Carbon Monitoring Scope 2
Electricity consumption from air conditioning is largely dictated by the temperature setting and the length of time that the A/C is left running – both factors directly controlled by the behaviour of the occupants. For every 1 degree Celsius that the thermostat setting is lowered electricity consumption can increase by 10% so the difference between setting the A/C on 24C and turning it down to 16C all day and night is very significant.
With climate change now a big part of the agenda for many younger people, recent studies show that there is a growing belief that the driving force behind climate change in business will soon come from within the workforce rather than senior management. In the case of large employers including mining companies this is particularly relevant because it is these same workers who are controlling the use of the A/C in their sleeping units.
With this in mind our strategy going forward is as follows:
Reducing the heat load on the A/C by applying Solacoat coolroof system to all walls and roof of each accommodation unit. Depending on the seasons Solacoat can reduce internal temperature buy up to 12 degrees Celsius on hot days.
Providing a real-time monitoring system to both management and workers displaying the impact they are individually making in terms of power consumption (in kWh) and carbon emissions (KgCO2) per unit.
Allow mining companies to monitor the exact carbon emissions of every A/C in their camps as well as kWh consumed, opening the door to offer incentives for those occupants who modify their usage to make the biggest reductions.
