Tertiary Education Management Conference 2006 Energy and water saving strategies J Lavarack & M Buchhorn

Soft systems and hard hats Communication processes for utilities management Campus Property & Services

About us Environmental Strategies, Campus Property & Services

Overview I: Resource pressures - NSW II: Utilities management at the University – history – : Audits & Savings Action Plans III: Consultation and engagement – Benefits – Our Method – Some outcomes

I: Resource Pressures

Water and energy challenges for NSW Drought Water restrictions Energy demand Blackout risk

..and implications for the University Large Consumer Energy trending up Sports fields

..and implications for the University State government mandate: Energy & Water Audits Energy & Water Savings Action Plans State government Savings Funds NSW State Government Environment Trust – education grant This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environment Trust

II: Utilities Management at the University

Management activities 1998-current Dedicated manager Utilities Management System Housekeeping Design guidelines Working groups & Discussion Papers

Developing Savings Action Plans: Management Review Audit – Level 3 AS/NZS 3598:2000 -baseline data desktop from UIS -15 buildings audited – water -10+ buildings underway - energy Savings Actions Plans - 4 years

Water Savings Actions identified for Leak detection Flow restriction Rainwater harvesting Waste water re-use

Summary: Savings Action Planning activities Technical auditing Ongoing Utilities & Facilities Planning ‘Management Reviews’ Communication & Relationships

Exploring communication & relationship building: Technical auditing? Communication & relationship building activities ? Utilities & Facilities Planning activities? ‘Management Reviews’

Is there more to ‘communication strategies…than ‘awareness raising’? ‘Engineered Awareness’ Source: Les Robinson

III: Consultation & Engagement

Auditing can deliver quantitative estimates…… ……However ‘qualitative’ questions remain: What issues occupy people’s time within the organisation? How do people at the university influence utilities consumption?

Our ‘stance’: Consultation and ‘engagement’ as a cornerstone of Utilities Planning

Ignore ‘soft systems’ at your own risk when.. The University is devolved: -Institutional / building knowledge is devolved -Plans need to reflect ‘local settings’ -CP&S relies on local or Faculty based ‘agents’ for facilities management activities

Benefits of consultation & ‘engagement’? Involve those who will ‘live with’ planning decisions To co-develop more robust solutions

Benefits of consultation & ‘engagement’? In some instances, occupants influence the environmental performance of their building… Eg: air conditioning control panels Design success requires understanding of how people respond to local conditions and equipment

Engaging - Benefits ‘good housekeeping’ involves the daily practice of all staff Consult to reveal ‘motivators’ for change amongst ‘target groups’

Engaging - Benefits Our ‘engagement method’, applied across 15+ buildings Reduced the number of buildings required for a technical audit on campus

PROFILING INTERVIEWS ASSUMPTIONS buildings are the most relevant “management unit” (cf. sub-catchments) presence of building users with relevant (tacit) knowledge/experience an interview can ‘capture’ this knowledge Physics Building and Tennis Courts

1. MAKING CONTACT Uni live week Initial contact found through:  Reports from facility managers  Complaints records  Chance information kept and annotated  Other interviewees Open manner  Respectful  Non- threatening  Voluntary  Purposeful SKILLSAPPROACHACTION Managing complex data sets

2. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW  Agreement for initial interview and note taking  Confidentiality and access to notes  Digress and finish all the questions Reflective  Story telling - history  Inviting interpretation  Receptive to frustration and enthusiasm Bracketing Attentive listening SKILLSAPPROACHACTION

3. INTERPRETATION Interviewers  Interviewees  Relevant technicians (eg. HVAC, project managers) Share interpretation and use of data  Share responsibility for data Facilitation Communic- ation tool develop- ment SKILLSAPPROACHACTION

4. THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ASKEDRESEARCH CONCERNS 1. What do you do here?Core concerns. Job description. 2. How much of your job is focused on water & energy? %age concern. Capability. History 3. What are the water/energy hotspots here? Risk and compliance issues. Overview of whole buildings/sections/control systems 4. Who helps you with these issues? Networks – official and unofficial. “Missed business” 5. What do you think can be done?Capability/enthusiasm of interviewee. Match with program of works 6. Who else should we talk to?Develop/confirm interview list 7. Anything we missed?Critical reflection

‘Profiling’ – Outcomes in terms of relationships An emerging, ‘self generating’ network of faculty based ‘building managers’ that is: - clarifying issues - identifying their own ‘capacity building needs’ - clarifying the role of Environmental Strategies Team - providing a network of local representatives of a ‘franchised’ approach to communication

‘Profiling’ – Outcomes in relation to Savings Action Plans Understanding of where ‘local capacity’ lies for Water Savings & Energy Savings initiatives A process to develop processes for local implementation

‘Profiling’ – Outcomes in relation to “Green Buildings” Growing understanding of where it’s strategic to undertake communication for environmental outcomes within the project/building cycle: --- design---build---commission----tuneup Capacity for ongoing dialogue with occupants to understand communication needs: from their perspective

Tertiary Education Management Conference 2006 Lunch Please reconvene at 2pm on Level 3, Ballroom A/ Ante (adjacent to the Trade Exhibition)