Sustainability Matters Feb/Mar 2013

contents

T

he weather has been noticeably hotter this year in Australia, and I must admit, I have been making the most of the warm summer nights in Sydney.

However, you really appreciate the air conditioning, especially on our ‘hottest day ever’ which was recorded on the 19th of January when temperatures reached 45.8°C. Australia’s first six days of 2013 were all among the hottest 20 days on record and the Bureau of Meteorology has now added a new colour for its maps to show 50°+ conditions. The visibility of these heatwave conditions could be what is needed to prompt further acceptance and development of strategies to cope with climate change.

Global warming has been accepted by the scientists for some time now and even Obama in his second-term inauguration speech said he would strive to fight global warming to avoid the “devastating impact” of hurricanes, fires and drought.

In this issue, Steffen Lehmann, Professor of Sustainable Design at the University of South Australia and director of the China–Australia Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, talks about rethinking cities and urban solutions for Asia-Pacific. Also, Professor Tony Wong of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities provides his insights and thoughts on liveability in cities, infrastructure and strategies for the emerging challenges of the 21st century.

February/March 2013

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Leading the way Contemplating urban water management in cities of the future

8

Rethinking cities: China-Australia Centre to explore urban solutions for Asia-Pacific

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Case studies

18

Water environmental innovation at mining site

22

Research & development

24

Australia urged to ‘bank’ its water

26

Products & services

27

Beekeepers help tackle climate challenges

33

Resource centre

Legislation, governance, programs and industry links to help guide y our sustainability development

34

Double green chickens produce carbon-smart poo

Carolyn Jackson sm@westwick-farrow.com.au

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Leading the way

Water management in cities of the future

R Professor Tony Wong is Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities. He is internationally recognised for his research and practice in the sustainable urban water management, particularly in Water Sensitive Urban Design.

Concepts of water sensitive cities are emerging in cityshaping policies and responding to a general consensus that existing water services and planning processes are poorly equipped to support projected population growth and slow to respond to economic and/or climatic uncertainty.

ecent occurrences in Australia of severe droughts, heatwave conditions and floods highlight the vulnerability of future cities (and towns) to the chronic and acute effects of climatic extremes.

Global population continues to rise and by mid-century, 70% of world population will live in cities. These emerging challenges manifest into such questions as: the capacity of a city’s natural water resources to support a growing population; the vulnerability of these natural resources to climate change and urban pollution; the institutional and community capacity for transformative change to become more resilient; and ultimately, the question of the liveability of the city.

The long-term productivity, prosperity and liveability of cities and towns are fundamentally underpinned by the sustainability (carrying capacity) and resilience (coping capacity) of the city. The quality of living in these environments defines its liveability (comfort capacity). Each of these city attributes is interrelated and self-reinforcing but can also be at risk of being mutually competing when individual objectives are pursued without due consideration to broader dynamics of city development.

Concepts of water sensitive cities are emerging in city-shaping policies and responding to a general consensus that existing water services and planning processes are poorly equipped to support projected population growth and slow to respond to economic and/or climatic uncertainty. In essence, cities were trying to meet 21st-century challenges by reinvesting in 19th-century strategies and infrastructures. For example, it is increasingly difficult and inappropriate to adopt a traditional economic-risk management approach to infrastructure planning and development when planning for occurrences of events for which there may not be probabilistic profiles.

Our cities and towns have always been the platform of ‘social-technical experiments’ and the intersection of competing and complementary objectives. The words ‘urban design’ have never been more prominent in our water sensitive urban design journey. What is clear is that water sensitive urban design is the process and water sensitive cities are the outcome.

A water sensitive city will be a collection

6 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

of interconnected water sensitive precincts.

In each one, site-specific plans will be developed to respond to local opportunities and constraints. These precincts will: efficiently use the diversity of water resources available; enhance and protect the health of urban and natural waterways; and mitigate against flood risk and damage.

Public spaces are green infrastructure that harvest, clean and recycle water, increase biodiversity, support carbon sequestration and reduce urban heat island effects.

Realising the vision for a water sensitive city will require a major sociotechnical overhaul of conventional approaches to urban water management. It requires the transformation of urban water systems from a focus on water supply and wastewater disposal to more complex, flexible systems that: integrate various sources of water; operate through a combination of centralised and decentralised systems; deliver a wider range of services to communities (eg, ecosystem services, urban heat mitigation); and integrate into urban design.

A new or expanded economic valuation framework for assessing land and water projects will be required to account for the many benefits (externalities) associated with contemporary urban water management. This requires us to draw the connections between urban water management and urban liveability and to quantify their benefits. The framework will also identify the direct and indirect (community) beneficiaries and provide the basis for public/private investment in these projects.

Adaptive and integrated management approaches offer an alternative to the traditional urban water regime and present alternative urban water governance frameworks to support more sustainable and resilient practices. Sustainable urban water management regimes would emphasise a systems approach with interconnections between the management of the urban water streams and other related urban water governance functions such as land use planning, urban design, infrastructure delivery and maintenance, project financing etc. The ultimate objective is to deliver initiatives that underpin the sustainability, resilience and liveability of cities, the foundational attributes of cities of the future.

Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities http://www.watersensitivecities.org.au

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Rethinking cities: China-Australia Centre to explore urban solutions for Asia-Pacific The University of South Australia has teamed up with China’s Tianjin University in developing the new China-Australia Research Centre for Sustainable Urban Development (CAC_SUD) to address the challenges and opportunities surrounding urban growth in the 21st century. Steffen Lehmann*

W

hen Australia’s chief scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, recently launched his National Research Investment Plan, he said: “The most pressing concerns for Australian researchers were responding to a changing planet and the challenges of the Asian Century,” and “… we need to be in there right now seeking solutions to some of these challenges.”

The China-Australia Centre for Sustainable Urban Development at the University of South Australia (UniSA) has been developed to find just those solutions. The centre is part of a strategy to develop close research and educational links with top universities and municipalities in China, with a view to establishing a sustainable engagement for UniSA in a country that is becoming increasingly important in science, technology and design.

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The Asian Century The Asia-Pacific region has seen rapid growth on an unprecedented scale, drawing focus to a region that is ambitious for economic advancement. China has a strong awareness of sustainability issues and a willingness to address these issues. With China’s transformation to a knowledge-based society, the global centre of gravity has started to shift to the Asia-Pacific region. Australia is no

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Urban development

longer orientated towards Britain and Europe as it was in the earlier part of the last century. In the 21st century, Australia’s relationship with Asia is characterised by an openness to integrate with the region, which has accelerated over the past four decades and laid the foundation for Australians to benefit from the opportunities stemming from the region. There has been a surge in resource demand, rapid urbanisation and rising middle class in Asia.

As China’s middle class increases, so too does their disposable income and consumption levels.

The Australian Government’s Australia in the Asian Century White Paper’s national objectives include that Australia will have to work harder to make deeper and broader ‘people-to-people’ links, which will include the substantial flows of people and ideas between institutions, such as educational institutions, business and community groups and the public service. Australia’s links within the region are crucial to the country’s international reputation and relations and “… the range of actors influencing the international agenda has proliferated to include business, the media, think tanks, cultural and educational institutions, community groups and individuals.”

Cities of tomorrow Urbanisation in Asian societies involves hundreds of millions of people - many times the number of Australia’s current population. The scale and pace of urban growth in China is a defining feature for many countries in the 21st century, with profound implications for people everywhere. It will be crucial that the Asia-Pacific region adopts a sustainable approach to city development as it transforms and develops its urban growth.

Cities in the Asia-Pacific will need to be kept dynamic, inclusive, complex and vibrant, but also healthy and resilient, ensuring wellbeing of their urban citizens, democratic participation processes of their residents and sustainable flows; these flows need to go beyond flow of data and money to include the sustainable flow of resources, materials, energy, transport, water, biodiversity, nutrients and food - cycling energy and material (waste) flows.

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Photo of academics leading the China–Australia Research Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, from left to right: Prof Chen, Prof Lehmann and Prof Kong, 2012.

The aim of the centre is to build a world-class multidisciplinary research-intensive centre, focusing on sustainable urban development.

This goes far beyond the conventional thinking of aesthetics and functional city form; it is about the longer-term sustainability of urban settlements. Instead of becoming more unsustainable, existing cities will need to be transformed in an intelligent way, district by district, towards low-carbon urban precincts.

In this way we can increase the urban resilience and durability of cities against environmental factors such as increasing temperatures, heat stress and other extreme weather events, such as urban flooding.

For forward-looking academics it is essential to engage in the region and think beyond mere low value-adding commodity exports. There are dangers from growing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; with ever-growing energy consumption, China now accounts for over a quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Innovation and expertise in sustainable processes have become more important than ever for Australia in finding avenues through which to engage with the Asia-Pacific region.

The China-Australia Centre Tianjin University - ranked in the top 1% in the country - is in Tianjin, a city

of 12 million people located around 30 minutes by high-speed rail from Beijing, and which the Chinese Government identifies as a science ‘cluster’ city.

There is a strong synergy and overlay between both universities cooperating through the China-Australia Centre for Sustainable Urban Development.

The aim of the centre is to build a world-class multidisciplinary researchintensive centre, focusing on sustainable urban development. It explores strategies to enhance urban sustainability practices and policies in China, Australia and other cities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Leading experts and practitioners in urban sustainability will engage governments, businesses and other experts to help solve challenges such as how municipalities can better incorporate urban sustainability into their strategic plans. The success of urbanisation in the Asia-Pacific will be critical to its economic and social development.

Governments and municipalities in the Asia-Pacific will need to develop better incentives for people to take action to protect our ecosystems, which we risk destroying if we follow the consumption patterns of the last two decades. This is particularly interesting

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 9

Urban development

with regard to China’s increasing role as consumer and Australia’s as provider of natural resources. In general, there are two solutions for this: see the necessity to change ahead of time and adapt by making changes; or don’t make the changes and be finally forced to anyway.

Technology must always be embedded into a societal framework to be effective. The collaboration signifies the universities’ commitment to furthering China’s socially sustainable urban growth and to local contributions that tackle global issues. The role of technology alone is hereby limited. While technological innovation has served to reduce the impact of some long-term problems - for instance, new technologies have dramatically increased harvests and improved access to education - technology doesn’t invent itself and these achievements are always the result of decades of hard work and investment in research programs.

The aim is also to scale up technologies, from the building level to low-carbon precincts, and potentially to influence urbanisation activity in our Asian neighbourhood.

The biggest opportunity for emission reductions is in cities and buildings.

Some of the biggest challenges are to understand what drives human behaviour and bottom-up changes - behaviour change to reduce consumption and mobilise shifts in consumption patterns.

Sharing the commitment to urban sustainability with Tianjin University allows us to develop urban sustainability training programs through an integrated collaborative approach.

Research A growing proportion of global scientific research is taking place in Asia; countries in the region have world-class research infrastructure and capabilities

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and the scope for mutually beneficial research is considerable. China has more researchers than any other country and partnerships with research and technology communities are crucial to supporting Australia’s ability to access new ideas and to build our future competitiveness.

The interdisciplinary research program of the centre focuses on the current state and the transformative potential of cities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The centre investigates the systemic design and engineering challenges and potentials of the urban environment in the 21st century.

The centre fosters the exchange of academic staff and students, joint research projects and the joint supervision of PhD students, and provides consultancy services to industry and government.

Research areas that relate to urbanisation include: sustainable buildings, urban ecology, public space, urban heat stress and the impacts of climate change.

Research projects underway include the use of timber for better high-rise infill developments; zero waste construction using prefabrication; and exploring urban heat island mitigation strategies for cities in China and Australia.

Architecture, urbanism, environmental engineering, ecology and landscape architecture are some of the most potent disciplines available to us to remake our cities as dynamic, meaningful and sustainable cultural artefacts. The centre aspires to be a living laboratory for urban exploration, influenced by the geographical, cultural and historical position in relation to the Asia-Pacific region.

An urban sustainability training program to be launched at the centre in 2013 will offer intensive training in Australia and China, and aims to provide practical knowledge to Chinese municipal leaders on enhancing sustainability efforts. The China-Australia Symposium on Sustainable Urbanisation will be held in Adelaide In February.

*Steffen Lehmann is Professor of Sustainable Design at the University of South Australia and director of the China–Australia Centre for Sustainable Urban Development.

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case study

‘Flower Power’ cleans and claws back metals from contaminated land

© iStockphoto.com/susandaniels

T

he basic idea that plants can be used for land remediation has been known for some time. Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove pollutants from the environment or to render them harmless, has been used as a cost-effective solution for some contaminated soil and water sites globally. Studies now indicated that the plant cells used to ‘mine’ the poisoned soils and water can be used for a variety of industrial and medical applications.

A consortium of researchers led by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick in the UK is to embark on a £3 million research program called ‘Cleaning Land for Wealth’ (CL4W - pronounced ‘claw’) that will use a common class of flower to restore poisoned soils while at the same time producing perfectly sized and shaped nanosized platinum and arsenic nanoparticles for use in catalytic convertors, cancer treatments and a range of other applications.

A ‘Sandpit’ exercise organised by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) allowed researchers from WMG at the University of Warwick, Newcastle University, The University of Birmingham, Cranfield University and the University of Edinburgh to come together and share technologies and skills to come up with an innovative multidisciplinary research project that could help solve major technological and environmental challenges.

The researchers pooled their knowledge of how to use plants and bacteria to soak up particular elements and chemicals and how to subsequently harvest, process and collect that material. They have devised an approach to demonstrate the feasibility in which they are confident that they can use common classes of flower and plants (such as Alyssum) to remove poisonous

They have devised an approach to demonstrate the feasibility in which they are confident that they can use common classes of flower and plants (such as Alyssum) to remove poisonous chemicals such as arsenic and platinum from polluted land and water courses, potentially allowing that land to be reclaimed and re-used. chemicals such as arsenic and platinum from polluted land and water courses, potentially allowing that land to be reclaimed and re-used.

That in itself would be a significant achievement, but as the sandpit progressed the researchers found that jointly they had the knowledge to achieve much more than just cleaning up the land.

As lead researcher on the project, Professor Kerry Kirwan from WMG at the University of Warwick explained: “The processes we are developing will not only remove poisons such as arsenic and platinum from contaminated land and water courses, we are also confident that we can develop suitable biology and

12 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

biorefining processes (or biofactories as we are calling them) that can tailor the shapes and sizes of the metallic nanoparticles they will make. This would give manufacturers of catalytic convertors, developers of cancer treatments and other applicable technologies exactly the right shape, size and functionality they need without subsequent refinement. We are also expecting to recover other highvalue materials such as fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, antioxidants etc from the crops during the same biorefining process.”

EPSRC is so taken with the concept that they have now awarded the research consortium £3 million to develop the technology.

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case studies index

Energy efficiency design for office tower

 ‘Flower Power’ cleans and claws back metals from contaminated land

 Energy efficiency design for office tower

12 14

 Increased dosing testing capabilities ensure accurate, user-specific testing 16

 Water recycling project a winner

16

 Water treatment: from

Barcelona to Taralga, Australia 17

 Energy technology goes beyond charging cars

 Slashing power in the Snowy Mountains

20 21

research & development index  NZ sheep genetics could

improve UK sheep industry

 High-value chemicals from waste cellulose

 Waterproof explosives from old tyres

 Capturing ammonia from livestock waste

22 22 23 23

Located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, the office tower at 1 Bligh Street has set a new benchmark for sustainable office design.

Featuring architecturally stunning energyefficient technologies, the office tower was constructed by Grocon and is owned in partnership between Dexus Property Group, Dexus Wholesale Property Fund and Cbus Property.

“Every aspect of 1 Bligh Street is designed to optimise sustainability and tenant amenity throughout the 28-level development,” Darren Steinberg, Dexus CEO, said.

“As co-owners, we are delighted that our vision to deliver the next generation of sustainable office buildings has been recognised through the achievement of a world leadership 6-star Green Star rating.”

Energy efficiency and building sustainability were a must for the building owners. Designed by Architectus Australia in collaboration with German architect Christoph Ingenhoven of Ingenhoven Architects, the high-rise office tower features a double-skin glass facade. This doubleglazed curtain wall outer skin shields the building from the sun, while reflecting natural light into the building. A naturally ventilated, full-height atrium provides ample natural light to the 1600+ m2 office floor plates. The atrium is shaded at roof level by a series of curved solar thermal collects which provide the energy to drive the cooling systems - an advanced hybrid of variable air volume and chilled beam air conditioning technology. This strategy provides enough energy to allow 100% more fresh air to be pumped through the building without any additional running costs, while also providing all the heating for the building.

The commercial office tower also incorporates blackwater recycling. Around 100,000 L of water is recycled at the tower each day, for use in the toilet flushing system.

Recycled water is also used to irrigate a 9.7 m high, 40 m long green wall. Water-efficient fittings, rainwater harvesting and fire system water re-use are also part of this system.

To integrate all the energy-efficient systems, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure

14 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

platform was used to achieve the convergence of the building’s energy-efficient technologies.

The system provides the owners of 1 Bligh Street with the ability to control and monitor multiple aspects of the building through a single user interface. At 1 Bligh Street, the EcoStruxure platform converges the Schneider Electric building management system, Clipsal C-Bus lighting control, power metering, access control, CCTV, emergency lighting, blackwater treatment system, trigeneration plant, motorised facade shades, fire systems and lift control systems.

The solution links multiple system services over a common IP infrastructure, supporting all connected systems communications via a high-speed dual redundant fibre backbone. Schneider Electric provides direct monitoring of the facade sun shade system including control and monitoring of the natural ventilation and underfloor heating systems. The solar thermal collects, working with the variable air volume and chilled beam air conditioning, are part of the innovative trigeneration system. This system is centrally monitored and controlled by the Schneider Electric technology. The system uses gas and solar energy to generate energyefficient cooling, heating and electricity.

“By merging communications, data collection, information sharing and networking into a single, interoperable system, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure platform creates efficient, economical building control solutions,” Paul Crothers, Schneider Electric Buildings New South Wales Sales Manager, said.

“1 Bligh Street is a great example of how customers can realise significant cost reductions in the operation and maintenance of their facility.” Combined, the result of the sustainability features at 1 Bligh Street will be savings for tenants of up to $50 per m2 a year in running costs. Compared to a conventional office tower, the building is expected to have a 42% reduction in the amount of CO2 created.

Schneider Electric (Aust) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S470

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case studies Increased dosing testing capabilities ensure accurate, user-specific testing

Water recycling project a winner

Grundfos Pumps has recently installed a new stateof-the-art dosing system test rig, providing increased testing capabilities, in its facilities at Ormeau, Queensland. Since opening in October 2010, the Ormeau facilities have served as the hub for water treatment engineering and assembly activities throughout Australia.

The addition of the new test rig allows for two complete dosing skids to be tested simultaneously, as well as having the ability to perform fully functional testing on any polymer system. The increased ability to run multiple water dilution lines at the same time allows for two duty pumps and two dilution lines to be tested together, saving precious time.

Diaphragm valves on the discharge return lines means the new test rig is better able to simulate on-site conditions and requirements. This feature allows for more accurate, user-specific testing.

The rig has a flow capacity 10,000 L/h - a massive increase from 5800 L/h - and utilises recycled water.

To cope with the increased flow capacity, the test water tank has also increased in capacity from 2000 to 5000 L. Calibrated IFM efector meters have been installed in the discharge manifolds, with accuracy to 0.3%. This reduces the need for time-consuming, drawdown calibration tests, further increasing efficiency. Increased electrical flexibility and added safety measures, including emergency stopping, have created a safer working environment for Grundfos staff. Grundfos’s Production Manager in Ormeau, Graeme Weir, said, “Whilst the new test rig has been installed, our old test rig is still fully operational, meaning we have the ability to test three dosing skids during times of high workloads. This will help to ensure timely delivery to customers.”

A water recycling facility located in Yarra Park, adjacent to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), has won the Infrastructure Project Innovation Award at the Australian Water Association Awards (Victorian Branch).

The $24 million project was funded by Yarra Park manager Melbourne Cricket Club ($18m) and the Victorian Government ($6m) and is a cornerstone of the MCC’s long-term vision for the health and wellbeing of Yarra Park for all users.

More than 180 million litres of recycled water will be produced each year and re-used primarily as irrigation in Yarra Park and at nearby Punt Road Oval, as well as for cleaning and toilet flushing at the MCG. The scheme will reduce the MCC’s use of potable water by approximately 50%. The water recycling facility re-uses sewage from the local sewer network and is one of the first of its type in Victoria built underground and out of view, ensuring it does not impact the amenity of the park.

“Development of a water recycling facility is a major initiative in our master plan for the long-term health and viability of Yarra Park,” said MCC CEO Stephen Gough.

“It will also substantially reduce our reliability on potable water and increase the amenity for all park users.”

Tenix was commissioned to design and build the facility. Tenix developed a number of value-add engineering solutions and used 3D modelling to identify costsaving opportunities prior to construction.

The judges were particularly impressed with this high-tech plant producing up to 600 kL of recycled water underground daily in such a small space and the novel approach to construction.

“The Yarra Park water recycling facility is a unique, high-profile ‘proof-of-concept’ example that will serve as a benchmark and focus of learning for the water industry, not just in Victoria but across Australia,” said Ross Taylor, Tenix CEO. The recycled water treatment process consists of screening and grit removal, biological treatment of the sewage and chemical addition for phosphate removal, filtration via membrane bioreactor (MBR) and ultrafiltration membrane systems, and disinfection via ultraviolet and chlorination. Construction commenced in May 2011 and was completed in October 2012, following a comprehensive testing regime to ensure the water quality meets EPA guidelines.

Grundfos Pumps Pty Ltd

Tenix Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S482

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S474

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case studies Water treatment: from Barcelona to Taralga, Australia To d d M i k l i c h , B u s i n e s s Development Manager Membranes, Xylem Water Solutions Division Australia, recently took a trip to Barcelona, the capital of Spain. The city’s Saint Joan Despi Water Treatment Plant is currently trialling a pilot plant built by Xylem Spain to assess the potential of ultrafiltration to treat a portion of Barcelona’s water supply.

The Zeeweed 500D Immersed Hollow Fibre Ultrafiltration Membrane was selected by the Spanish office due to its reinforced structure and ability to handle high levels of turbidity. Extra UF modules can be fitted into the membrane cassette frame to double the output of the system from 300-600 kL/day.

The whole plant (including chemical dosing and cleaning systems) is built into a 6 m shipping container.

Meanwhile, the small town of Taralga, located 2.5 hours’ drive southwest of Sydney, was having its water supply filtered and treated with UV. Miklich thought the water treatment plant (WTP) he had seen on his trip would be a suitable fit for the town.

The compact size, durability and flexibility of the WTP to increase its output, in addition to its ability to treat cold water with a turbidity >80 NTU, were some of the factors taken into account by the city officials in selecting the offer.

Miklich received technical assistance from the engineers Mario Simarro and David Ambrona in the Spanish office as well as from Christoph Kullmann, the company’s Technical Membrane Manager in Germany. The local officials were comfortable in dealing with Xylem, which had not only partnered with GE to

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provide a strong technical solution but can also service the plant on a regular basis for a long time into the future.

Miklich hopes the company will be able to provide for the several other small Australian towns with limited municipal water treatment as the rollout of small town WTPs (<700 kL/day) continues across the country.

Xylem Water Solutions Australia Limited Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S219

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 17

To m e e t G r a n g e Resources’ stringent requirements to protect the Savage River from its nearby mining operations, pitt&sherry designed a unique hydrocarbon separator to ensure no hydrocarbons were released into the river.

Water environmental innovation at mining site

M

ining projects are increasingly being judged on their environmental credentials. It is clear that the world is moving rapidly to a position from which all initiatives will be determined based on their capacity to contribute to sustainability objectives, and companies including pitt&sherry are focused on exerting a positive influence on sustainability through their work.

In the Tarkine wilderness area in remote north-western Tasmania sits a tangible example - a cleverly designed full flow hydrocarbon separator, which led to pitt&sherry, Grange Resources and Shaw Contracting being highly commended at the 2011 Tasmanian Water Environmental Management Awards.

When Grange Resources (then Australian Bulk Minerals) began expanding its Savage River mine in 2007, it championed strict environmental standards.

Grange Resources was committed to ensuring the health of the Savage River

system, which runs through its mining operations, by exceeding environmental standards and ensuring no hydrocarbon was released to the river from the expanded mine.

The mine’s previous exit point offered no protection to the river, comprising a simple weir with a flow monitor but no hydrocarbon separation. pitt&sherry, a leading multispecialist infrastructure consultancy, was contracted to undertake the design work, which included developing a unique and cost-effective water treatment system that used a full flow hydrocarbon separator to remove harmful oils and impurities.

Facing challenges and delivering sustainable solutions The development and design process at the Savage River site involved significant challenges - stringent environmental expectations, a remote location without power, a topography with wildly fluctuating annual rainfall and the need to design a cost-effective solution that did not require constant human intervention. These challenges led to pitt&sherry developing some unique solutions.

Addressing fluctuating flows According to Dr Steve Edwards, Senior Consultant, pitt&sherry: “The major challenge was the need to address the mining operation’s flows as well as flows from the large natural catchment area that drains over and through the mine operations.”

While the local climate is dry in summer, rainfall in the wetter seasons constitutes a yearly average of about 2000 mm. Any design had to be capable of processing all of the flows. The design also had to be able to treat small

18 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

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Water Technology

oil or diesel leaks from machinery, as well as major contingencies such as fuel truck spills.

“Our design included two components, a hydrocarbon separator and an overflow chute, which work together as required. This design achieved what no commercial hydrocarbon separator could - complete trapping under all conceivable flow situations,” said Dr Edwards.

Containing and treating high flows Early analysis found almost all of the water emanating from various parts of the mine ended up in the site’s artificial lake (South Lens). The exception was a drainage stream, which has since been diverted to flow into the lake. The lake became the integral focus of the design process and its capacity was increased to accommodate water rises experienced during a major storm.

“Lake water travels through the hydrocarbon separator before discharging to the river. A unique feature of our design is a flow limiter that works on the principle of limiting flow through

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The development and design process at the Savage River site involved significant challenges - stringent environmental expectations, a remote location without power, a topography with wildly fluctuating annual rainfall and the need to design a cost-effective solution that did not require constant human intervention.

multiple small holes. The number, size and orientation of these exit holes control the flow through the unit and ensure the separator is never exposed to flow levels beyond its design capacity to separate and store incoming hydrocarbon,” explained Dr Edwards.

Under extreme conditions, another tailored design element comes into effect, in the form of a separate but connected overflow chute with its own hydrocarbon barrier. By increasing the lake’s capacity and integrating the hydrocarbon separator and overflow chute, the system ensures all hydrocarbon is eventually trapped in the separator, where it is removed by vacuum truck.

Ensuring cost-effectiveness It was theoretically possible to install many commercial separators to achieve Grange Resource’s desired outcomes; however, the costs were prohibitive. It was estimated 25 separators were needed to deal with a 1-in-100 year rainfall event - a $5m investment. Coupled with the expense were space limitations and the level of maintenance required to ensure redundant equipment (most of the separators would not have operated for much of the year) was always in operating condition. pitt&sherry’s solution cost less than $0.5m completed, a significant cost reduction. Another key determinant

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 19

Water Technology was that none of the commercially available separators could deal with the site’s broad range of flows without requiring an untreated bypass during high flows, and such devices could not cope with a full tanker fuel spill under high rainfall conditions.

Using innovative materials and achieving minimal maintenance To further protect the Savage River, Grange Resources imposed a design restriction on the use of any galvanised metals at or below the normal water line level. pitt&sherry’s design used some stainless steel and mostly HDPE (high density polyethylene), which created its own challenges.

The use of HDPE in such an exposed position meant there was a high level of thermal expansion (and contraction) of the material, so unique fasteners had to be designed and built. U bolts with blue HDPE rollers were used, with the inclusion of plastic rollers ensuring the U bolts do not grind against the metal frame and release extra metal. These two measures minimise the chance of any metal contamination of the water, and extend the unit’s life.

In such a remote, rugged site, a design requiring minimal maintenance was imperative. pitt&sherry’s open design enables

case studies

anyone passing to observe the hydrocarbon separator’s performance. The absence of any moving parts or controls means the system is extremely robust under all weather conditions and immune to power failures. “The only human intervention needed is to empty trapped hydrocarbon using a suction truck, and future plans including the installation of a powered oil detector and skimmer will negate that,” said Dr Edwards.

Achieving outstanding results pitt&sherry’s detailed analysis of the re-

quirements and constraints resulted in an innovative design that has protected the environment and serviced all needs in a most cost-effective manner. The full flow hydrocarbon separator clearly protects the river ecosystem as since implementation there has been no recorded hydrocarbon release from the Savage River mine site despite a constant monitoring regime.

Pitt & Sherry Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S473

Energy technology goes beyond charging cars

The technology behind an Australianproduced electric vehicle charger could provide an answer to the challenges outlined in the government’s Energy White Paper, thanks to its potential to lower investment in electricity infrastructure by helping better use the existing capacity in the grid.

The federal government’s recently released Energy White Paper found that electricity pricing needed to be overhauled to stop inefficient investment in infrastructure only used during rare peak demand times - amounting to a only couple of hot days each year.

The report called for innovations to allow customers to better manage their energy use. The ChargeIQ electric vehicle charger, developed by Victorianbased Australian information technology

company DiUS Computing, does just that.

The ChargeIQ electric vehicle charger was used as part of the Victorian Department of Transport’s Demand Response Load Control Electric Vehicle Trial that ran from June until mid-December 2012.

ChargeIQ includes a web interface and smartphone application to allow drivers to take advantage of flexible pricing to reduce the cost of their electric vehicle charging.

The technology that sets it apart from other electric vehicle chargers is that it is claimed to be the only ZigBee Smart Energy certified electric vehicle charger with the ability to communicate with smart meters to automatically adjust the charging load based on a request from an energy company.

While ChargeIQ is designed to help electric vehicle owners save money by

20 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

taking advantage of flexible pricing tariffs, its implications could be far-reaching for the electricity industry.

Using the smart meter network, it can potentially reduce demand on the electricity grid at peak times by enabling electricity companies to interact with homeowners to adjust their loads.

The technology behind ChargeIQ has the potential to leverage the investment made in the smart meter network to better manage the demand for electricity during peak times and ultimately deliver cost reductions to the consumer. DiUS, along with key industry partner Grey Innovation, has established Percepscion Pty Ltd to commercialise Smart Energy technology beyond electric vehicle charging. For more information, visit the DiUS website at www.dius.com.au.

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case studies Slashing power in the Snowy Mountains Dig underneath the Snowy Region Visitor Centre and you will find the secret to its energy efficiency: a geothermal heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) unit. The unit was installed in the late 1990s by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) when the Jindabyne regional headquarters and Snowy Region Visitor Centre was built.

Although the geothermal unit is very energy efficient even by today’s standards, the results of an Energy Saver audit are helping NPWS to run the system and the buildings even more efficiently.

NPWS Jindabyne Manager Environmental Services Megan Bennett explains that the geothermal unit in Jindabyne transfers heat from and to the building via pipework circulating water below the ground, where the temperature is a constant 15°C. This increases the efficiency of the air-conditioning units by up to 30% more than their conventional counterparts. In heating mode, it’s easier to source heat from the ground at 15°C than surrounding air at low to subzero temperatures. In cooling mode, it’s easier to reject heat into the ground at a temperature of 15°C than the surrounding air at temperatures of 35°C. So it came as a surprise to Bennett when an Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) Energy Saver audit revealed the building’s air-conditioning system could be improved.

Bennett says that while she was aware before the audit that the building lacked some fairly standard things, like insulation in the ceiling, she had no idea of the efficiencies that could be gained by automating parts of the building’s HVAC systems.

“The HVAC system also didn’t take advantage of the ambient external air temperatures in spring and autumn, which could be used to reduce the load on the compressors.”

The audit’s HVAC recommendations included the design and installation of a building management system (BMS) to automate and optimise the cooling and heating temperature setpoints for the building’s air handling units (AHUs); introducing an optimum start/ stop function for AHUs to take into account ambient outside air temperatures; using CO2 sensors to control outside air for the visitor centre and theatre; and adding an economy cycle on AHUs to take advantage of spring/autumn conditions.

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The audit also recommended HVAC system training for managers, to ensure they understood optimal operating requirements and could effectively supervise the HVAC maintenance contractor.

Other recommendations included: • sealing the roof void and adding insulation and a new exhaust fan; • installing air curtains and wind shields at entrances to reduce heat losses and gains; • adding a timer switch on the circulating domestic hot water (so it was turned off when the building wasn’t being used); • replacing halogen downlights with LEDs; • reintroducing motion sensors to control lights in enclosed offices.

“The audit provided us with a level of energy expertise that we simply didn’t have in-house,” said Bennett. “It not only made complicated things - like our HVAC system - seem simple, but inspired us to do something by making us aware of the potential savings. The itemised business cases also helped us to prioritise the work.

To find out how your business can access a subsidised energy audit, visit www.savepower.nsw.gov.au/energysaver.

Office of Environment and Heritage NSW Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S244

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 21

research & development NZ sheep genetics could improve UK sheep industry Research commissioned by Marks & Spencer has found that the use of New Zealand sheep genetics could offer sustainability benefits for UK sheep farmers.

The work, which was jointly conducted by the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), investigated the merits of using Highlander and Primera sheep breeds in UK sheep flocks to maximise value in the supply chain through increased lamb output and reduced production and processing costs. The study was also supported

by Focus Genetics and Linden Foods.

Trials took place on two upland flocks belonging to the Buccleuch Group and compared a ‘typical’ UK production system of Mule and Texel x Mule ewes, with Highlander and Highlander x Blackface ewes to represent different replacement breeding strategies.

These ewes were crossed with Texel rams, to represent a typical UK terminal sire, as well as UK- and NZ-bred Primera rams. Performance was recorded throughout the production and processing cycle, finishing with an evaluation of meat-eating

quality using consumer taste panels. The trial concluded that increasing lamb output and production efficiency by switching from Mule to Highlander ewes offered the opportunity to develop a more sustainable lamb supply chain through reducing farm costs and greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining product quality, processing efficiency and meat eating quality. Replacing Texel rams with Primera resulted in faster growth rates and a higher proportion of highvalue cuts.

Commenting on the results of the trial, AFBI scientist Dr Ronald Annett said: “The Highlander ewe showed excellent fertility and rearing ability and the Primera-sired lambs portrayed superior growth rates and had higher wholesale value.

“Hopefully this study will make UK farmers think about what drives their returns. It highlights the importance of production efficiency, rather than focusing solely on lamb price or carcass conformation. The trial has demonstrated the importance of maternal genetics in driving production and we hope farmers will take this on board.”

High-value chemicals from waste cellulose Following six years of development, Victorian chemical manufacturer Circa Group Pty Ltd has created a technology called Furacell that recycles cellulose waste using a self-contained (closed-loop), energyefficient process that produces a chemical called Levoglucosenone (LGN), as well as water and phosphate-bearing charcoal with commercial potential as a carbon dioxide sequestering soil conditioner.

“It’s all part of the global trend to move away from reliance on crude oil in the manufacture of plastics and chemicals and towards clean renewable resources,” says organic chemist Dr Warrick Raverty, Circa chief scientist. “LGN is a flexible ‘platform chemical’ with wide-ranging applications in multibillion-dollar markets, from pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals to food flavourings, fragrances and more.”

Currently onto its third scale-up plant, the group is also conducting trials with major companies in the flavour and fragrance sector, and in partnership talks with specialty chemical manufacturers in Europe regarding development of new and replacement feedstock products for the pharmaceutical,

flavours and specialty materials markets.

“I know it sounds clichéd, but we always get great responses when we talk to people in the specialty chemicals market,” says CEO Tony Duncan, who established Circa, along with Raverty and forestry industry expert Greg Court. “But being a new company with a new product - albeit one with 30 years of academic research behind it - from a country a long way from major markets and not known for its expertise in this area, does make the task more challenging. Building supply credibility is key,” he explains.

Today, LGN needed for drug development and research is produced in small universityscale batches. The world’s largest producer can crank out only two kilograms of LGN per month, far less than what has been reported

22 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

at Circa’s proof-of-concept facility located at the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing in Knoxfield. Circa’s Furacell technology is claimed to be an easily scalable ‘catalytic thermochemical process’ with no harmful effluents. According to Duncan, it’s not economically or environmentally feasible to transport large quantities of cellulose waste to ‘megarefineries’. Computer modelling shows that once the market is established, it would be possible to build plants in regional locations which could process 5000-10,000 tonnes of waste cellulose.

Raverty acknowledges that LGN will never replace crude oil in our lifetimes, but predicts it has a bright future as major companies across all chemical sectors move to greener and more sustainable supply chains. He points to increased environmental regulation such as the European Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), which is forcing companies to reduce or replace current processes that generate intractable wastes, such as heavy metals and chlorinated organics, with more environmentally benign products and processes.

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research & development

A $130,000 grant from assistance program Commercialisation Australia will help one of Australia’s largest tyre recyclers, Queensland-based Chip Tyre, to refine a process that turns rubber crumbs recycled from old car tyres into explosives for use under wet conditions.

The company, which has already patented and registered a blasting explosive using recycled rubber crumb as a diesel replacement, is developing the wet form of its original Chip Tyre dry explosive for use in the mining and quarrying industries.

The immersible and waterproof explosives are expected to generate significant national savings on diesel imports and substantially reduce the cost (22.5%) of explosives used in mines.

Grant funding will be used to optimise coating methods, develop a commercial manufacturing process and conduct commercial-scale explosions.

Commercialisation Australia has announced almost $6.9 million in funding to 21 innovative businesses and researchers, two of which are already participating in the program. That brings the total assistance provided since its inception to $126.5 million for 322 participants.

“Commercialisation Australia is assisting numerous Australian businesses to build viable businesses and take their new products to market through the provision of timely funding and access to a diverse range of skills and experience.

Our dedicated case managers and volunteer business mentors have the knowledge needed to enhance participants’ prospects of commercial success and enrich Australia’s commercialisation ecosystem,” said Commercialisation Australia CEO Doron Ben-Meir.

“This is in keeping with our mission to grow an effective early stage

© iStockphoto.com/alxpin

Waterproof explosives from old tyres

commercialisation ecosystem which feeds on its own success and provides an environment which encourages and supports entrepreneurial endeavour at its grass roots.”

For more information about the program, visit www.commercialisationaustralia.gov.au.

Capturing ammonia from livestock waste Capturing and recycling ammonia from livestock waste is possible using a process developed by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers. This invention could help streamline onfarm nitrogen management by allowing farmers to reduce potentially harmful ammonia emissions and concentrate nitrogen in a liquid product to sell as fertiliser.

The system uses gaspermeable membranes that are similar to materials already used in waterproof outdoor gear and biomedical devices. Using these materials, the scientists recorded an average removal rate from 45 to 153 mg of ammonia per litre per day when manure ammonia concentrations ranged from 138 to 302 mg of ammonia per litre.

When manure acidity decreased, ammonia recovery increased.

For instance, the scientists were able to recover around 1.2% of the total ammonia emissions per hour from manure at pH 8.3. But the recovery rate increased 10-fold to 13% per hour for manure at pH 10.0. The work was conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists Matias Vanotti and Ariel Szogi at the agency’s

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Coastal Plains Soil, Water and Plant Research Center in Florence, S.C. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA priorities of responding to climate change and promoting international food security.

USDA filed for a patent on this invention in June of 2011.

I n a f o l l o w - u p s t u d y, Vanotti and Szogi immersed the membrane module into liquid manure that had 1290 milligrams of ammonia per litre. After nine days, the total ammonia concentration decreased about 50% to 663 milligrams per litre and acidity increased from pH 8.1 to 7.0. This meant that the gaseous or free ammonia in the liquid - the portion of the total ammonia linked to ammonia emissions - decreased 95% from 114.2 to 5.4 mg per litre.

The scientists used the same process in 10 consecutive batches of raw swine manure and ended up recovering concentrated nitrogen in a clear solution that contained 53,000 mg of ammonia per litre.

USDA filed for a patent on this invention in June 2011.

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 23

Australia urged to ‘bank’ its water

T

he Bureau of Meteorology says El Niño refers to the extensive warming of the central and eastern Pacific that leads to a major shift in weather patterns across the Pacific. In Australia (particularly eastern Australia), El Niño events are associated with an increased probability of drier conditions and occur every two to seven years. Australia should prepare now for dry times ahead by ‘banking’ its water underground when rainfall is plentiful, according to an important new scientific study.

“There is enormous national potential to store surplus water in aquifers, ensuring sufficient water is available for cities, homes, industry, farming and the environment when drought strikes,” says researcher Andrew Ross of the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT).

“We need to start thinking of surface water and groundwater as a single re-

© iStockphoto.com/george tsartsianidis

Groundwater is often called the forgotten resource. Despite the fact that groundwater accounts for over 30% of Australia’s water consumption, we simply do not know enough about this vital water resource, and how to manage it. The National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT) allows nearly 150 researchers and professionals from 12 universities and many disciplines to pool their expertise.

One of the researchers, Andrew Ross* of the NCGRT, says there is enormous potential in Australia to ‘bank’ water underground when rainfall is plentiful so it’s ready for times of drought.

24 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

source - and managing them together in an integrated way over time,” Ross says.

“We also need to tune water management to our climatic cycles and to harness the power of floods to help us to deal with drought. That means banking surplus water underground during wet periods and bringing it up for use during dry times.

“While it needs national leadership, the concept of water banking can be implemented at grassroots level by landcare and catchment management groups, even by individuals, as well as by larger organisations and agencies. This role can breathe new life into the landcare movement,” he adds.

In his doctoral thesis, Ross proposes that Australia should develop and implement water banking at the national scale, taking advantage of the wet/dry climate cycle and the immensity of our network of underground aquifers.

Based on observations of water management in the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) and the western USA, he argues that “water banking can provide a big part of the solution to Australia’s perpetual boom/bust relationship with water and the climate”.

“Water banking augments the natural processes of water storage in the landscape, avoiding evaporative losses. In the MDB, up to 3000 gigalitres (GL or billion litres) of water a year evaporates from surface water storages.”

Water banking helps communities adjust to climate variability and uncertainty, and enables irrigators to receive additional water during droughts. In California, one water bank holds up to 800 GL for its members; another has released 750 GL back to its members over a recent 3-year period.

Water banking can assist environmental water managers by allowing them to synchronise supply with specific environmental watering requirements, Ross says.

It helps the development of water markets

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Water management

Every decision to bank water underground needs to be based on careful analysis of local needs, as well as the suitability of local geology and hydrology. It will be important to ensure the environment is not adversely affected - indeed, it may even benefit from increased

© iStockphoto.com/mohamed sadath

groundwater storage.

by bringing diverse sources of water under common rules of use and trade.

“It can also help to increase Australian agricultural exports. Water banking expertise and technology could also be a valuable new export industry in its own right.

“Historically, Australians have relied on dams to provide water for agriculture and cities. This strategy is not sufficient to cope with increasing climate variability or droughts as demand for food and water grows. Water banking can help ensure that there is enough water both for food production and the environment in the MDB - rather than having to close down irrigation when drought hits,” he adds.

Although the volume of storage underground is sometimes unknown, vast networks of aquifers such as those in the Great Artesian Basin and the MDB can probably store more than we require.

“We are already storing about 45 GL of water underground in the Burdekin region of Queensland every year - for use in agriculture and horticulture. In Orange

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

County California they store around 300 GL a year - enough for the annual household use of 2.3 million people. This gives an idea of the potential,” he explains.

“The known capacity of aquifers to store additional water below Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne could meet the needs of 2.5 million people per year - and may be far larger. Water banking thus offers a way to ‘waterproof’ Australia’s major urban centres for decades to come, ensuring water is available to support predicted population growth,” Ross adds.

“Some people argue that there is no spare surface water to store underground, but this ignores hundreds of gigalitres per year in dam spills and floodwater, recycled stormwater and wastewater, irrigation drainage and water entitlement sales.

“Others object that storing water underground costs more than storing it on the surface - but this fails to account for the high engineering and environmental costs of dams and reservoirs. Also, on the surface you can lose a third or more per year due to evaporation, and no one seems to count this cost.”

He cautions that: “It is important that water banking is consistent with national water management principles and guidelines, and that the broader impacts of water banking arrangements are assessed.

Every decision to bank water underground needs to be based on careful analysis of local needs, as well as the suitability of local geology and hydrology. It will be important to ensure the environment is not adversely affected - indeed, it may even benefit from increased groundwater storage.”

Good management of groundwater banks also requires some changes to current water management practices. When Australians deposit water in an underground water bank they generally do not retain any legal ownership rights, or have any guarantee that they can recover their

water. These rights and guarantees need to be established, he points out.

Also, restrictions on how much of their water entitlement they can carry over from one year to another prevent Australians from saving enough water to buffer them against the next drought. Extended carryover could be developed, with rules to prevent excessive aquifer drawdown during droughts.

“We bank money so it is there when we need it. We stockpile many other things, like grain or minerals, so there is always a reliable supply on hand. Why should water be any different?” Ross asks.

“The time to start banking our water is now - before El Niño brings us another drought.”

The National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training is an Australian Government initiative, supported by the Australian Research Council and the National Water Commission. *Andrew Ross is a Research Fellow at the Australian National University and the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training.

His major current work is on integrated cyclical water resource management, with an emphasis on improving water governance and institutions to support water reform.

His primary areas of expertise and experience are environmental and natural resource policy development, cross-sector policy coordination and implementation, and institutional arrangements for integrated water management. His other areas of expertise include policy analysis, microeconomic analysis, corporate management, program management, sustainability indicators and sustainability performance assessment.

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 25

n products & services

Air amplifiers Exair’s super air amplifiers and adjustable air amplifiers provide a fast, quiet, efficient way to move large volumes of air for the transport of smoke, fumes or light materials as well as for venting, cooling, drying and cleaning. They have been certified as meeting the rigorous safety, health and environmental standards of the European Union in order to attain the CE mark.

Using no electricity or moving parts, the air amplifiers are able to transform a small amount of compressed air into a high-volume, high-velocity output that is up to 25 times their consumption rate. The design maintains a constant, high-velocity outlet flow across the entire cross-sectional area.

Output is easily adjusted and both the vacuum and discharge ends can be ducted, making them also suitable for drawing fresh air from another location to ventilate confined areas, or moving smoke and fumes away.

The air amplifiers are a v a i l a b l e i n b o t h a luminium and corrosionresistant stainless steel.

Compressed Air Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S705

Waterless cleaning and drying The DRD (Double Rotor Disc), from MAS, combines waterless cleaning and thermal drying for soiled plastics in a single machine, providing efficient and cost-saving drying and cleaning in one process.

In the past, it has been difficult to separate contamination from waste products - such as agricultural stretch film, industrial and packaging waste, plastic fibres, hollow bodies, plastic cups, etc - without wet washing. The product’s one-step process system is capable of removing up to 90% of dry contamination like sand, organics and soil by friction. Combining two DRDs in series, the second step can remove approximately 80% of all remaining contamination which passed through the first step. Additionally, moisture will be reduced from as high as 25% to below 3%.

There are three primary applications for the product: as a standalone dry cleaner, washing without water through friction; installed behind a conventional wet washing process as a drying facility; and installed in front of a water-washing plant to pre-clean granulate to reduce water contamination. In the case of the standalone dry cleaner, there is significant economic benefit as no water treatment or disposal costs are involved. There is also a lower capital investment plus reduced service and maintenance costs.

The waste material, such as film flakes fed into the DRD, is pre-sized to less than 100 x 100 mm, with other materials determined case by case. In most applications the waste is pre-shredded, with foreign material such as stones, metal strapping and banding wire removed to avoid damage to the shredder and the product.

The system is offered in two sizes, with DRD18 suitable for up to 500 kg/h throughput and DRD24 for up to 1000 kg/h, with a special version DRD24-DS for heavily contaminated agricultural film.

Koga Recycling Tech Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S719

Thermal imaging camera The Dwyer Series TIC thermal imaging camera allows users to see heat contrasts to prevent plant equipment failures, detect air leaks in buildings and many more applications. Infrared radiation is given off by objects according to how warm they are, and the camera translates the measured levels into visual light on the bright 2.5″ 160 x 120 resolution LCD. For increased differentiation among temperatures, the camera can automatically adjust the colour band for a narrower range of temperatures throughout the -20 to 250°C temperature range of the camera. Besides taking spot measurements, the camera can also be set for isothermal, area or profile analysis.

All cameras include a Li-Ion battery, battery charger, docking station, SD memory card, SD memory card reader, sun shield, lens cap, video cable, standard reporting software and a calibration report. A Bluetooth earphone and USB cable are also included in TIC-30 units for making voice annotations and real-time recording.

Up to nine movable temperature spots can be selected to get specific temperature measurements of objects on the display. On the TIC-20 and TIC-30, there is a flash, a visual light camera and a laser pointer to help identify the objects in the picture. The visual image can be blended with the thermal image for better illustration of where the hot or cold spots are in the image.

Dwyer Instruments (Aust) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R721

26 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

A passion for the best climate risk management by the Australian beekeeping industry runs in the family, with two NSW beekeepers stepping up to the national Climate Champion program.

© iStockphoto.com/Ludmila Smite

Beekeepers help tackle climate challenges

W Accurate weather and pollination data is crucial for the production of honey and beeswax in the face of climate variation.

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arming climates and unreliable weather patterns will have a great impact on the Australian beekeeping industry. Increasing variability and temperatures provide a challenge to finding the right resources for effective honey and beeswax production. Beekeepers nationwide will get renewed representation and information about strategies and research for managing climate risk as beekeepers Des and Jenan Cannon join the Climate Champion program. They are following on from their daughter Pele’s participation in the program.

The Cannons join 36 Australian farmers from various industries to help get climate research on-ground and assist with developing new climate management tools and technologies.

Des and Jenan say they are looking forward to seeing better strategies for managing climate for the beekeeping industry and climate data that is more accurate and reliable. “Bridging the communication gap between scientists

and farmers - that’s such an important step,” Des says.

Unpredictable climate variability has had an observable effect on beekeeping production and practices. In order give their bees access to a variety of flowering plants for a healthy diet, beekeepers traditionally move their hives six to seven times per year.

These moves are based on predictions on pollen production and rainfall. But with changing climates, the need for an accurate prediction of weather patterns becomes ever more important.

“As flower patterns change, beekeepers will have to change their patterns of hive movement in an effort to compensate for altered honey flows,” says Pele.

The Cannon family farm is stretched out over 16 hectares, but they require access to about 20,000 hectares of land and native flora to provide adequate food variety for their hard-working bees.

Rising temperatures and reduced rainfall affect the flowering of trees and whether those flowers have enough nectar for the bees to eat. Bees are also

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 27

subjected to heat stress and struggle with the temperature maintenance of their hives and turn to collecting water rather than pollen.

“In our experience, we’re seeing honey flows becoming more irregular and unreliable,” says Des. Accurate weather and pollination data is crucial for the production of honey and beeswax in the face of climate variation. The Cannon family rely heavily on data released by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to effectively plan their monthly and yearly strategies for optimal honey production and to monitor the weather and flowering patterns over a large area, including both private and public land.

“Temperature and rainfall records and forecasts are crucial for deciding where to take the bees and whether we think the trees are going to produce nectar.

We also monitor the weather conditions for bees that way,” says Pele.

Des adds that “as climate variability increases, having good forecasting tools will make it a lot easier for beekeepers”.

© iStockphoto.com/totally jamie

Managing climate

The development of new forecasting tools is one of the projected outcomes of the Climate Champion program and will be greatly beneficial to many industries, including beekeeping.

Located in Urila, south-east New South Wales, Des and Jenan join nearby Yass woolgrowers and Climate Champion participants Kathleen Allan and John Ive. Kathleen operates two properties in Yass, growing superfine merino wool.

She says that factors such as climate trends, soil health and pasture production are critical for climate innovation and stability.

Like Des and Jenan, Kathleen is excited about drawing on producers’

experiences and the work on climate variability, and opening communication channels between farmers.

John Ive is a Yass grower of superfine merino wool. He and wife Robyn have tackled salinity problems by transforming their property with contour banks and fences based on soil type and slope.

For more information about the program: www.climatekelpie.com.au/aska-farmer/climate-champion-program.

The Climate Champion program is supported by the Grains Research & Development Corporation, Managing Climate Variability program, Meat and Livestock Australia, and Australian Wool Innovation.

n products & services

Data loggers with GPRS static IP addresses

Sludge blanket level probe

Halytech now offers its Spider range of data loggers with GPRS static IP addresses.

The loggers are fitted with an onboard web server which, combined with the GPRS static IP address, allows the user to interact directly with the device using a smartphone, tablet or laptop with a browser. The user can browse directly to their Spider data logger to get an update or to change settings from anywhere in the mobile-connected world. No software or web portal is required.

The loggers are suitable for environmental monitoring, trade waste, condition-based monitoring, energy management, water use tracking or any other activity where one might want to get immediate access to data.

The data loggers offer configurable I/O combined with Modbus and SDI-12 compatibility to provide flexibility for use with a broad range of instruments. Configuration is achieved through its onboard web server, avoiding the need for special software or licences.

The Hach Sonatax sc with sc200 controller allows the user to use sludge extraction, manage recirculation and be warned of potential solids washouts or process upset by continuously measuring the sludge blanket level. Its digitised probe eliminates interferences and features a quick LED system check. The product’s wiper design means there is reduced maintenance, while the Automatic Frequency Adjustment ensures good accuracy. There is temperature compensation for seasonal changes and a visual performance indicator which enhances troubleshooting.

For graphical display of sludge profile, the probe must be connected to a sc1000 controller.

Halytech Pty Ltd

Hach Company

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R937

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S412

28 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

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n products & services

Green roof The Greenwall Company has launched the EcoPillow - a pre-grown living roof that offers the benefits of a green roof while reducing risk and the cost of the roofing structure. It is made of 94% recycled materials.

The product was developed to have lightweight properties and weighs just 60 kg/m2. This reduces the builderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for additional structuring and opens the possibility of retrofitting.

The modular roof can also be easily relocated.

As a pre-grown and fully encased product, the EcoPillow is quick to install and reduces the risk of failure from extreme weather conditions, wind scour or rain erosion. The semi-mature plants provide cover straight away, reducing establishment time and the likelihood of weed invasion.

Green roofs have several advantages - they reduce stormwater runoff, provide greater insulation for a building, prolong the life of the roof membrane and reduce noise penetration.

They also provide a habitable environment to promote biodiversity and are great to look at.

The Greenwall Company Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R936

HORIBA U-50 MULTI-PARAMETER WATER QUALITY METERS

pH Oxidation Reduction Potential Dissolved Oxygen Conductivity Salinity Total Dissolved Solids Seawater Specific Gravity Temperature Turbidity Water Depth GPS

AUSTRALIAN SCIENTIFIC Pty Ltd

PO Box 335 Kotara NSW 2289 - Ph 1800 021 083 - Fax 02 4956 2525 sales@austscientific.com.au - www.austscientific.com.au

30 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

Pressure independent balancing and control valve Optimising HVAC systems to their highest efficiency in new construction or retrofit applications has always been a challenge.

The Danfoss AB-QM pressure independent balancing and control valve (PIBCV) enables HVAC systems to stay automatically optimised, delivering significant energy savings.

The valve makes system commissioning quick and easy for the installer and helps reduce the overall capital cost of a new HVAC system.

One advantage of the valve compared with conventional two-way and manual balancing valves is that fewer products and parts are required. This cuts down on installation and commissioning time, takes away the need to do any kind of manual balancing of the installation and reduces calculations. All that is needed is the required flow and the product will automatically balance the installation immediately after having been installed.

Devex Systems Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S696

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

n products & services

Large valves Bürkert’s Element range of valves has been extended into larger-format valves and drives, with orifices up to DN 50 and actuators to 130 mm. This will enable the valves’ use at higher process pressures and larger flow rates.

Element is a modular valve concept that delivers single-unit controlled valves with a choice in valve style and feedbacks, positioner or process controller needs. The range is characterised by high-quality stainless steel housing with intelligent and flexible system architecture. The range further extends to flow, level and analysis chemistry sensors.

The expanded line of larger size valves and drives encompasses on/off types 2100 angle-seat and 2101 globe valves, the corresponding proportional control types 2300 angle-seat and 2301 globe valves, and the on/off and proportional control 2103 diaphragm valve family. All valves will be available with 50-130 mm actuators, with orifice sizes DN 8 to DN 50.

The larger and more powerful valves control fluids, steam, caustic solutions and chemicals, as well as abrasive or high-purity substances in many applications and process environments. A robust IP65/67 construction suits the range to arduous conditions, from hygienic process caustic washdown areas (FDA and EHEDG certification), to high-dust mineral processing areas. Element on/off and proportional control heads offer network interfaces, push-button commissioning, super-bright LED status indicators, and numerous feedbacks and options.

The Element drive design facilitates integration of automation units at all levels of the modular valve system. Valve positioners and process controllers link seamlessly with sensors for a monitoring and control system for complete decentral automation of complex systems with minimal expense for cables and hoses.

Burkert Fluid Control Systems Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/R897

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February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 31

n products & services

Mobile PV plant design SMA Solar Technology now offers uncomplicated PV plant configuration via the internet. Plant planners and installers can use the company’s Sunny Design Web software in any current browser without the need to download or install software. The program calculates the most suitable plant configuration using the most relevant information.

Version 3.0 of the design software is available for online use in all current web browsers and mobile devices. Plant design can be accomplished almost anywhere, as long as there is an internet connection. Downloads and updates are no longer required as users always have the latest version of the software.

The user interface has been designed so that the program can be simply and reliably operated via touch. The software also recognises the hardware used and automatically adapts the format of the user interface.

The product contains the company’s latest features, such as the ability to factor in energy storage systems like SMA’s Sunny Backup when creating self-consumption projections. The online tool also permits multistring design of different substrings with an MPP tracker. Registered SMA Sunny Portal users benefit from personalised access and COMPONENTS online project management.

SMA Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S304 CONTROL

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32 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

Reverse osmosis treatment systems Water Equipment Plus has signed an agreement with AqSep of Denmark to act as exclusive distributor of the WaterCube and Watermaker reverse osmosis systems in Australia and New Zealand. The units offer the ability to produce from 4800 L/day of water for the WaterCube2 unit or from 4000 to 17,000 L/day for the larger Watermaker unit.

The WaterCube2 is a compact and reverse osmosis system for residential, small commercial and industrial projects, especially for the treatment of sea water or brackish water supplies. It is smaller in size than a domestic washing machine and fits unobtrusively into a home, hotel or resort application. With its higher treatment capacity, the AqSep Watermaker can meet larger water demands.

Each unit employs high-quality components without the need for chemical additions or lubricants, with a highly efficient pump and an optional energy recovery device that reduces the energy requirements to reduce the unit’s carbon footprint. Installation is simple and operation is fully automatic, so little intervention is required once the installation is complete.

Water Equipment Plus Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S356

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

Resource centre Legislation, governance, programs and industry links to help guide your sustainability development.

Publication of Waste and Recycling in Australia 2011

Green Cities 2013

The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has released Waste and Recycling in Australia 2011. The Department commissioned Hyder Consulting to compile data and information on Australia’s national performance on waste and recycling. It includes reports on the 2008-09 year, updating the 2006-07 data reported in Waste and Recycling in Australia 2009 and the National Waste Report 2010.

Key findings from the report are: • Waste generated in Australia continued to grow between 2006-07 and 2008-09.

• Waste generation per capita was 2140 kg in 2008-09.

• Australia’s national recycling rate was 51%, with 1090 kg of materials recycled per capita.

The report can be accessed on the Department’s website: www.environment.gov.au/ wastepolicy/publications/waste-recycling2011.html

Sustainable built environment event Green Cities 2013 is taking place at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney from 6-7 March 2013.

The conference program includes discussion on innovation and actions that can shape the sustainability and liveability of future communities in Australia. Keynote presenter Rob Bennett, Executive Director of the Portland Sustainability Institute, will share his insights on how to go beyond the talk to make sustainable cities a reality.

Green-star rated building site tours are being organised on Friday 8 March. www.greencities.org.au

Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of Sites Impacted by Hazardous Ground Gases The NSW EPA Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of Sites Impacted

by Hazardous Ground Gases have been finalised.

The guidelines are designed to increase both public and professional awareness and understanding of hazardous ground gases, and provide comprehensive guidance for the assessment and management of hazardous ground gases in the contaminated land context in NSW. A copy of the finalised guidelines has been added to the EPA website and can be downloaded from http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/clm/otherguidance.htm.

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5682 readers (77% personally requested) All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. Information indicating that products are made in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify the amount of local content or the accuracy of the statement made by the source.

February/March 2013 - Sustainability Matters 33

Double green chickens produce carbon-smart poo

As the festive season comes to an end, spare a thought for the humble chook which took pride of place on thousands of dinner tables around the country during the Christmas period.

Farmers to date have been reluctant to use biochar as soil amendments and poultry producers in chicken feed due to perceived high costs.

A

ustralia’s $4 billion poultry industry is maintaining steady growth, currently producing 700 million birds annually.

However, while the demand for poultry meat grows, farmers face growth of another type - waste.

The poultry industry is currently facing a number of environmental problems, including the accumulation of large amounts of waste, especially manure and litter. Largescale accumulation of these wastes poses disposal- and pollution-related problems unless environmentally and economically sustainable management technologies are adopted.

Wet poultry litter is susceptible to the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus during its storage and after its application in the field. On average, one bird loses about one gram of ammonia per day to the atmosphere and also generates odour associated with ammonia in the shed. Assuming bird life is 60 days, 700 million birds in Australia would lose the equivalent of 42 kilotons of ammonia-nitrogen with a current market value of $42 million annually.

CQUniversity’s Centre for Plant and Water Science is working with Central Queensland feed mills and chicken producers to tackle these issues and to generate real practical solutions for the Australian poultry industry. Veterinarian and postgraduate researcher Tanka Prasai has been working with industry partners for the past six months, with promising results. Not only has Prasai found ways to manage the loss of ammonia and phosphorus, but also to increase bird growth rate and gain in meat yield of the treated birds - a winwin for the poultry industry.

Postgraduate supervisor Dr Surya Bhattarai says Prasai has used an integrated approach to tackle the problems faced by the poultry industry.

“Tanka uses a four-tier approach - feed additives, litter additives, smart composting and high-quality

34 Sustainability Matters - February/March 2013

granulation of poultry litter. His research already shows promising results from the feed additives such as biochar, zeolite and benetenoite in trapping ammonia and phosphorus. He is also producing benefits for bird growth and weight gains by as much as 11% compared to the control feed.

“The birds feeding on feed additives such as biochar are considered ‘double green’ on the premise that these additives minimise loss of ammonia and ammonium from poultry litters which otherwise cause environmental problems.

“The value-added poultry fertiliser with additives such as biochar, when applied into soil for plant production, can also help carbon sequestration in the soil for longer term storage, therefore helping to reduce the environmental effects of greenhouse gas.”

Farmers to date have been reluctant to use biochar as soil amendments and poultry producers in chicken feed due to perceived high costs; however, Dr Bhattarai believes farmers need to look at the bigger picture, particularly in light of these recent research data. He says when biochar is incorporated as an additive in the feed and in high-value biofertiliser, there are huge benefits in both the growth of bird and the value of the manure.

“We anticipate our research will generate new interest in biochar as a potential value-adding product for the poultry industry and as a means of increasing industry profitability while contributing to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry using the amended manure,” he said.

“The current carbon footprint of the poultry industry in Australia is equivalent to annual emissions of 666 kilotons.

If biochar is added to the feed at 4% by the entire industry, 84 kilotons of biochar will be amended in the litter that will potentially be responsible for trapping about 252 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent if applied to the farming.”

In an effort to make biofertilisers from biochar amended litter, CQUniversity is collaborating with Fertiliser Engineering & Equipment Company (FEECO) in Melbourne for granulation of poultry litter that will produce high-quality granulated fertiliser.

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