Case studies

Christchurch specialty meats producer Verkerks is paying for a lot less energy after taking a fresh look at how it generates heat and processes waste.

By converting the boiler to burn tallow, a meat processing byproduct, Verkerks will likely cut their energy costs by $150,000 a year.

The boiler at the company's processing plant produces steam for heating the smoke houses and fermenting rooms, and water heating.

Until recently the boiler operated only on diesel, consuming around 7,000 litres - and thousands of dollars - every week.

New technology is turning sludge from waste water into valuable bio-fuel with environmental and financial benefits for a Southland meat processing plant.

It's a bubbling fluidised bed boiler, well-proven overseas for its ability to handle low quality fuels. The 8.5MW unit was installed at Silver Fern Farms' Finegand plant by Energy For Industry under a build, own, operate agreement.

The University of Otago's Property Services division oversees the maintenance of campus buildings and grounds as well as new building construction. As the unit that keeps the University's campuses functioning year round, Property Services' energy use can be intensive. So when they were considering a heating upgrade, one of the key drivers was the ongoing cost of power. Renewable energy was the preferred option. But like any other organisation with limited budget, the final solution needed to make good business sense.

Wigram Lodge installed a wood-chip boiler - and in the process reduced energy costs and improved tenant comfort. Wigram Lodge is saving up to $52,000 and has reduced emissions by 146 tonnes per year.