Greenchoice, available to ActewAGL customers in March 1999, was one of the first green energy programs in Australia. Through Greenchoice, ActewAGL sources electricity from mini-hydro, wind power and biomass, which is then made available to customers.

ActewAGL’s General Manager Retail, Ivan Slavich, says the organisation is also committed to using solar energy. “We continue to investigate solar initiatives in conjunction with the Australian National University by providing funds to develop solar technology that will produce both solar hot water and solar electricity specifically for domestic use.”

In 2006, there were 6,681 Greenchoice customers, who can choose to purchase 5, 10, or 15 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day generated from renewable sources. Slavich says this displaces an equal amount of electricity that would have otherwise been obtained from fossil fuels. “This year alone, customers will help to prevent more than 18,700 tonnes of fossil fuel emissions from entering the atmosphere just by being greenchoice customers,” says Slavich. “That is the equivalent of taking 9,388 cars off the road.”

Recycling and refurbishing oil

Providing customers with green energy options is not the only way ActewAGL is committed to sustainability. Recycling and refurbishing oil used in electricity transformers is an initiative that has significantly reduced the amount of waste produced and the organisation’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

From 2004 to 2006, ActewAGL’s electricity division has recycled or refurbished in excess of 446,500 litres of oil in substations alone, thereby drastically reducing the use of the non-renewable resources. If this oil was not recycled it would be scheduled for waste disposal.

Historically, normal maintenance practice for filling transformers and switchgear with oil was to use new insulating oil. This practice needed to be reviewed when tests in early 2004 showed the quality of the oil in several key large power transformers was unsatisfactory. A complication was that the oil was also contaminated with trace quantities of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB). For economic and environmental reasons ActewAGL did not want to purchase new oil and then simply dispose of such a large quantity of old oil, so they investigated the option of recycling the oil. That is, the oil would be drained, treated and then returned to the transformers.

As part of this process, ActewAGL has its oil dechlorinated to assist in reducing the disposal of used oil and replacement using new oil. Michael Charlton, General manager of Electricity Networks, says: “Of the 28 zone substation power transformers in the ACT network, 19 have their oil refurbished in situ. Effectively, these initiatives mean that purchasing of new oil has been substantially minimised and, as a result, electricity production costs are reduced.

”However, the recycling and refurbishing strategy doesn’t stop there. The electricity division also uses this strategy at its reclamation yard. During 2004 to 2006, metals including aluminium, copper, brass and steel to a total value of A$73,770, were recycled, and the reuse of reclaimed assets and their components reduces the need to purchase new materials, resulting in a cost saving. “This program has been highly successful, and will continue to provide cost savings to the business,” says Charlton.

Environmentally sustainable houses

The ActewAGL energy and water efficient houses at the Eco-Living Display Home Exhibition in Canberra in 2005 and 2006 showcased environmentally sustainable design principles that deliver water and energy savings at a range of costs to suit every budget, both indoors and out. Customers who visited the houses observed the initiatives and had the opportunity to implement the practical and innovative solutions at their homes.

The houses are HIA GreenSmart certified. This is a code of practice which encourages all GreenSmart partners to contribute to improving the environmental performance of Australia’s building industry, deliver environmental improvements in a way that responds to community expectations on building types and cost, and work with other GreenSmart professionals to pursue good environmental management in the building industry.

In 2006, ActewAGL won two prestigious national awards: the Boral Master Builders Association (MBA) Green Living Award for Environmental Design and the Boral MBA Innovation Award in the residential category. After the presentation of the Green Living Award, ActewAGL Chief Executive Officer John Mackay said: “A goal of ActewAGL is to educate the community on how to save energy and water in and around the home.We decided to achieve this goal by creating the Eco-Living Exhibition. The exhibition was a fantastic success having received over 22,000 visitors since it opened in February 2006.”

Energy saving calculator

An energy saving calculator is another environmentally sustainable tool ActewAGL provides its customers. The calculator available from its website demonstrates achievable monetary savings from energy conservation activities. In 2006, ActewAGL launched an educational site, which provides students, parents and teachers with information on energy, sustainability, water and communications.With over 250 pages, the website is designed for primary and secondary students and is structured to allow students to access information appropriate for their level of development. According to Slavich, the website also provides a resource for teachers including lesson plans for their classes. “ActewAGL is the only utility in Australia to provide an education website of this size and, together with TransACT, is the only telecommunications company in Australia to provide educational resources on communication,” says Slavich.

All of ActewAGL’s environmental management and sustainability practices are subjected to risk assessment to capture any health, safety and environmental implications involved with any given project. This assessment process ensures that all programs are measured equally and in line with the National Greenhouse Challenge Program.

Contact: Clare Dunn

Telephone: +61 2 6248 3581

Website: www.actewagl.com.au

ActewAGL's 2006 Annual Report (Including Sustainability Report): http://www.actewagl.com.au/publications/default.aspx