Media Release

Christchurch Power Engineer Wins European Sustainable Development Competition
Monday, 22 December 2003.

Ian Bywater, a member of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ), has won the New Spirit Challenge from the IEE, Europe’s largest engineering body, for his role in developing a model of cleaner production and sustainable electricity energy for rural milkingdairy farms.

The frequent, twice-daily milking practice where extracted milk must be chilled by 45 30 degrees, creates a huge demand on the electricity grid in a short period of time. By using Bywater’s sustainable systems innovation, the local groundwater acts as a heat-sink for the milk, reducing overall electricity demand by 40 per cent, but also as adairy shed effluent is used to make biogas to fuel a generator which powers an ice-bank that can be recharged and stored over the non-peak hours. The generator also provides hot water for the dairy shed.

“From a field of highly competitive submissions, the IEE selected the this novel energy system proposal as the winner, for its vision, potential impact on the environment and its innovation, says Dr Nigel Burton, (judge or committee person) VP of IEE Trustee Board and member of the judging panel. The practical support offered by the IEE to Bywater will hopefully helpaims to fund an initial research into using an ice-bank powered by a biogas engine running off the dairy shed effluent, supplemented by the electricity grid. This would be used to re-charge the energy for refrigerationmilk cooling, during off-peak hours.”

“Implementing this project will demonstrate to the world’s farming community the viability for using on-site sustainable fuel resources and the safe storage and cooling of milk in a novel and environmentally sound methodmanner,” says Bywater. “Our research will show whether it is possible to achieve the extraction and cooling of milk from a herd without any need for electricity from the grid.”

The New Spirit Challenge aims to provide practical support for engineering projects designed to make an innovative contribution to sustainability. Creating a sustainable society means new approaches to engineering, new businesses, new products and services and new ways of organising that create wealth for all partners and enhance the environment and quality of life.

Ian Bywater followed a professional career in the electricity supply industry, in Britain and New Zealand from 1974 - 1996. He was awarded a University Scholarship by the Eastern Electricity Board and studied Power Engineering at Queen Mary College, London.

Editors’ notes:

The IEE
The IEE with close to 130,000 members is Europe’s largest grouping of professional engineers. Indeed, it is World-wide with 30,000 of its members based outside the UK. Ranging from students to leading figures in industry, research and development, consultancy and education they work in power engineering, communications, electronics, computing, software, control, informatics and manufacturing.

For more information on the IEE’s Engineering for a Sustainable Future professional network, visit:
http://www.iee.org/OnComms/pn/sustainability/

Ian Bywater BSc(Eng) CEng MIEE MIPENZ
Engenius Solutions
Level 3, St Elmo Courts
PO Box 1551
Christchurch
New Zealand
Ph. +64 33 79 63 33

ENDS

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