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cool change – energy smart suburbs
At ENERGEX, we have embarked on a journey towards a smarter, more sustainable network with a range of energy solutions to support our customers’ 21st century lifestyles.
Through various initiatives, ENERGEX is working to address the issue of “peak demand”. This term refers to the peak electricity consumption on days of extreme temperature (hot or cold), when a large number of South East Queensland households and businesses use their high-energy appliances (such as air conditioners and swimming pools) at the same time - usually in the late afternoon or early evening.
On these extreme temperature days 13 per cent of ENERGEX’s $8 billion infrastructure is used to ensure there is enough capacity to meet the increased demand. For the rest of the year (99% of the time), this infrastructure remains unused. While ENERGEX can continue to upgrade the system to manage the growing demand, this isn’t the most sustainable approach. ENERGEX is taking a proactive approach to addressing the peak demand issue to:
- make better use of public resources
- minimise the impact of price increases on your future electricity bills
- provide for a sustainable electricity supply
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what is the Cool Change Trial?
ENERGEX is undertaking The Cool Change Trial to advance research into the sustainable management of peak demand in local communities.
The trial is limited to the suburbs of Albany Creek, Arana Hills, Bridgeman Downs, Bunya, Everton Hills, Everton Park, Ferny Hills, Ferny Grove and McDowall.
To be eligible to participate in the trial, resident’s need to be the owner/occupier of a house in the trial area and have an air conditioner in a living area and/or have a swimming pool.
During the trial, ENERGEX will fit energy-saving devices on certain household appliances in participating homes, enabling the appliances to be remotely cycled by ENERGEX over the few hours of peak demand. The aim is to reduce energy use in peak demand times without impacting on customer comfort or convenience.
The Cool Change – Energy Smart Suburbs peak demand trial is the first ENERGEX initiative to be launched, and is the largest trial of its kind in Australia.
summer 2009/2010
Over this summer (the third summer in the Cool Change trial) over 600 participants have elected to have a device installed to their pool filtration system.
The device - called PeakSave - was developed by ENERGEX staff, here in Brisbane, and has already been well-received by other energy companies across Australia. The PeakSave will remotely switch the filtration system off for a few hours during the peak demand period on high temperature days.
Use of the PeakSave in the trial area is expected to conserve electricity during periods of extreme peak demand. In the long run this will assist to slow the rate at which ENERGEX needs to build new electricity infrastructure to meet our customer’s energy needs.
information for current Cool Change trial participants:
summer 2008/2009
In the second summer of the Cool Change trial, 950 new customers joined, bringing the total participants to over 1800.
Air conditioners continued to be cycled over the 08/09 summer, and combined with the cycling of hot water systems, this achieved an energy savings of 20%.
summer 2007/2008
Approximately 16,000 residents from the trial suburbs were invited to join the Cool Change trial in 2008, with 2300 expressing interest in participating, and approximately 909 being eligible to participate in the first year of the trial. 
After completing a validation process with applicants, ENERGEX installed devices onto the compressor of air conditioning units in eligible participating households, with participants receiving monetary incentives.
Air conditioners were cycled on several hot summer days which resulted in a 17 per cent reduction in peak energy demand in the trial community.
Air conditioners already switch off their compressors and cycle only with the fan several times an hour - the device simply varies the number of times the compressor switches on and off.
Surveys conducted throughout the trial period found that over 90% of participants reported either no or negligible impact on their summer comfort.
Please see links below for full results from the Summer 2007/2008 trial period.
For further information please contact ENERGEX on 1800 774 887.