Evaluating the Impact of the CVSC Project’s Energy Efficiency Interventions: A Framework and Initial Findings
The Australian Government has invested $100 million in Solar Cities programs designed to test new and sustainable models for electricity supply and use. it is being implemented in seven separate regions across Australia, including Central Victoria. Central Victoria Solar City program encourages residents to test the effectiveness of different energy efficiency and renewable energy products and services in reducing energy use and reliance on non-renewable energy. Managed by renewable energy company, Sustainable Regional Australia (SRA) located in Castlemaine, Victoria.
The CSVC evaluation has been designed to:
1. Monitor and evaluate the impact of the program;
2. Identify the influence of non-program factors on energy consumption (e.g. attitudes, values, housing characteristics, climate) and adoption of energy efficiency technologies; and
3. Inform public policy and future research.
The Evaluation will:
-Quantify the effects of CSVC packages on energy consumption;
-Identify the frivers of efficient consumption and inform public policy by developing an energy-saving optimisation model;
- Use the model to estimate future energy consumption and CO2 savings in the Central Victoria region under various scenarios concerning social, economic, technological and environmental changes and developments.
