Page 5004 - Week 13 - Thursday, 12 November 2009
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The ACT government new technology and innovation award went to Taskmaster: controlling power at the workstation, developed by Northrop Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd. Engineering excellence awards were awarded to four companies: Kingston foreshore harbour civil works by Macmahon Contractors, AECOM Australia Pty Ltd and the Land Development Agency; InterfereX by NICTA; Taskmaster: controlling power at the workstation, developed by Northrop Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd; and enlarged Cotter Dam geotechnical investigations by Actew, ActewAGL, GHD, Abigroup and John Holland.
Highly commended awards were also presented to the following three projects: AIS altitude facility by Kinetic Performance Technology; materials handling and warehouse solution at the Royal Australian Mint; and Gungahlin Drive extension bridge over Belconnen Way by federal highway joint venture and VSL Australia Pty Ltd.
While all of the winners were of exceptional quality, the winner of the ACT government new technology and innovation award was of particular interest to me, and maybe we should explore the possibility of looking into their power saving device for the ACT Assembly.
Taskmaster: controlling power at the workstation, developed by Northrop Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd, is an interesting product. The Taskmaster system reduces carbon emissions in the office environment by turning off the power to the work station when it is not required. The system is unique in that it utilises the existing building lighting control system for its operation, making it economical and simple to integrate with other building systems.
The Taskmaster system comprises two principle components: the control unit and the desk mounted power rail. These devices integrate into the existing base building lighting control system to control appliances at the desktop, including lighting and computers. This allows an existing lighting control system designed to save energy consumption to be extended to other appliances. The desk mounted power rail has white power points which switch off at 6.30 pm every night, and automatically come back on at 7.30 am on a working day. The power can be reset for two hours at the desktop if you are working between these hours. The red power points are essential and remain on, allowing for computers and other essential equipment to be plugged in.
I am reading obviously from the hand-out at the evening, which is extolling the virtues of an interesting product. In the words of the judges:
This system is simple, saves power, is cheap, and a very well developed system—a great innovation! Why didn’t someone develop it years ago?
So, Madam Assistant Speaker Le Couteur, knowing your interest and passion in environmental technology and innovation, I commend this Taskmaster: controlling power at the workstation to you to perhaps explore with the Speaker to see how it would fit with our Assembly.
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