About the Programme
Since February 2007 Plastics New Zealand has run a Best Practice Energy Programme for member companies. This is an energy efficiency programme designed by the plastics industry for the plastics industry.
The plastics industry was the first industry sector in New Zealand to work with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) to develop a sector-wide industry approach to energy efficiency. In 2009 Plastics New Zealand was fortunate to cement this strong relationship with EECA by extending funding for the programme by another 2 years.
In 2007 the Plastics New Zealand Best Practice Energy Programme was Highly Commended at the EnergyWise Awards.
The key components of the Best Practice Programme are:
30 High Quality Energy Audits for Large Sites
Level 2 audits have been delivered to 18 companies to date, with a further 12 scheduled by the end of 2010.
20 Low Cost Audits for Smaller Companies
A new component started in 2009 that offers companies with an annual energy spend under $100,000 a highly practical, simplified version of a Level 2 audit. 20 audits will be conducted and will cost each company just $500.
Mentoring and Progress Tracking
The Best Practice Programme Coordinator works with audited companies to help them implement energy efficiency in their operations after their site audit. Progress is tracked through regular updates against action plans that are recorded in a central database.
Onsite Staff Training
Additional energy efficiency training has been offered free since the beginning of 2009, to companies receiving energy audits. This onsite training session is run by an accredited energy auditor. The training is designed to upskill key site personnel about energy efficiency opportunities, and help them to continually monitor for efficiency.
Industry-wide Training
In 2009 the programme has begun the process of incorporating energy efficiency into industry unit standards on the NZQA framework provided by the Plastics and Materials Processing Industry Training Organisation (PaMPITO). This project also closely involves other Niche Manufacturing ITOs, including Boatbuilding, Furniture, Textiles, and Printing, so has potential for wider application.
Energy Use Benchmarking
An online benchmarking tool enables members to create a password-protected database of energy and material use. This enables them to benchmark their energy performance against similar operations. Plastics New Zealand also linked with a European plastics industry programme to obtain benchmark energy use data for Europe against which to compare performance.
Best Practice Case Studies
Results of the energy audits have been used to develop energy efficiency case studies for the plastics industry. These case studies highlight best practice by using real examples from audits conducted within the programme.
If you would like to find out more about the Best Practice Energy Programme, or you are a Plastics New Zealand member and would like to join the programme please contact the programme coordinator.
