Sustainable Energy - where should you start?

As a key provider of energy infrastructure, Vector wants to ensure that the solutions we supply are innovative, integrated and will support a sustainable energy supply into the future.

Harnessing Corporate Sustainability was the theme of the recent executive lunch hosted by our Commercial team. Pramesh Maharaj from EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) and Josh Butterfield from Vector shared examples of New Zealand companies who had successfully implemented cost effective and sustainable energy solutions. If you are interested in copies of the speakers’ presentations, these are available at: www.vector.co.nz/harnessing-corporate-sustainability.

We were pleased by the great response to the event and the positive feedback we received. The theme obviously hit the right note as more than 75% of you said you were interested in reducing your company’s energy costs within the next six months.

Since the event, we have already received a number of requests to conduct energy audits. If you want more information about Vector’s energy audits, please contact your Key Account Manager or visit www.vector.co.nz/sustainable/energy-options for more details.

Our next speaker event will cover Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery. Let your Key Account Manager know if you, or someone else from your organisation, are interested in attending.

Customer feedback leads to better service

We’d like to introduce you to Daniel Cummins – Manager of our Network Sales and Sustainable Energy Solutions teams.

Daniel’s background spans several industries, including stints in Finance, IT, supply chain logistics and telecommunications. A common thread throughout his career has been a relentless focus on building customer satisfaction and delivering better customer outcomes.

Since he joined Vector last year, Daniel has found that Vector people are immensely proud of the role we play in ‘keeping the lights on’. He feels there is plenty of room for us to go the extra mile in focusing on customer needs, rather than just the network technology. And, he is excited by the opportunities the team has to help customers develop more energy efficient businesses.

Your feedback is essential to help improve the service Vector offers, and ensure that Daniel and his team are focused on the issues that matter most. We will be conducting our annual survey of Key Account customers in May – please keep an eye out for the survey email, and take the time to respond. Your insights will be instrumental in helping Daniel and his team to shape their goals and plans for the year ahead.

If your business lost power, do you have a back-up plan?

How prepared is your business for a sudden outage? Can you still meet your supply commitments? Is your stock reliant on refrigeration or heat processes?

At Vector, we have all sorts of contingency and disaster recovery plans in place for our own network. However… major outages can, and do, still happen.

These unforeseen events can have a serious financial impact on individual customers – and businesses that have major risks associated with outages should have a comprehensive back-up plan in place.

As mentioned above, our next speaker event will be on this very subject - Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery. Please let your Key Account Manager know if you are interested in attending.

We’re prepared for “awful” events

The acronym AUFLS stands for Automatic Under Frequency Load Shedding. At Vector, we pronounce this acronym as ‘awfuls’ – an apt description for this scenario!

AUFLS is the New Zealand power system’s last resort safety net. When there is a large, unexpected loss of generation, AUFLS is used to restore stability to NZ’s power system. AUFLS uses automatic emergency devices which trigger localised power outages on line company networks (including Vector’s) in order to reduce load on Transpower’s national grid.

Unfortunately there is no warning before they are triggered, but their purpose is to prevent power system collapse and widespread blackouts throughout the country.

The most recent AUFLS event occurred on 13 December 2011 when Transpower lost power supply from the Huntly Power Station. To keep all customers informed about the outage, Vector issued a media release within ten minutes of the incident. Another media release was sent out soon after we received the all-clear from Transpower, to explain how we would begin the gradual restoration of power to all affected customers. At all times our goal is to provide clear information to the public and our customers about the nature of the outage and clarity on the power restoration process.

Upgrading the Grid

To improve the secure supply of New Zealand’s electricity, Transpower is currently working on some major upgrades to the national grid. Huge investment costs are associated with these projects, two of which will benefit Vector’s electricity network area in Auckland:

• The $415m North Auckland and Auckland (NAaN) Grid Upgrade Project – this will provide greater transmission capacity and reinforce electricity supply across the wider Auckland region and into Northland.
• The $824m North Island Grid Upgrade Project (NIGUP) – this upgrade project will meet growing demand. Since the last transmission line to Auckland was built in the 1960s, the population of the upper North Island has more than doubled and electricity use has more than trebled.

To find out more, visit www.transpower.co.nz/project-info

Why does gas smell like rotten eggs?

When was gas first discovered in New Zealand? How fast does natural gas move through pipelines?

These are just a few of the questions kids are asked in the “Discover Natural Gas” education programme which Vector successfully launched to Taranaki schools in February. This exciting community initiative is part of Vector’s wider schools programme which includes, “Stay Safe around Electricity” and “Be Sustainable with Energy”. See more at www.vectorsafety.co.nz

And, just in case you were still wondering…

• Gas has no odour in its natural state, so a chemical odourant (the rotten egg smell) is added to make gas leaks easier to notice.
• Kapuni gas field in Taranaki was discovered in 1959 and by 1970 gas from the field was being transmitted by pipeline for use in Auckland and Wellington.
• Natural gas moves through pipelines at the slow and steady pace of 24km per hour.

What is Vector up to?

If you want to find out about Vector’s projects, visit www.vector.co.nz/projects

Simply click on the map to find out about current and future electricity and natural gas projects in your area. If you want to know whether a particular project will impact your business, please ask your Account Manager.

Get to know our Account Managers

Peter Broughton
Phone: 09 978 7821
Mobile: 021 925 847
Email: peter.broughton@vector.co.nz

Peter has over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, ten of these as part of the Vector team. Peter has a strong background in gas distribution and transmission combined with experience managing large electricity developments. This provides an ideal mix within the Vector team as he can provide an overview as well as an intimate knowledge of the detail required. Peter has written his BBQ off this summer but as a keen Formula 1 fan he has recently invested in a new coffee machine to kick-start his mornings after staying awake to watch early morning races.

Alan Hanley
Phone: 09 978 7829
Mobile: 021 653 641
Email: alan.hanley@vector.co.nz

Alan has recently been busy progressing a number of customer applications for distributed generation through complex technical and safety issues with our asset engineering team. Alan has worked for Vector for eight years, and prior to that at UnitedNetworks. He holds a business studies degree from Dublin University and worked in Dublin and London before coming to Auckland in 1990. He started painting his house during the Christmas break and, at this rate, expects to be completed by next Christmas!

Sian Leigh
Phone: 09 978 7651
Mobile: 021 813 916
Email: sian.leigh@vector.co.nz

Since the last newsletter Sian has been working closely with some of her customers to conduct energy audits and discover how they can use their energy more efficiently. Sian studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Plymouth University in the UK, where the last place she worked was for international service company SERCO as Senior Sales and Bid Manager. Since joining Vector last year, Sian has managed to meet most of her clients. This Welsh native leads an active lifestyle outside of work and is looking forward to the start of winter sports.

Edward Robinson
Phone: 09 978 7898
Mobile: 0272 897 654
Email: edward.robinson@vector.co.nz

Edward is responsible for commercial relationships with energy retailers on our networks. Edward completed law and science degrees in New Zealand. After travelling and living in London, he returned to New Zealand and completed a Masters of Law with Honours, in part studying the legal aspects of energy and natural resource law. Having previously worked at Genesis Energy and Telecom Wholesale, Edward joined Vector halfway through last year and has already met most of his energy retailer contacts. Ed comes from a busy household of boys with two aged 4 and 6, and another boy due in early May.

Read our November 2011 newsletter