The winners were announced in Auckland last Thursday evening. Heather Staley, Chief Executive of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), says the EnergyWise Award winners are leaders in sustainable business and show that energy efficiency saves money.

“Christchurch City Council’s huge savings were achieved with an investment of just $4.2m. The Council’s energy management efforts are reflected across the entire organisation whether it’s swimming pools, art galleries, libraries, water treatment plants, street lighting or rental housing.”

CCC won the Supreme Award and the Sustained Achievement Award and Council Energy Manager Leonid Itskovich was joint winner of the Outstanding Energy Management Award. As well, Orion NZ, the ratepayer-owned energy company, won the Transpower Energy Supplier Award.

Orion cut its peak load by 160MW in 2000- 2001, and slowed the increase in customer demand from 2.5 per cent to less than 1% a year. Orion also helped insulate about 5000 Christchurch homes, reducing electricity demand for heating.

“Energy efficiency makes good business sense,” Ms Stanley says. “A reduction in energy use is better for the environment. The projects implemented by this year’s EnergyWise award finalists have saved 750,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted into the environment.”