Source: http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/ERF/Choosing-a-project-type/Opportunities-for-industry/energy-efficiency-methods/aggregated-small-energy-users
Timestamp: 2018-06-18 07:39:05
Document Index: 453064264

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art\u200b 6', 'art 6', 'art 17', 'art\u200b 17', 'art\u200b 19', 'art 6', 'art 5']

Aggregated-small-energy-users
Clean Energy Regulator > Emissions Reduction Fund > Choosing a project type > Opportunities for industry > Energy efficiency methods > Aggregated small energy users
​Choosing a project type
Opportunities for industry​
Is the aggregated small energy users method suitable for your business?
If you have answered yes to all of the above questions, the aggregated small energy users method may be suitable for your business. Read on for further information including eligibility and compliance details.
The aggregated small energy users method sets out the rules for projects that reduce emissions by reducing the energy use of a large number of households or small businesses.
The method does not prescribe activities that must be undertaken. This provides flexibility for participants to determine what goods and services are most appropriate for their project.
Goods or services that could be undertaken to reduce energy use include:
changing behaviour associated with energy use by, for example, providing information through letter drops to the small energy users
upgrading equipment so it uses less energy such as LED lighting, or efficient water heating, space heating and cooling
changing building elements that influence energy use, including draft sealing of doors and windows.
The method is based on a similar method in the New South Wales Energy Savings Scheme (Aggregated metered baseline method), however, there are some differences due to overall scheme design and coverage. Please see the method’s legislative requirements and the quick reference guide below for further information about the method.
You must read and understand the method and other legislative requirements to conduct an aggregated small energy users project and earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). This includes:
Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative – Aggregated Small Energy Users) Methodology Determination 2015 and its Explanatory Statement.
Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiati​ve) Act 2011 , the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Regula​tions 2011 and the Carbon Credit​s (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015​.
Department of the Environment and Energy​​ inform​ation on ​the aggregated small energy users method (Includes information about the development of the method).
A guide to the aggregated small energy users method​
Statistical Society of Australia’s list of accredited statisticians
Quick reference guide to the aggregated small energy users method
This quick reference guide provides basic information about eligibility criteria and obligations that must be met to earn ACCUs from an aggregated small energy users project. It includes specific links to the relevant legislation but should not be viewed as an alternative to reading the full legislative requirements. Additional information can also be found in the full method guide linked above.
Act – Par​​t 5
have access to energy consumption data and have the right to use that data to calculate carbon abatement for an Emissions Reduction Fund project
set up a control group and a treatment group, and
engage a statistician accredited by the Statistical Society of Australia Inc. to certify the selection process of these groups as random and unbiased.
Section 11 of the method also requires that specific information is included in a project application before the project can be considered eligible. You should ensure you refer to this section and provide all the required information in your application.
Act ​– Part 3
Method – Part 2 and Part 3
The small energy users must be divided into two groups:
a treatment group that is offered your goods and services, and
a control group that is not targeted with the offers.
A project involves offering goods and services to the small energy users treatment group, such as households and small businesses, to help them reduce their consumption of grid electricity and natural gas. Goods and services offered could include:
upgrading equipment, such as installing energy efficient light bulbs or heating
changing the way equipment is used, such as installing standby power controllers for audio-visual equipment
changing building elements, such as installing draft seals on external doors, or
providing information to influence household energy consumption behaviour.
Advice on defining the populations to include in your project, including how to determine the required size, can be found in the full method guide.
The method includes three different sub-methods for calculating abatement, each with different data requirements. You must decide which sub-method you will use before the initial selection for any populations in the project.
Sub-method 1 requires only energy consumption data to be collected while the project is operating. It directly compares the energy consumption for the treatment and control groups.
Sub-method 2 requires energy consumption data from before the project commenced to establish a baseline. This establishes a pre-treatment baseline that helps improve the estimation of the differences between abatement in the control and treatment groups.
Sub-method 3 allows you to model abatement at sites when the project is operating. Abatement is calculated by multiplying the daily abatement by the number of days for which there is data from each site.
It is also important that you understand and manage your project in accordance with the restrictions on interactions with the control and treatment groups.
Method – Part 2, part 3 and, part 4​
The difference between the amounts of energy used by the treatment group and the control group during your project is used to calculate the abatement. For the results to be statistically valid, each group normally needs to include thousands of small energy users.
Abatement is calculated from the difference in energy consumption, and therefore abatement, between the treatment group and the control group. If this difference is found to be statistically significant, the net abatement for the reporting period is then calculated. If it is not statistically significant, then abatement for that reporting period is zero.
The way in which abatement is calculated will vary depending on which sub-method (1, 2 or 3) is being used. Details on how to calculate abatement using each sub-method, as well as an example of the process for sub-method 1, can be found in the full method guide.
In addition to the reporting requirements of the Act and the Rule, Section 64 in the method sets out the information that must be included in the first and subsequent reports. For example, reports must contain descriptions of the populations used for control and treatment groups, and of the goods or services offered.
A reporting period may comprise either one measurement period or two one-year measurement periods (for two consecutive years). For each population, a measurement period is the time during which energy consumption is measured and emissions reductions are calculated. Measurement periods run for one year and must be wholly contained within a reporting period. You will therefore have to report either every one or two years.
Act – Part​ 6
Rule ​– Part 6
Method – Section 64
Section 66 in the method includes one notification requirement:
You must notify the Clean Energy Regulator of a decision to change the activities undertaken as part of a treatment for a population in the project, if the new activities are not included in the original project application or a previous notification.
This must be done at least 30 days before starting the new activities.
Method – Section 66
In addition to the general monitoring requirem​ents​ of the Act, Sections 70–73 in the method describes the specific monitoring requirements that a project must meet. This involves collecting data on the consumption of electricity, natural gas or both at sites in the control and treatment groups. The method includes a number of options for collecting this data, including using data that is already being collected for billing purposes.
If you have chosen to use other variables under sub-method 3, the method also includes requirements on how to monitor those variables.
Act ​– Part 17
Method – Sections 70-73
In addition to the record-keeping requirements of the Act and the Rule, projects must also meet the specific record-keeping requirements set out in Section 68 of the method. The different types of records that must be kept include:
records (including evidence of the day or decision) of the choices made about options for calculating abatement
information about sites included in the project, and
disposal records for any equipment removed or replaced as part of the project.
Act – Part ​17
Rule – Part​ 17
Method – Section 68
Act – Part​ 19
Rule – P​art 6
Specialist skills will be required to carry out the project. Section 15 of the method states that you must engage a statistician accredited by the Statistical Society of Australia Inc. when selecting sites for the control group and treatment group. Other specialist skills might include a qualified energy manager.
Rule – S​ection 13(f)
Method – Part 5​