2009-09-08 - Climate change and its potentially devastating consequences make a compelling case for carbon-dioxide emissions reduction.
Carbon-emission reduction programmes form an important part of the Copenhagen Climate Treaty global meeting in December. As corporate enterprises we need to reduce our own carbon footprints, not only in the light of possible new laws to curb carbon emissions post-Copenhagen, but also because it is the right thing to do for all stakeholders, including customers, employees and society.
We need to ensure that we do our business in an environmentally sustainable way and minimise our impact on the environment wherever we have operations.
The case for energy efficiency is strong, as it is considered the main source of potential emissions reductions identified by the International Energy Agency (IRA) in their World Energy Outlook 2008 climate-change analysis, which presents long-term scenarios until 2030.
The lEA points to the main ways of reducing carbon-dioxide emissions: energy efficiency, renewables, biofuels and nuclear energy, and carbon capture and storage. Of these, energy efficiency will provide more than 50% of emissions reductions. Though the best forecasts are rough approximations of the future, the lEA clearly sees a huge role for energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency can be achieved through changing behaviour, operational efficiency, equipment efficiency and technology change.
We know that switching the lights off when leaving a room creates fast results, but behaviour change is not always sustainable unless people are prodded to stay motivated. Energy efficiency products such as variable speed drives (VSDs), high-efficiency motors and building automation systems (BMSs) offer strong savings. But changing technology or providing a complete new process achieves the highest savings and is more sustainable over the longer term.
ABB' new head office, manufacturing and logistics centre at Longmeadow, Johannesburg, is a good example of a complete new process or whole system change. We have built the R400-million premises together with developer Improvon to be a green building.
We use solar heating, grey water and have implemented many of ABB's technologies such as power factor correction, BMS, VSDs, high efficiency electric motors and photosensitive lighting at all workstations. Energy-efficiency measures have reduced electricity use from 120W/m2 on average for commercial buildings to about 80W/m2. At present with 80% occupancy, the building is running at about 40W/m2 (winter heating).
ABB's new building will be the venue for Automation and Power World 2009, where we expect to attract more than 1000 customers on November 11 and 12 this year with a 2400m exhibition and conference centre.
The event will be run on environmentally friendly principles with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint and offsetting to benefit communities.
Energy efficiency is an important way to curb the effects of climate change. We need more investment, effective policy, faster technological innovation and commitment from all stakeholders to use energy responsibly. - Carlos Pone is the chief executive of ABB South Africa