Energy Design / Audits / Training / Research

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Energy efficient design

When commercial / institutional building projects are designed for energy efficiency from the start, they show 30% - 50% energy use reductions at no extra net cost, and sometimes with capital cost reductions. The basic principle is to reduce the peak heating and cooling loads, so the mechanical equipment (chillers, boilers, fans, etc.) can be made smaller, thus reducing its costs.

Buildings designed for lowest life cycle costs show 80% - 90% energy savings compared to standard practice. Net zero buildings can be obtained by combining these with solar electric panels on the building roof.

Energy Solutions Ltd
Energy Solutions Ltd
Energy Solutions Ltd
Energy Solutions Ltd

Energy auditing

Energy Solutions Ltd

Energy audits identify and quantify opportunities for valuable projects, and allow benchmarking and baselining of the energy performance of a building or facility.

Energy Solutions has completed over 100 energy audits on commercial and industrial facilities around New Zealand. These include most of the largest facilities (Auckland International Airport, Te Papa Tongarewa, and several hospitals and universities). Every one of these audits has identified significant practical, cost-effective energy and emission reductions.

As a result, we guarantee that for any energy audit we perform, we will identify savings that are worth more than our fee, and that if we participate in the implementation of projects to achieve those savings, that they will be achieved, and be verifiable Click Here

Energy audits are regulated by NZS 3598 : 2014 Energy Audits (CK). This describes three types of energy audits (from the simplest to most detailed) for three main types of end-use (commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and transport fleets).

Energy Solutions Ltd

Energy efficiency training

Energy Solutions Ltd

Because of the importance of promulgating energy efficiency, Rob has been delivering technical training to industry professionals and others, both within New Zealand and internationally, for over forty years.

At present, Rob delivers three trainings for Carbon and Energy Professionals New Zealand (www.cep.org.nz)

  • Commercial Building Energy Specialist (3 days HVAC, deep technical, and 2 days of lighting)
  • Energy Management for Facilities Managers (2 days, light technical)
  • Energy Carbon and Management Professional (4 days, management focus)

Rob has previously delivered energy management courses for Victoria and Massey Universities, as well as customised training to many organisations in New Zealand and Australia, including water treatment, food processing, hotel chains, electricity retailers, etc.

Energy Efficiency Research

Energy Solutions Ltd

Rob has been part of several major energy efficiency research efforts in New Zealand and overseas. These include:

2008 - 2015 Building Energy End-use Study (BEES), in conjunction with BRANZ and Victoria University. This was an analysis of NZ’s non-residential building stock and its energy end-uses. Over one hundred randomly selected buildings were monitored in detail for the conditions they delivered and the energy required.

2006 – 2007 NZ’s electric efficiency potential study, with KEMA (USA) as main contractor, for NZ Electricity Commission. This incorporated a large phone survey and site visits to ten representative large electric industrial sites. With the demise of the EC, this is not widely available, but the final report is available on the LINKS page on this site.

2003 – The Zero and Low-Energy House research project with Victoria University and BRANZ. This was a simulation study to determine how to achieve this combined with a survey of the most efficient existing houses in New Zealand then.

1990-92 at Rocky Mountain Institute in Snowmass Colorado, compiling all available information on energy efficient HVAC systems into the report titled “The State of the Art of Space Cooling and Air Handling”. This was one of six volumes of dense technical details, first published as the Competitek manuals, later by E - Source .

1985 - 88 at the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ). Developing the Annual Load Factor (ALF) manual at BRANZ, as an easy method of calculating energy use of New Zealand houses.

1982-85 at Architectural Energy Corporation in Boulder, Colorado. Data logging of Passive Solar Housesand reporting on their performance as part of the “Class B” monitoring effort by the National Association of Homebuilders Research Foundation and the U.S. Department fo Energy.

He has also presented papers and chaired sessions at many local and international energy conferences.