The Green Building Council of Australia has welcomed the efforts of the NSW Government in improving energy efficiency in households and businesses across the state.
Improvements to the NSW Government’s Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) will help households and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money and boost productivity.
Robin Mellon, Chief Operating Officer of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) comments that energy-efficient buildings in residential or commercial segments are cheaper to operate, have smaller carbon footprints, are more productive and healthy spaces, and are better long-term assets. Improvements to the ESS will therefore, encourage more households and businesses to take action and capture the benefits of energy-efficient buildings.
The ESS encourages households and businesses to reduce electricity consumption and costs by installing, improving or replacing energy saving equipment.
Key changes to the ESS include: New incentives for households to purchase quality and affordable energy savings upgrades to their homes, including high-efficiency heating and cooling, lighting, window glazing and draught sealing; Incentives for businesses to purchase highly-efficient commercial refrigeration and air conditioning equipment; Better performance standards for commercial lighting products to ensure customers receive high-quality and long-lasting products and services; Red tape removal to make it easier for appliance retailers and service providers to access and administer the scheme.
Committed to promoting sustainable building practices, designs and technologies, GBCA applauds supportive government policies, such as the NSW Government’s ESS. Mr Mellon adds that a coordinated approach is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, along with a range of complementary measures to assist the built environment to achieve its carbon abatement potential while saving money and resources, and creating places that are healthy, productive and efficient.
