Projects: Energy
At SEMF, we manage and deliver projects across each phase of the energy lifecycle and have mastered the various challenges that stem from energy supply, transmission and demand. Our project stable spans storage, transmission, strategy and carbon management and focuses on wind, solar, water and geothermal energy as well non-renewable sources such as coal, oil and gas.
Our flagship energy projects include:
Hydro Tasmania Wind Farms
Fast Facts:
- The project was characterised by challenging control factors, with longitudinal grades required to be under 11% and road cross falls less than 4%.
- SEMF used state-of-the-art terrain modelling and design software to complete the project.
Hydro Tasmania is a renewable energy specialist engaged in hydro and wind energy projects across Tasmania. Since 2005, the company has been involved in a joint venture with Roaring 40s, a major developer of wind farms.
Hydro Tasmania engaged SEMF to provide civil design and documentation skills for the preliminary road and installation platform layouts for a 39 turbine wind farm in Musselroe, Tasmania and a farm in Waterloo, South Australia comprising 60 turbines.
For easy transportation, SEMF broke down each turbine into components and separated the nacelle, tower and blades. This required the use of multi-axle articulated vehicles, some with an overall road length in excess of 47 metres.
We calculated the access road geometry in an effort to address the limited maneuverability of the vehicles and cranes. Major control factors included a 45 metre distance limit between curves, a 11% restriction on longitudinal grades and a 500 metre radius for vertical curves. The latter proved to be challenging as the Waterloo site was located atop a long, narrow ridge with side slope grades approaching 25%. The complex shape of the turbines also created major mobility issues.
Despite this, SEMF effectively tackled these barriers to deliver a successful result.
Fast facts
- Energy saving project for low income private tenants or home owner occupiers
- SEMF are providing some energy saving items such as CFL lamps, water saving shower head, etc. and providing an energy assessment with personalised energy saving plan.
In the 2012-13 Tasmanian Budget the Premier of Tasmania announced funding for the delivery of a Housewarming Program to help ease the cost of living pressures for those Tasmanians in most need.
Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC) is undertaking the program on behalf of Government. The Department undertook a procurement process with an aim to appoint a suitably qualified firm to undertake the program
The Housewarming program will deliver to each home an energy assessment, install a range of low cost upgrades and retrofits, education and personalised power and water savings plan. These measures are aimed at assisting eligible households reduce their residential energy usage while keeping their homes warm in winter.
The objective will be achieved by making those homes more energy efficient as well as instigating and supporting sustainable, ongoing behavioural change.
Benefits of the program will be warmer and more comfortable homes, savings on power and water bills, with reduced greenhouse emissions.
Visit the website at www.staywarmsavemoney.com
100 Christie Street St Leonards
Fast Facts
- SEMF designed a new energy-saving solar pre-heating system for 100 Christie Street, an office tower in St Leonards, Sydney
- The new system incorporated solar thermal collectors, which contributed 209 megajoules of energy to the building a day
- SEMF’s involvement in the project reaped energy savings equivalent of 120 halogen lights
Located in St Leonard’s Sydney, 100 Christie Street is a contemporary, 12-storey office tower which was completed in 1984 and upgraded in 2005. The building plays host to high-profile tenants from a range of industries.
In early 2008, SEMF was engaged by commercial property developer CBRE to design a new, energy-saving solar pre-heating system to supplement the existing gas-based centralised system and minimise costs. In response to this, SEMF conceived and produced a heating system incorporating innovative solar thermal collectors, which were then installed on the building’s roof. These collectors can contribute 209 MJ of energy to the office tower a day.
During the course of the project, we also successfully prepared and submitted a development application to North Sydney Council and obtained approval for the new fixture.
SEMF’s new system saves the building the energy equivalent of 120 halogen lights, a fact that significantly reduces its carbon footprint.