THE BACKGROUND
Energy Cost Attack was asked by one of Sydney’s leading strata management companies, Bright & Duggan to look at a building they manage at 361 Kent St, Sydney. The Trafalgar Oaks 
Apartments building has an Executive Committee interested in managing their costs and improved energy efficiency from LED lighting was the obvious place to start.
The Executive Committee members sought both technical and commercial input from several potential suppliers.
Tim Etheridge from Energy Cost Attack met the Executive Committee members tasked with selecting a solution provider. The fire stairs were well suited to the new dimming LED tubes and all the lobbies were burning fluoro Oysters that looked very tired.
Tim also came up with an innovative solution to replace 60 twin fluorescent lights with just 3 powerful 220W LED floodlights in the car park stacker area. His innovative approach certainly helped the client choose Energy Cost Attack. The price, of course, was also better.
THE PROJECT
The building was built by Meriton and is now about 10 years old and has a range of “fluoro – generation” lights, ripe for up-grading to LED generation lighting:
- The Lift Lobbies
- REMOVE: About 200 X 27W Circular Fluoro Oysters
- UP-GRADE TO: Dimming LED Oyster lights, including Emergency version lights.
- Fire stairs had traditional twin fluoros, some with Emergency circuits, all burning 24/7.
- REMOVE: About 220 Single & Twin 36W fluorescent lights, many with Emergency circuits. There are about 60 levels of fire stair in the building.
- UP_GRADE TO : Linear LED (tubes) with Radar –microwave sensors on each tube. The fire stairs dim to 30% power until motion is detected. Emergency lights included.
- The Pool area had 25 X 27W fluoro lights that burned power, regardless of occupancy.
- Oyster REMOVE: 25 fluorescent Oyster lights, some with Emergency circuits.
- UP-GRADE TO: 18W LED Oyster lights with Motion sensor. This light uses 5.4W on standby until the Radar sensor picks up movement. The lights remain full for 15-30 minutes depending on setting.
- The Car Stacker had 120 fluoro tubes which could be replaced with just 3 X 220W LED High bay lights. The payback on this area of the building was only 2 months. Two LED High Bays are on motion sensor so the energy reduction was about 95% !
- The Car park Entry had 60 fluoro tubes which were replaced with new LED polycarbonate fittings .
- The Entry Lobby had halogen down lights, that ran hot and often-needed replacement.
SOLUTION: LED down lights run cool and last about 10 years. We selected 20W Clear white (4000K) to give an inviting light ambience.
THE RESULT
ENERGY SAVED….. by conversion of fluorescent lights to LED lights.
In December 2014 the building used 66,400 kW of electricity. In JUNE 2015 the building used 49,200 kW of electricity.
This means the LED lights used 17,200 kW less electricity in the 30 day month.
On a per year basis, this is an Energy Saving of 210,000 kilowatts.
CARBON SAVED….. This is a 210 tonne reduction of CO2 emissions per year.
MONEY SAVED….. At the NEW negotiated contract rate of 17 cents per kW/Hour this is a saving of $35,800 per Year.
PAYBACK ….. – 15 MONTHS – the project cost the client $45,000 after Energy Saving Scheme rebates. Reduced power bills and maintenance costs will cover the cost in just 15 months.
THE CLIENT FEEDBACK
From: “Arndria Seymour” <arndria@amicii.com.au>
Subject: Feedback – 361 Kent Street, Sydney Energy Saving Project
Date: July 16, 2015 at 10:49:46 AM GMT+10
To: “Timothy Etheridge” <tim@energycostattack.com.au>, ”
Hi Tim
This is a note to thank you and you and your team for the fantastic results of our energy saving project has achieved.
We have been impressed from start to finish with the quality and creativeness of the solution provided. In particular I know that our building’s car stacker offered numerous challenges which you took on and overcame with what looked like ease, which I know was not.
In the first quarter period of monitoring we have already realised significant cost savings, which as you appreciate off-set our capital outlay. If the first quarter savings continued as planned we will achieve an earlier pay-back period for the project an originally forecasted.
Thank you so much for your personal dedication to the project. I know from conversations with our Building Manager that you were onsite more than what was required during the implementation process of the project and continued to have personal presence in the post completion follow-up.
I would have no hesitation to recommend your services as our Executive Committee members were delighted with the outcome of our project.
Best regards
Arndria Seymour
Executive Committee Member, SP 69136
361 – 363 Kent Street