Case studies

After having an energy audit done and carrying out the most cost-effective recommendations, the Auckland site is spending $40,000-$50,000 less a year on electricity a year. And it is considering more audits throughout the other branches.

Te Papa's energy management team has cut energy costs while taking care of a huge open-plan building with constantly changing uses and ever-expanding operating hours.

Crowne Plaza Christchurch's utility spend is a significant overhead. The driver behind an energy review was a desire to reduce utility costs - without compromising guests' comfort.

An energy audit uncovered ways to cut consumption and also kick-started a change in thinking. "It became part of our everyday business," explains chief engineer Chris Stevens.

The hotel's annual electricity bill is $100,000 less now than in 2006 - a 14% saving. It also achieved a peak annual saving of 14% in potable water and trade waste, and 12% in LPG consumption.

The University of Auckland now uses 41% less energy per student than it did in 1981, thanks to careful energy management. The university has achieved the reduction by continually monitoring its energy use, and using the results to identify and introduce targeted energy-efficiency measures.

Those measures include large-scale projects, such as upgrading the heating system, as well as low-cost initiatives such as introducing automated computer shutdowns. They are estimated to have saved the university more than $100 million since 1981 (based on 2008 energy rates).