EECA Awards 2012.

NZ Post Group wins Energy Management Award

New Zealand Post - posties delivering mail

Harnessing its people power has helped New Zealand's second largest retailer avoid $5.6 million in energy costs - and won it the Energy Management title in the 2012 EECA Awards.

NZ Post Group, with businesses as diverse as Kiwibank and Express Couriers, employs 11,000 people and has more than 900 retail outlets - so reducing energy and fuel use needed a plan of attack to get the whole organisation on board.

Education and awareness-raising to create behaviour change amongst staff, forms a major plank of its sustainability drive. Specific action groups were formed to target transport and building energy use, with each site's performance reported via ‘scorecards' to the executive team.

A series of energy audits threw light on 30 sites that accounted for 60% of energy use; resulting initiatives included lighting and HVAC upgrades, smart meters and real-time energy monitoring.

As well as retrofitting for efficiency, top-flight energy-saving measures are embedded in new build projects: the new Auckland Operations Centre for subsidiary CourierPost, is New Zealand's first Green Star-certified industrial building with features such as rain water harvesting and CO2 monitoring.

The judges said NZ Post's energy-saving programme was "driven from the top" with strong management buy-in.
"Energy is business as usual with no special budget. This approach is what is missing in the market, a fantastic example of holistic energy process done well with valid outcomes."

The Energy Management award was sponsored by Contact Energy.
Also recognised in this category were:

  • Nelson Pine Industries - Highly Commended for a programme that has cut energy costs by $1.3m a year
  • ASB - Commended for its Save Watt programme that has cut electricity use by 23%
  • DMS Progrowers - Commended for energy management that has reduced costs per tray of kiwifruit by 20%.

Across all 2012 EECA Awards entrants, the value of energy saved or generated over the life of the projects is $600 million, and the total CO2 emissions reduced or avoided is 1.7 million tonnes.

>> Download the Winners Booklet to find out more about the winners and finalists.