ACU most energy-efficient uni

ACU has emerged as Australia’s most energy-efficient University in a recent survey of Australia and New Zealand tertiary institutions.

ACU recorded a level of energy efficiency 13 per cent higher than its nearest institution, Flinders University, and more than 40 per cent better than the Australian university average.

The results are contained in the annual benchmarking survey of the Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association (TEFMA). The survey ranks the operational performance of Universities and vocational educations institutions in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

The survey – which uses data for calendar year 2014 – also showed that ACU was the fourth-best University in water-efficiency, and seventh-best in diverting its waste away from landfill and into recycling and reuse.

The TEFMA survey measures energy and water efficiency as the amount of energy and water that an institution uses relative to its floor-space.

In 2014, ACU used 0.39 gigajoules of energy and 1413 kilolitres of water for each unit of floor-space. ACU diverted 57 per cent of its waste from landfill, compared to a sector mean of 39 per cent.

The Properties Directorate is developing plans to improve its water and energy efficiency by at least 7 per cent over the next several years, and maintain its very high levels of diversion of waste from landfill.