Making it happen – clean, green infrastructure
The City has an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent and for the city to have capacity to meet up to 100 per cent of electricity demand by local electricity generation and 10 per cent of water supply by local water capture by 2030.
To help achieve this target the City appointed UK energy and climate change expert Allan Jones. His previous work reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the borough of Woking by 80 per cent and produced similar results for London.
At the moment 80% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the production of electricity, primarily by coal-fired power stations in the Hunter Valley. Two thirds of the energy being used by these stations is wasted as heat from cooling towers and on long-distance transmission and distribution over power lines to Sydney.
The City’s goal is to produce 70 per cent of its electricity needs from trigeneration and 30 per cent from renewable energy. Trigeneration is more than twice as energy efficient as coal-fired power stations because it uses the waste heat from local electricity production to both heat and cool buildings. The rest of the City’s reductions in greenhouse gas emissions would come from energy efficiency and other carbon reducing measures such as advanced waste treatment and sustainable transport.
Local power and water for the City of Sydney
Allan Jones is responsible for the tendering process and procurement for green infrastructure. He is also overseeing the rollout of major energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for the City’s own buildings and operations such as the building energy and water efficiency retrofit, LED street and public domain lighting and the large scale solar photovoltaics program.
Electricity network businesses in Australia are spending over $46 billion over 5 years, more expenditure than the $34 billion National Broadband Network.
In NSW, electricity networks are undertaking capital expenditure of $17.4 billion over 5 years. This represents $2,400 per person and an 80% increase on the previous 5 year period.
Average electricity prices in the Sydney electricity distribution network area are expected to increase by 83% during this period with the proportion of electricity bills that goes to pay network charges to rise from 40% to 60%. The proposed trigeneration network, energy efficiency and renewable energy could achieve savings in deferred electricity network costs and avoided costs of new power station capacity to serve the city’s growing demand in the order of $1.5 billion by 2030.
Green Infrastructure Plan
A key component of Sustainable Sydney 2030 is the call for a Green Infrastructure Plan which comprises:
• Decentralised Energy – Trigeneration Master Plan
• Decentralised Energy – Renewable Energy Master Plan
• Advanced Waste Treatment Master Plan
• Decentralised Water Master Plan
The City’s integrated plans for a city-wide energy, water and waste infrastructure makes it possible for trigeneration, recycled water and waste collection to share the same network infrastructure routes and stations. Recycled water could be treated by zero carbon waste heat from trigeneration and renewable gases and non potable water could be recovered from waste and used in the city’s green infrastructure network.
Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Trigeneration
In 2009, the City engaged the Kinesis consortium to develop the City’s Trigeneration Master Plan. The interim Trigeneration Master Plan was published in 2010 and the final Trigeneration Master Plan was published in 2012. This is the first of the City’s Green Infrastructure Master Plans, and it could potentially produce significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings across the city.
There was extensive modelling of the electricity, heating and cooling demands of buildings in the local government area to determine the optimal sizes and locations for trigeneration systems. The Master Plan identifies that trigeneration and cogeneration could produce up to 477MWe (megawatts) of local power, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 24-32 per cent. But we need to lobby the federal and NSW Government for regulatory change that will create incentives for the big end of town to hook their buildings up to trigeneration precincts.
Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Renewable Energy
In 2010, the City engaged Arup to develop the City’s Renewable Energy Master Plan report. This work is being supplemented by renewable gases/fuels and economic studies to complete the Renewable Energy Master Plan. The Renewable Energy Master Plan will set out the renewable electricity and renewable gases resources both inside and outside the City’s Local Government Area (LGA).
The draft report shows that 55% of the 30% renewable electricity target could be delivered within the LGA and 45% from outside the LGA. In addition, enough renewable gases and fuels needed to displace natural gas for trigeneration in the Trigeneration Master Plan could be sourced from renewable feedstocks within 250km of the city. This does not include the geothermal hot water resources in proximity to the city that could also be developed.
Together, this would deliver reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of 2.15 million tonnes a year which would equate to a 31.5% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emission and potentially up to 100% of the city’s local energy target (70% trigeneration plus 30% renewable electricity) being met from renewable energy by 2030.
Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Advanced Waste Treatment
In 2010, the City engaged Arup to develop the City’s Alternative Waste Treatment Business Case. This work is being supplemented by renewable gases/fuels and economic studies to complete the Advanced Waste Treatment Master Plan. The Advanced Waste Treatment Master Plan will set out the advanced waste treatment process and renewable gas resource in the City of Sydney Local Government Area (LGA).
Decentralised Water Master Plan
In 2011, the City engaged a consortium of GHD, Institute of Sustainable Futures (University of Technology Sydney) and P3Ci to develop the City’s Decentralised Water Master Plan.
There was extensive modeling of the mains drinking water and recycled water demands of buildings, parks and open spaces. In addition, stormwater pollution was also modeled and assessed. The plan identifies a 30 per cent reduction in mains drinking water demand with a city-wide recycled water network and a 50 per cent reduction in stormwater pollution.
Carbon reducing projects in the City’s own buildings and operations
Leading by example is an important principle for the public sector as you cannot expect others to do what you are not prepared to do yourself. The “show by doing” principle, adopted in Woking and London, demonstrates that if the public sector leads, others will follow.
The City has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions in its own buildings by 18% by building energy efficiency retrofits and has let a building energy and water efficiency retrofit contract to reduce emissions by a further 24%, increasing the total emission reductions to 42% by the end of 2012. The City has also replaced all City owned street lighting with LED’s over the next 3 years which will reduce emissions in its street lighting by 51%.
The City has also resolved to let a contract for what will be the largest concentration of solar energy photovoltaics on buildings in Australia. The project is being funded from the City’s Renewable Energy Fund and is expected to be completed by 2014.
Green Infrastructure Plan:
Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Trigeneration
- Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Part A Trigeneration – Expression of Interest(PDF 286KB)
- Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Part A Trigeneration – Request for Tender (PDF 363KB)
- Draft Final Trigeneration Plan (PDF 158KB)
- Environment & Heritage Committee. Final Trigeneration Master Plan. 18 June 2012. (PDF 158 KB)
- Environment & Heritage Committee. Attachment A. Draft Final Decentralised Energy Master Plan Trigeneration.18 June 2012. (PDF 10 MB)
- Environment & Heritage Committee. Draft Final Decentralised Energy Master Plan-Trigeneration-Technical Appendix B. 18 June 2012 (PDF 5.2MB)
- Extraordinary Council Trigeneration Negotiation – Authority for Commitment of Expenditure, 6 February 2012. (PDF 76KB)
- Corporate, finance, properties & tenders committee 28 november 2011 trigeneration negotiation (PDF 102KB
- Tender – Trigeneration Systems for City of Sydney Council’s facilities (design, installation,
- Decentralised Energy Master Plan Tender Part A – Combined Cooling, Heat And Power – Extraordinary Council Meeting, October 2009 (PDF 73KB)
- Trigeneration Master Plan Council Meeting, December 2010 (PDF 92KB)
- Trigeneration Master Plan – Attachment A Council Meeting, December 2010 (PDF 5.9MB)
- Trigeneration Master Plan – Attachment B Council Meeting, December 2010 (PDF 2.5MB)
- Tender – Trigeneration Systems Design, Installation, Operation and Maintenance, Council Meeting, April 2011 (PDF 97KB
- Trigeneration Master Plan Council Meeting, December 2010 (PDF 92KB)
- Trigeneration Master Plan – Attachment A Council Meeting, December 2010 (PDF 5.9MB)
- Trigeneration Master Plan – Attachment B Council Meeting, December 2010 (PDF 2.5MB)
- Environment & Heritage Committee. Final Trigeneration Master Plan. 18 June 2012. (PDF 158 KB)
Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Renewable Energy
Decentralised Energy Master Plan – Advances Waste Treatment
Decentralised Water Master Plan
- Decentralised Water Master Plan – tender advertisement (PDF 71KB)
- Decentralised Water Mast Plan – Part D: Specifications (Section 1, PDF 364KB)
- Decentralised Water Mast Plan – Part D: Specifications (Section 2, PDF 1.2 MB)Draft Decentralised Water Master Plan
- Environment and Heritage Committee Draft Decentralised Water Master Plan 23 July 2012 (PDF 145KB)
- Environment and Heritage Committee Draft Decentralised Water Master Plan Attachment A – Draft Decentralised Water Master Plan 23 July 2012 (PDF 8.5MB)
- Environment and Heritage Committee Draft Decentralised Water Master Plan Attachment B – Water Efficiency Plan 23 July 2012 (PDF 1.7MB)
- Environment and Heritage Committee Draft Decentralised Water Master Plan Attachment C – Recycled Water Plan 23 July 2012 (PDF 5MB)
- Environment and Heritage Committee Draft Decentralised Water Master Plan Attachment D- WSUD and Stormwater Report 23 July 2012 (PDF 5MB)
- Tender – Decentralised Water Master Plan (PDF 68kb)- Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, November 2010
Panel of Experts for the Delivery of Green Infrastructure
- Green Infrastructure Panel of Experts RFT (PDF 424 KB)
- Expression of Interest – Panel of Experts for the Delivery of Green Infrastructure (PDF 76kb) – Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, November 2010
- Request for Tender – Panels of Experts for the Delivery of Green Infrastructure, Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, February 2011 (PDF 75KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee Panel of Experts for the Delivery of Green Infrastructure 13 February 2012 (PDF 85KB)
- Expression of Interest – Panel of Experts for the Delivery of Green Infrastructure (PDF 76kb) – Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, November 2010
- Request for Tender – Panels of Experts for the Delivery of Green Infrastructure, Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, February 2011 (PDF 75KB)
City of Sydney Projects for Council Own Buildings and Operations
Trigeneration
- Expression of interest: Trigeneration Systems Design, Installation, Operation and Maintenance (PDF 128KB)
- Request for tender: Trigeneration Systems Design, Installation, Operation and Maintenance with Trigeneration Master Plan Briefing
- Draft Final Trigeneration Plan (PDF 158KB)
- Draft Final Trigeneration Master Plan Technical Appendix (PDF 5MB)
- Interim Trigeneration Master Plan (PDF 8MB)
- Interim Trigeneration Master Plan – Technical Appendix (PDF 5MB)
- Putting Sustainable Sydney 2030 into action (PDF 1.3MB)
- The Green Infrastructure Plan (PDF 74 KB)
- What is Trigeneration and how does it work (PDF 549 KB)
- Trigeneration: The Business Advantages (PDF 870KB)
- Trigeneration: The International Perspective (PDF 67KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee. Trigeneration – Authority to Enter into a Development Agreement 23 July 2012 (PDF 202KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee. Trigeneration Authority to Enter Heads of Agreement, 26 March 2012. (PDF 85KB)Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee. Trigeneration Authority to Enter Heads of Agreement. Attachment A Heads of Agreement (with redactions). March 2012 (PDF 7.5MB)
- Corporate, finance, properties & tenders committee 28 november 2011 trigeneration negotiation (PDF 102KB)
- Tender – Trigeneration Systems for City of Sydney Council’s facilities (design, installation, operations and maintenance) (PDF 97KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee. Trigeneration Authority to Enter Heads of Agreement, 26 March 2012. (PDF 85KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee. Trigeneration Authority to Enter Heads of Agreement. Attachment A Heads of Agreement (with redactions). March 2012 (PDF 7.5MB)
Building Energy and Water Efficiency Retrofit
- Building Energy and Water Efficiency Retrofit – Expression of Interest (PDF, 123KB)
- Building Energy and Water Efficiency Retrofit – Request for Tender (PDF 579KB)
- Tender – Building Energy and Water Efficiency Retrofit, Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, August 2011 (PDF 582KB)
LED Street and Public Domain Lighting
- Energy Efficient LED Lighting Retrofit of the City’s Public Domain Lighting Luminaires – Request for Tender (PDF 650Kb)
- Tender – Corporate, finance, properties & tenders committee 28 november 2011 led lighting (PDF 97KB)
- Building Lighting Efficiency Retrofit – Stage 1 – Tender – Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, March 2010 (PDF 64kb)
- Local Goverment Amendment (Environmental Upgrade Agreements) Bill 2010 (PDF 60KB)
- Request for Tender – Panels of Experts for the Delivery of Green Infrastructure, Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, February 2011 (PDF 75KB)
- Tender – Energy Efficient LED Lighting Retrofit, Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, August 2011 (PDF 93KB)
Photovoltaic Systems
- Photovoltaic Systems – Expression of Interest (PDF, 221KB)
- Photovoltaic Systems – Request for Tender (PDF 401KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee.Photovoltaic Systems Design and Installation on the City’s Buildings and Operations 23 July 2012(PDF 83KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee.Photovoltaic Systems Design and Installation on the City’s Buildings and Operations – Attachment A 23 July 2012 (PDF 231KB)
- Corporate, Finance, Properties & Tenders Committee Photovoltaic Systems 13 February 2012 (PDF 84KB)
Carbon Offsets
Decentralised Energy
- UTS Closer to Home/Benefits of Decentralised Energy report (PDF 2MB)
- Decentralised energy information – contains links to useful information explaining decentralised energy (PDF 723KB)
- Decentralised Energy Master Plan CCHP – City CCHP project update 1 (PDF 130KB)
- Electricity Network Regulatory Frameworks – Submission to the Productivity Commission
- Power of Choice – Giving consumers options in the way they use electricity submission(PDF 142Kb)
- Productivity Commission Potential Improvements to Regulation of Distribution and Transmission Networks in the NEM submission (rev 1). (PDF 187KB)
- Submission to the Australian Energy Regulator
- NEM Rule Change: Small Generation Aggregator Framework – Submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission
- NEM Rule Change: Connecting Embedded Generators – Submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission’ above ‘NEM Rule Change: Small Generation Aggregator Framework
- Approach to retail exemptions issues paper – Submission to the Australian Energy Regulator (PDF 156KB)
- Submission to the Prime Minister’s Task Group on Energy Efficiency (PDF 131KB)
- Framework and Approach Paper: Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy & Essential Energy – Submission to the Australian Energy Regulator’ above ‘NEM Rule Change: Connecting Embedded Generators
Regulatory barriers to Decentralised Energy
Electricity Regulation
NABERS
Renewable Energy
- Renewable Energy (PDF 1.4MB)
- Renewable Energy Masterplan Case Study
- Decentralised Energy Master Plan (Renewable energy) – Tender – Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee, September 2009 (PDF 71KB)
- GreenPower and Renewable Energy for the City of Sydney – Environment and Heritage Committee, May 2010 (PDF 220KB)
Better Buildings Partnership
Environmental Upgrade Agreements
C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group
Energy and Climate Change Briefings
- Energy and climate change briefing 1 – April 2010 (PDF 126KB)
- Energy and climate change briefing 2 – June 2010 (PDF 105KB)
- Energy and climate change briefing 3 – October 2010 (PDF 146KB)
- Energy and climate change briefing 4 – June 2011 (PDF 140KB)
Environmental Reports
Presentations
- Korean Metropolitan Cities & Provinces Chairmen 7 January 2013 (PDF 15MB)
- Video: Moving Cities Towards a Sustainable Low Carbon Future – Presentation to the Urban Sustainability Support Alliance
- Better Buildings partnership briefing 7 December 2011 (PDF 17MB)
- South Australia visit 9 February 2012 LMC Presentation, part 1 of 2 (PDF 34MB)
- South Australia visit 9 February 2012 LMC Presentation, part 2 of 2 (PDF 54MB)
- EMANZ Conference 23 March 2012 LMC Presentation, part 1 of 2 (PDF 22MB)
- EMANZ Conference 23 March 2012 LMC Presentation, part 2 of 2 (PDF 59MB)
- Retrofitting for energy efficiency NSW 18 April 2012 (PDF 29MB)
- CAFNEC conference 17 April 2012 (PDF 30MB)
- Sustainability Week 2012 Local Government Forum 1 June 2012 (PDF 47.1MB)
- Clean Energy Week 2012 contracting energy output 27 July 2012 (PDF 16MB)
- Clean Energy Week Co-Gen Tri-Gen 27 July 2012 (PDF 37MB)
- Macquarie University climate futures 21 August 2012 (PDF 22MB)International Green Awards 17 August 2012 (PDF 20Mb)
- City of Sydney Councillors Induction 26 September 2012 (PDF 50Mb)
- Metropolitan Local Government’s waste forum 11 October 2012, part 1 of 2 (PDF 68Mb)
- Metropolitan Local Government’s waste forum 11 October 2012, part 2 of 2 (PDF 23Mb)
- Solar Cities 2012 24 October 2012 (PDF 45Mb)
- Allan Jones: Sydney’s energy revolution, building a low carbon city (PDF 20MB)
- Allan Jones: Moving communities towards a sustainable, low carbon future (PDF 10MB)
- Chris Dunstan: Reducing cost and energy through distributed energy (PDF 873KB)
- Australian Summer Study Energy Efficiency & Decentralised Energy 1 March 2013



