New tool gives businesses greater insights into their electricity emissions
As more New Zealand businesses strive to reduce their carbon footprint, accurate measurement of emissions will help achieve more effective reduction strategies. One major source of emissions for many businesses is their electricity emissions, which is why Simply Energy is launching Carbon iQ, a new tool to help measure emissions from electricity at a more detailed level. The tool combines a business' half-hourly electricity consumption data with the carbon intensity of New Zealand's electricity system. Previously, businesses could only calculate an aggregated annual view of their electricity emissions. This didn't account for daily or seasonal fluctuations in the electricity generation mix or demand, so it was harder to know at what times the electricity grid had a higher percentage of renewable generation, for example. Additionally, there was a lag in available data. The latest emissions factor is from 2020, so it doesn't enable accurate reporting for any years since. Carbon iQ will make it possible to analyse a business's emissions in greater detail and with more accuracy. The new tool is powered by granular half-hourly electricity emissions data provided by Transpower Energy Market Services (EMS). Chantelle Bramley, Transpower's General Manager Strategy & Customer, believes accurate emissions tracking is becoming more important as New Zealand's economy is increasingly electrified. "Empowering individuals and businesses to make informed decisions on how they can reduce their carbon footprint is a key part of the electrified future we're moving toward, and we're pleased to help by providing quality data and insights," Bramley says. Carbon iQ will be accessible via an online tool that has two levels of service: Carbon Lite and Carbon Plus. Carbon Lite is a simple service where businesses can upload their half-hourly electricity consumption data, measured by their smart meter, for an individual site. This is then combined with the carbon intensity of New Zealand's electricity system, which is measured for 17,520 half-hourly periods each year. This means businesses can calculate their 'time-weighted' emissions and use that data to inform their business decisions. Carbon Plus provides deeper insights such as seasonal, multi-year, and custom output, as well as access to Simply Energy's analytics and insights services. As part of the service, Simply Energy can pull together a portfolio/multi-site view for businesses. They will also meet with businesses' teams to review their electricity carbon footprint and discuss initiatives to reduce it. With the information Carbon iQ delivers, businesses can shift electricity consumption to periods when the grid is greener and powered by more renewable sources, which typically cost less, alongside being more sustainable. Analysis shows that shifting electricity use can result in significant emissions savings. For example, at 6.30 pm on 6 September last year, New Zealand's electricity was 81% renewable, increasing to 97% by midnight. Shifting flexible consumption from the evening peak to after midnight on this day would have reduced CO2 emissions by 76%. While an extreme case, it has been found that flexible energy use can reduce emissions by about 30% on most days. Many businesses can take advantage of these insights. For example, coldstores or swimming pools can safely reduce some of their heating or cooling load during certain times or shift usage to lower carbon periods. A hotel could reduce its emissions by running laundry services earlier or later in the day. There are many ways of practically implementing the insight gained from using Carbon iQ, to support a better environment and to keep business costs down. You can find out more and register to be informed when Carbon iQ becomes available here . Sponsored content