320 likes | 399 Views
Explore energy and water saving strategies implemented at universities, including audits, action plans, and benefits of consultation and engagement. Learn about the environmental challenges faced and the management activities undertaken.
E N D
Energy and water saving strategies J Lavarack & M Buchhorn
Soft systems and hard hats Communication processes for utilities management Campus Property & Services
About us Environmental Strategies, Campus Property & Services
Overview I: Resource pressures - NSW II: Utilities management at the University history 2005-6: Audits & Savings Action Plans III: Consultation and engagement Benefits Our Method Some outcomes
Water and energy challenges for NSW • Drought • Water restrictions • Energy demand • Blackout risk
..and implications for the University • Large Consumer • Energy trending up • Sports fields
..and implications for the University • State government mandate: Energy & Water Audits Energy & Water Savings Action Plans • State government Savings Funds • NSW State Government Environment Trust – education grant This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environment Trust
Management activities 1998-current • Dedicated manager • Utilities Management System • Housekeeping • Design guidelines • Working groups & Discussion Papers
Developing Savings Action Plans: 2005-6 • Management Review • Audit – Level 3 AS/NZS 3598:2000 • baseline data desktop from UIS • 15 buildings audited – water • 10+ buildings underway - energy • Savings Actions Plans - 4 years
Water Savings Actions identified for 2007-2010 • Leak detection • Flow restriction • Rainwater harvesting • Waste water re-use
Summary: Savings Action Planning activities Ongoing Utilities & Facilities Planning Technical auditing Communication & Relationships ‘Management Reviews’
Exploring communication & relationship building: Technical auditing? Utilities & Facilities Planning activities? Communication & relationship building activities ? ‘Management Reviews’
Is there more to ‘communication strategies…than ‘awareness raising’? ‘Engineered Awareness’ Source: Les Robinson
Auditing can deliver quantitative estimates…… ……However ‘qualitative’ questions remain: What issues occupy people’s time within the organisation? How do people at the university influence utilities consumption?
Our ‘stance’:Consultation and ‘engagement’ as a cornerstone of Utilities Planning
Ignore ‘soft systems’ at your own risk when.. The University is devolved: • Institutional / building knowledge is devolved • Plans need to reflect ‘local settings’ • CP&S relies on local or Faculty based ‘agents’ for facilities management activities
Benefits of consultation & ‘engagement’? Involve those who will ‘live with’ planning decisions To co-develop more robust solutions
Benefits of consultation & ‘engagement’? In some instances, occupants influence the environmental performance of their building… Eg: air conditioning control panels Design success requires understanding of how people respond to local conditions and equipment
Engaging - Benefits ‘good housekeeping’ involves the daily practice of all staff Consult to reveal ‘motivators’ for change amongst ‘target groups’
Engaging - Benefits Our ‘engagement method’, applied across 15+ buildings Reduced the number of buildings required for a technical audit on campus
PROFILING INTERVIEWS ASSUMPTIONS • buildings are the most relevant “management unit” (cf. sub-catchments) • presence of building users with relevant (tacit) knowledge/experience • an interview can ‘capture’ this knowledge Physics Building and Tennis Courts
ACTION APPROACH SKILLS 1. MAKING CONTACT • Initial contact found through: • Reports from facility managers • Complaints records • Chance information kept and annotated • Other interviewees • Open manner • Respectful • Non-threatening • Voluntary • Purposeful Managing complex data sets Uni live week
ACTION APPROACH SKILLS 2. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW • Agreement for initial interview and note taking • Confidentiality and access to notes • Digress and finish all the questions Reflective • Story telling - history • Inviting interpretation • Receptive to frustration and enthusiasm • Bracketing • Attentive listening
ACTION APPROACH SKILLS 3. INTERPRETATION • Interviewers • Interviewees • Relevant technicians (eg. HVAC, project managers) • Share interpretation and use of data • Share responsibility for data • Facilitation • Communic-ation tool develop-ment
‘Profiling’ – Outcomesin terms of relationships • An emerging, ‘self generating’ network of faculty based ‘building managers’ that is: • - clarifying issues • identifying their own ‘capacity building needs’ • clarifying the role of Environmental Strategies Team • providing a network of local representatives of a ‘franchised’ approach to communication
‘Profiling’ – Outcomes in relation to Savings Action Plans Understanding of where ‘local capacity’ lies for Water Savings & Energy Savings initiatives A process to develop processes for local implementation
‘Profiling’ – Outcomes in relation to “Green Buildings” Growing understanding of where it’s strategic to undertake communication for environmental outcomes within the project/building cycle: --- design---build---commission----tuneup Capacity for ongoing dialogue with occupants to understand communication needs: from their perspective
Lunch Please reconvene at 2pm on Level 3, Ballroom A/ Ante (adjacent to the Trade Exhibition)