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152 PROPOSAL TO REVISE ENERGY EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS OF THE BUILDING CODE OF AUSTRALIA FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
G Electricity generation and network
impacts
Currently, the commercial sector accounts for approximately 23 per cent of
total electricity consumption. Thermal efficiency modelling suggests that
the proposed changes in the BCA are likely to reduce electricity
consumption in that sector such that, by 2020, overall energy consumption
will be 0.5 per cent lower than it would otherwise have been. Total
consumption Australia wide in that year will be 1379 GWh lower than it
would otherwise have been. The comparable reductions in 2030 would be
a similar 0.4 per cent saving (1206GWh). As a proportion of commercial
buildings’ consumption this means that by 2020 the sector would be
2.1 per cent more efficient than currently (1.5 per cent in 2030).
In common with other demand side reduction measures, changes brought
about by the proposed amendments to the BCA have the potential to
affect outcomes for electricity generation operators, transmission and
distribution (T and D) network operations and the retail businesses
ultimately supplying residential, commercial and other customers. The gas
supply and distribution network is also affected, though principally as
suppliers to electricity generators. The gas industry effects are treated as
second order effects for purposes of the RIS and are not considered in
detail here.
The energy efficiencies generated by the BCA changes present
opportunities for energy savings that translate into avoided supply side
costs, and therefore benefits at these different points in the electricity
supply chain. These energy savings, depending on their size and timing,
have the potential to:
• defer costly augmentation of generation and T and D capacity;
• relieve network stress at peak times, reduce load losses and Unserved
Energy demand (USE);
• reduce generation operating costs. (The latter, in an environment where
there are carbon charges will in part be the result of reduced purchases
of carbon credits compared to a higher consumption scenario. It is
important, to avoid double counting, that if these GHG related benefits
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