Auzion encourages sustainability in business at ASB Conference

AuzionPR — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:13:50 +0000

Auzion, a leading Queensland renewable energy company, will be helping businesses to operate more sustainably through energy management at the 2012 Association of Sustainability in Business (ASB) Conference.

The B2B exhibition titled ‘Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation’, will be held from Monday, 21st to Tuesday, 22nd May at the Radisson Resort, Gold Coast.

Auzion founder and CEO, Mark Leckenby said the conference was a great opportunity for businesses to discover the latest ideas, products, technologies and sustainable solutions available to them.

“We’re excited to be a part of such a popular event and to share our knowledge with other businesses,” Mark said.

Auzion, also a sponsor of the event, will be showcasing their latest product innovation, the award-winning AuziMax Energy Maximiser.

The AuziMax is a revolutionary energy management system that enables the user to monitor energy use in the home or business through a secure web portal. The device allows the user to track their energy consumption, view a breakdown of where and when the energy is being used and even set energy budgets and targets.

“We are incredibly proud to be associated with the 2012 ASB Conference and help drive commercial sustainability,” Mark said.

“Our AuziMax in unlike any other product on the market with trials seeing users save, on average, an additional 20% on their energy consumption,” Mark said.

Mark will also be delivering a special presentation in the Augusta Room at 9am on Tuesday, 22 May focusing on ‘Making sustainable choices through energy monitoring’.

The ASB is a Non-Government, not-for-profit organisation that focuses on educating Australian businesses to achieve economic sustainability using natural resources more efficiently by providing the latest information, training, B2B opportunities and sustainable initiatives in the local and global sphere.

The conference includes case studies, keynote presentations and workshops that will provide delegates with a range of effective sustainable business practices from energy saving to carbon pricing as well as a number of exhibitors promoting ideas, products and solutions to assist businesses and government departments achieve profitable sustainability.

“In this industry, it is vital to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and innovations and the conference is a great opportunity for Auzion to network and see other emerging technologies in the sustainability sector,” Mark said.

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Success at National Business Pitch Competition

AuzionPR — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:43:39 +0000

Congratulations to Levi Leckenby, part of the Auzion Research and Development team on a job well done last night!

Levi impressed the judges of the Innovation Centre’s National Business Pitch Competition at the Innovation Centre’s 10th Anniversary Event last night with a brilliant three-minute presentation about the AuziMax Energy Maximiser, which saw him and AuziMax come runner up.

Forum shares Cleantech ideas to help Queensland businesses reduce costs

AuzionPR — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:17:23 +0000

Today, Auzion CEO Mark Leckenby joins over 180 business delegates at the Business Bill Busters EcoBiz Network event in Redlands.

The EcoBiz Network forums bring together businesses, sustainable technology users and retailers in a casual environment to discuss and present new technologies, independent overviews and business case studies.

These forums aim to provide Queensland businesses with easy low cost or no cost ways to save money and increase profits by reducing overheads through the user of new energy, water and waste saving products, technologies and best practices as well as sharing tried and tested sustainable solutions, information and experiences and building networks.

At the forum, Mark will be presenting Auzion’s AuziMax Energy Maximiser, and discussing how businesses can use this revolutionary cloud-based energy management system to reduce energy consumption and save money.

Clean Energy Council names new solar capital of Australia

AuzionPR — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:31:09 +0000

Caloundra, which has held the title of Australia’s solar capital since 2010 has been displaced by Western NSW city, Dubbo with 28 per cent of its homes installing solar PV in 2011.

The survey, compiled by the Clean Energy Council, showed that despite popular belief, affluent inner-city suburbs often have some of the lowest rates of solar installation and those in regional and lower-income suburbs, retirement belts and some coastal regions have recorded some of the highest numbers of solar.

In fact, the data suggests that it is those most exposed to rising power bills that were more likely to invest in a solar system.

Australia now has more than half a million solar power systems throughout the nation, but CEC acting CEO Kane Thorton said Australia was only just in the early stages of tapping in to the power of this technology.

The top 10 Queensland solar postcodes at the end of 2011:

4551 Caloundra, Pelican Waters, Golden Beach 27.3% of houses have solar power systems
4280 Jimboomba, North Maclean, South Maclean 23.9%
4208 Ormeau, Jacobs Well 23.2%
4505 Burpengary, Burpengary East 22.2%
4507 Bribie Island 21.7%
4165 Victoria Point, Mount Cotton, Redland Bay 21.0%
4116 Calamvale, Drewcale, Stretton 21.0%
4113 Chambers Flat, Waterford 20.2%
4124 Greenbank, Boronia Heights, Spring Mountain 19.7%
4520 Samford Valley, Mount Glorious, Mount Nebo 19.5%

For more survey statistics, visit www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au.

Government solar incentives to be reduced again from 1 July 2012

AuzionPR — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:29:04 +0000

In just a few months time on the 1 July, 2012 the Federal Government will be making their annual cut to Solar Credits.

Solar Credits are part of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and aim to encourage Australians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by offsetting some of the cost of solar panel installations.

Solar Credits can be applied to the first 1.5kW (Kilowatts) of capacity installed for grid connected Solar PV systems and up to 20kW of capacity for off-grid systems. Installing an eligible system allows the creation of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).

Solar Credits work by multiplying STCs which are basically an electronic form of currency with a value that can be redeemed by selling or assigning them. An STC represents the equivalent of one Megawatt Hour of electricity generated by the system you install. Therefore, the rebate is technically the Government paying you upfront for 15 years worth of renewable energy you produce.

Installing a system before the 30 June 2012 means you will be eligible to receive the 3x STC multiplier, before it is scaled back to 2x from 1 July, 2012.

The Government plans to phase out the credits program over the next year and a half, with the program to effectively end on 1 July 2013.

With the current price of STC’s trading at between $15 to $40 each, the a household that installs a 1.5kW solar PV system in Queensland before the 30 June 2012 (with the 3x multiplier), will be eligible to claim up to $3,700 in solar credits. This amount will fall to $2,400 after the 1 July, 2012.

However, the level of subsidy you receive depends on the geographic location of the installed system, the size of the system and the value of STCs at the time the system was installed.

Solar still remains extremely popular particularly when considering the alternative of forever paying power bills that continue to rise. Also, keeping in mind that an average solar system can produce savings of approximately $40,000 over the life of the system, in comparison, this reduction in STCs is insignificant.

Althought the initial out-of-pocket costs have risen, the Queensland Government will continue to pay a minimum of 44cents per kWh for power fed back into the grid and with the effectiveness of solar panels continuing to improve; both the long-term financial and environmental benefits remain strong and indisputable.

So, if you are planning to invest in solar and would like to take advantage of the Government incentives before they reduce, then now is the time to act.

Please note: The value at which an STC is sold fluctuates because it essentially depends on supply and demand. To calculate the number of STCs your home is entitled to, visit orer.gov.au.

What is peak demand?

AuzionPR — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:50:20 +0000

Peak demand refers to a time when electricity use is at its highest. This time is usually between the hours of 4pm and 8pm when the typical Australian household is cooking dinner, using the computer or TV, having showers, washing clothes and switching on lights and air conditioners.

All the energy used during this time contributes to a significant spike in residential energy usage, creating daily peak demand.

Our major electricity suppliers spend millions of dollars upgrading networks to support Queensland’s growing population, times of high-energy use and to avoid power outages. It is the costs associated with these upgrades that are the main cause of increasing electricity prices.

Therefore, to keep our electricity costs as low as possible, Australians need to be smarter about how and when we use power and do our best to keep energy use from reaching ‘peak demand’ levels.

There are some simple ways you can do your bit to reduce electricity demand during peak times:

Use only necessary appliances and switch off others when not in use.
Set air-conditioners to 25 degrees
Put your dishwasher on before bed, rather than straight after dinner
Switch your pool pump, hot water systems and dishwashers to an economy tariff.

To monitor energy usage levels you can visit the Energex website to see the network demand meter showing the current demand for electricity in South East Queensland.

Tariff 31 (Super Economy Tariff)

AuzionPR — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:53:34 +0000

If you want to save even more money on your electricity bills then consider connecting your water heater to the Super Economy Plan.

Tariff 31 or the ‘Super Economy Tariff’ is the cheapest tariff available for electric hot water systems and permanently connected heat banks but can also be used to boost solar hot water heaters. The rate charged on this tariff is 9.28c/kWh Inc GST as opposed to the normal domestic tariff (tariff 11) at 22.76c/kWh inc. GST.

The electricity company can charge this lower rate because the electricity supply for this tariff is only available for a minimum of eight hours per day and will only heat your water at times when electricity-demand is low, such as at night, when generators would otherwise be idle. Like Tariff 33, ENERGEX control the supply at their discretion and usually only operate this tariff between the hours of 10pm – 7am, however, on some days the electricity supply may not be turned off at all.

It is because of these restrictions that Tariff 31 is about 59% cheaper than your normal domestic tariff.

This tariff is recommended for larger water heaters or a minimum of 250L. Because of the restricted energy supply hours, it is important to make sure that your system is large enough to only reheat at night and still meet your household needs throughout the day.

Please see below to check if your hot water system is suitable for tariff 31.

Capacity	Tariff 31 Night Rate (Super Economy)
50 litre	Not suitable
80 litre	Not suitable
125 litre	Not suitable
160 litre	Not suitable
250 litre	2-3 people
315 litre	4-5 people
400 litre	6-8 people

AuziMax features explained

AuzionPR — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:55:00 +0000

If you live from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to Rockhampton, you may have seen our exciting new AuziMax TV Commercial or Print Ad.

But, if you have had the pleasure of delving into the wonderful world of advertising, you will know how difficult it is to say everything you want within the word and time constraints, especially when you are showcasing a product as fantastic as the AuziMax.

So, we thought we would elaborate on the features we mentioned in the ads to give you a clearer understanding of the benefits this new energy management technology can provide:

Maximise your grid feed: the AuziMax can be linked to a solar grid system. When used in conjunction with solar power, the system analyses the levels of renewable and conventional power being used and also enables smart switching of loads to maximise the amount of solar power fed back into the grid.

Track where you’re using energy: Through the AuziMax’s secure web portal, you can track your energy consumption and view a detailed breakdown of where and when the energy is being used. This allows you to accurately pinpoint areas and times of energy overuse. Data is displayed in convenient graphic format, using colour coding and graphs to communicate easily.

Set energy budgets: The AuziMAx online dashboard prompts you to adopt a more ‘energy smart’ approach to living by setting energy budgets and targets.

Receive friendly reminders: One of the great features of the AuziMax is that you can customise the system to suit your energy needs and budget. You can ask the system to send you emails and SMS alerts to notify you when you are exceeding your budget, preventing any nasty surprises when your next energy bill comes.

Manage peak demand: One of the ways you can help electricity suppliers keep the cost of electricity as low as possible is to reduce your use of energy during peak demand times ( 4-8pm). Through the AuziMax dashboard, you can monitor the kW usage at each minute, hour or day – helping you to keep your energy use low and doing your bit to manage peak demand.

Save even more money: AuziMax customers are reporting significant behavioural changes in the way they consume electricity as a result of the AuziMax, with a 20% average reduction in energy consumption.

Cut your energy costs further with Tariff 33

AuzionPR — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:19:14 +0000

If you own a pool or medium to large sized hot water system and want to save money on your electricity bills, then this article is for you.

Everything that uses electricity in and around your home is connected to a tariff that indicates to your power company the rate you should be charged for the electricity you use. There are a number of different tariffs available and if you live in Queensland, your lighting, power and hot water (if it is continuous), is most likely connected to Tariff 11.

Another easy way to save money on your electricity bills, apart from solar, is to switch the appliances that use a lot of electricity, such as your hot water and pool, to a different tariff.

Tariff 33, also known as the ‘off peak’ or ‘economy’ tariff, was introduced as a way to encourage people to use electricity away from the residential peak demand periods. This tariff can be applied to medium to large sized electric storage water heaters, solar-electric water heaters, pool pumps and heat pump water heaters. You can also use this tariff for other domestic loads such as swimming pool filters, chlorinators and chlorine dispensing units, water bed heaters and some freezers, provided they are permanently connected.

What makes this tariff so special is the price per unit of electricity is much cheaper. At only 13.67c/kWh inc. GST, it can save you up to 40% more per year compared to the normal domestic tariff (tariff 11) which charges 22.76c/kWh inc. GST. By simply switching your pool pump and hot water system to Tariff 33, you could reduce your energy bill by up to $120 – $300 per year and for a little extra encouragement, Ergon and ENERGEX are even offering a rebate cash back of $250 – $350.

If you have solar, your savings will be further increased and if you are still considering installing, you will be able to install a smaller more affordable solar system.

The reason why Tariff 33 is cheaper than the normal domestic tariff is that the electricity supply is only available for 18 hours per day and is switched via load control equipment supplied and maintained by ENERGEX. This means that during peak demand times of 6 – 9am or 4 – 8pm, Tariff 33 doesn’t operate. However, the times of supply are at ENERGEX’s discretion and on some days electricity supply may not be turned off at all. So, if you can refrain from using these appliances during these times, Tariff 33 is a great solution for you.

There are services available to help you select the right tariff and lower the electricity costs for your household. If you are interested in switching tariffs, contact a licensed electrician.

Auzion reaches out to Mackay

AuzionPR — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:32:55 +0000

After making their mark on South East Queensland, Auzion have headed North, opening up offices in Rockhampton, Townsville, Gladstone and now Mackay.

Shortly after their arrival in Mackay, Auzion met with St Pauls Uniting Church and signed them up for a 5kW Auzion PV solar system.

During negotiations, Auzion had seen the great work the church was doing to assist the homeless people of Mackay and wanted to support this great initiative.

“Auzion believes strongly about being involved in the communities in which we operate,” Auzion CEO, Mark Leckenby said.

“It was especially important for me to support this project, having grown up in Mackay,” Mark said.

As part of the arrangement, for every person that signs up and installs an Auzion solar PV system in Mackay, Auzion will donate $300 to the Church’s ‘Street Ministry’ Program, an effort to help support the homeless people of Mackay.

“We often find homeless people sleeping on the steps of the church, even though there is no official homeless shelter there,” Ken Whyte said.

“Our program provides a range of support services including advice on housing and dealing with Centrelink, providing essentials such as food and clothing and general assistance with whatever they may need,” Ken said.

In the 2011 QCOSS Regional Homelessness Profile, it was found that more than 4% of Mackay’s population were homeless, a much higher homeless proportion than the rest of Queensland.

“There seems to be two extremes in Mackay – the very wealthy and the extreme poor,” Ken said.

“I believe the homeless situation is so high, particularly for mining towns like Mackay, because of all the marriage breakups due to the added stress on relationships with husbands travelling away to work,” Ken siad.

“Many of the people we help are not just homeless, but also suffer from mental health problems and alcohol and drug dependencies,” Ken said.

“We also work with many children and teenagers that believe they are better off on the street than being at home,” Ken said.

“All the money received from Auzion will help us continue to provide our vital services and also help to restock our food bank that we run out of the church,” Ken said.

“As a voluntary not-for-profit organisation, we are always looking for funding to enable us to continue to provide support to others,” Ken said.