose scenarios that take into consideration variables such as resources, market, payback, impact and technology, then create an action plan that includes potential actions, size of resources, return on investment, tangible contribution to ZNET, technical ease, priority for ZNET and ease of governance and implementation.
What are the outcomes so far?
1. The actions and initiatives from the first stage will lead to the reduction of overall energy consumption by 15,7%, increase renewable energy by 20% from solar PV and Green Power, 100% of wood is coming from a sustainable source and reduction of 154,400 GJ of energy each year.
2. The second stage is projecting to provide benefits in the long-term. However if Uralla wants to reduce its energy consumption even further, will require to either import clean electricity and gas, generate more clean energy on-site or nearby to become ZNET.
To find out more information on Uralla please visit this website : http://z-net.org.au/
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