A new High Efficiency Commercial Appliances method under the Emissions Reduction Fund aims to provide opportunities for projects that install high efficiency appliances in buildings including commercial offices, common areas of multi-residential buildings, retail and hospitality.
The types of appliances covered by the method include refrigerated display cabinets, airconditioners, close control airconditioners and chillers.
A spokeswoman for the Clean Energy Regulator said the method was intended to “reward businesses that go the extra mile by installing and using highly efficient appliances, rather than market average models that are commonly installed”.
Proponents do not need to wait for the third Emissions Reduction Fund auction on 27 and 28 April 2016 to participate, but can submit a project at any time.
A project can start operating as soon as it is registered by the Clean Energy Regulator, and can participate in an auction at a later date if the proponents choose to, the spokeswomen said.
Outside the ERF auctions, registered projects can be issued Australian Carbon Credit Units for the abatement generated or avoided by the project activities, without having a contract with the Commonwealth. Alternatively, a registered project can bid into the auction.
“Potential participants considering an Emissions Reduction Fund project may like to consider working with an aggregator to introduce economies of scale, reduce transaction and other business costs, and help manage the performance risk of the project,” she said.
The CER said the types of participants who could use the method included owners, operators or tenants of commercial and industrial buildings that use the specified appliance or plant types, as well as manufacturers or suppliers of those products, and other aggregators.
The method allows participants to calculate their emissions reductions using readily available product data and conservative deemed factors, instead of requiring monitoring of appliance electricity use.
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