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Circular Economy, Climate Transition Circular Economy, Climate Transition CASE STUDY Business Case Tool to Tackle Food Waste in Sydney’s Tourism Sector EC Focus partnered with the City of Sydney's Sustainable Destination Partnership to tackle food waste in tourism. We created a Business Case Tool to help sustainability managers in hotels, attractions, and institutions cut food waste by focusing on its climate impact, reputational benefits, regulatory requirements, and cost savings. Read More LEVANDE SBTi EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET EC Focus supported Levande in becoming the first Australian company to have its emissions reduction target approved under the 2024 SBTi Buildings Pathway—delivering gap analysis, target modelling, third-party assurance support, and full submission guidance in line with SBTi and GHG Protocol standards. Read More METCASH DISTRIBUTION CENTRE Metcash implemented energy efficiency upgrades across its vast warehouse and office spaces. With support from EC Focus, the project delivered measurable energy savings, reduced operational costs, and cut GHG emissions, enhancing sustainability across one of Australia’s largest distribution hubs. Read More LINFOX - MARS FOODS WAREHOUSE The Linfox Distribution Warehouse in Berkeley Vale, supporting Mars Foods’ domestic and export operations, reflects both companies’ commitment to safety and sustainability through energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and a lower carbon footprint across its 32,500 sqm facility. Read More IMPROVING WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR BREWERIES Heaps Normal engaged EC to improve pallet wrap recycling, achieving a 55% reduction in annual waste costs, diverting ~500 kg from landfill, and boosting their recycling rate from 69% to 81%. Read More IMPROVING ORGANIC RECYCLING AT MARRICKVILLE METRO Marrickville Metro engaged EC Focus to boost tenant participation and improve the effectiveness of its underused organics recycling system, helping the centre maximise its existing Pulpmaster infrastructure. Read More MARINA SQUARE HIGH EFFICIENCY CHILLERS Marina Square installed high-efficiency air-cooled chillers, with EC Focus securing $57,198 in funding and verifying annual savings of $44,000 and 295 MWh, cutting the carbon footprint by 271 tonnes CO2-e. Read More AUSTRALIAN TALLOW PRODUCERS BOILER AND STEAM SYSTEM UPGRADE Australian Tallow Producers recycles millions of kilograms of perishable livestock and poultry by-products annually, converting them into valuable ingredients for industries like feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biodiesel. Read More 130 GEORGE ST LIFT UPGRADE 130 George Street upgraded its lifts, achieving verified energy savings of 83% annually in lift power and motor room cooling, with EC Focus providing expert measurement, verification, and securing financial rewards through Energy Savings Certificates. Read More ART GALLERY OF NSW CHILLERS Art Gallery of NSW upgraded its chillers and cooling systems, with EC Focus verifying 1,200 MWh in annual energy savings—cutting costs by $140,000, reducing emissions by 1,200 tonnes CO2e, and securing over $100,000 in funding through Energy Savings Certificates. Read More CASTLE GRAND CAR PARK EXHAUST UPGRADE EC Focus guided The Hills Shire Council in upgrading Castle Grand’s carpark exhaust system with variable speed drives and sensors, delivering a verified 90% energy reduction and offsetting 20% of upgrade costs through Energy Savings Certificates. Read More ABC CASTINGS RECYCLING EQUIPMENT EC Focus helped ABC Castings secure EPA rebates to install sand recovery and dust extraction equipment, enabling reuse of over 90% of resin sand and significantly reducing waste and disposal costs. Read More 5 MARTIN PLACE To improve its NABERS Waste rating, 5 Martin Place worked to address waste challenges from retail tenants and limited bin room space tackling contamination issues and enhancing recycling in a complex CBD mixed-use building. Read More CUMBERLAND COUNTRY GOLF CLUB Cumberland Country Golf Club saved $8,000 annually on waste removal and $16,500 in capital costs—reusing 38 tonnes of green waste each year as garden mulch. Read More ROYAL INSTITUTE FOR DEAF AND BLIND CHILDREN EC Focus helped the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children cut energy use and emissions across 14 buildings by implementing targeted efficiency upgrades from HVAC and hot water systems to chiller optimisation. Read More 410 CHURCH ST PARRAMATTA An energy audit of a 6-storey office building uncovered 194 MWh in annual savings, with some upgrades paying back in 9 months, cutting common area energy bills by up to $3,000/month and enabling ongoing HVAC optimisation. Read More HILTON SYDNEY CONFERENCE AND FUNCTION CENTRE Hilton Sydney upgraded to energy-efficient lighting with support from EC Focus, cutting over 233 MWh in annual energy use and offsetting project costs by 22% through Energy Savings Certificates. Read More HARBOURLIGHTS MILSONS POINT Harbourlights cut energy use and improved lighting by upgrading to LED with sensors, reducing power bills despite a 26% electricity price rise supported by EC Focus through certificate creation and compliance. Read More IKEA DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IKEA upgraded to LED lighting at its Moorebank centre, improving lighting performance by 70%, saving $111,000 in energy and $15,000 in maintenance annually, and securing $141,000 in funding with a 1.6-year payback. Read More

< Back ROYAL INSTITUTE FOR DEAF AND BLIND CHILDREN EC Focus helped the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children cut energy use and emissions across 14 buildings by implementing targeted efficiency upgrades from HVAC and hot water systems to chiller optimisation. Date: 2014 The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children is an educational institution in NSW with 20,000m2 of built-up area across 14 buildings. Seeking to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint, they sought assistance from Energy Conservation to improve their energy efficiency. Following systematic sub-metering, data-analysis and site inspections, Energy Conservation devised a strategy to implement cost-effective efficiency measures. We built business cases for each unique measure, and with client approval we delivered procurement support and turnkey project management to implement the following: Rebuild of power factor correction unit Optimisation of head pressure control in chiller plant Adiabatic pre-cooling for air-cooled chiller Optimisation of HVAC cycles & operating schedules Digital time-clocks for electric hot water systems Replacement of timers for A/C supply fans Installation of evacuated tube solar hot water systems to replace deteriorated electric systems From September 2014 onwards, the Institute has recorded significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions as a direct result of these measures, with no reduction in level of service.

< Back MARINA SQUARE HIGH EFFICIENCY CHILLERS Marina Square installed high-efficiency air-cooled chillers, with EC Focus securing $57,198 in funding and verifying annual savings of $44,000 and 295 MWh, cutting the carbon footprint by 271 tonnes CO2-e. Date: 2018 Marina Square’s new retail, commercial and residential development in Wentworth Point required air-cooled water chillers to service the HVAC system of a 12,000 sqm retail centre including common areas and over 45 retail tenancies. Management installed two Daikin high efficiency air-cooled chillers and engaged Energy Conservation to deal directly with suppliers and contractors to ensure funding eligibility compliance. By capturing and collecting evidence and comparing efficiencies, Energy Conservation calculate savings through the Installation of High Efficiency Appliances for Business (IHEAB) method on Marina Square’s behalf and create Energy Savings Certificates which are sold as financial rewards. Marina Square received $57,198 in funding for installing high efficiency equipment. In addition, ongoing annual savings of $44,000 in electricity costs are realised through the reduction of the equivalent of 295 megawatt hours of usage, which in turn decreases Marina Square’s carbon footprint by 271 tonnes of CO2-e emissions annually.

< Back LEVANDE SBTi EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET EC Focus supported Levande in becoming the first Australian company to have its emissions reduction target approved under the 2024 SBTi Buildings Pathway—delivering gap analysis, target modelling, third-party assurance support, and full submission guidance in line with SBTi and GHG Protocol standards. Date: 2024-2025 EC Focus supported Levande in becoming the first Australian corporation to have its emissions reduction target approved under the 2024 Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Buildings Sectoral Decarbonisation Pathway. Key services provided by EC Focus included: Gap analysis of Levande’s GHG inventory against SBTi requirements Modelling science-based target options using the 2024 SBTi buildings guidance Support in obtaining third-party assurance of emissions data Full guidance through submission and validation Alignment with GHG Protocol and SBTi standards

< Back Business Case Tool to Tackle Food Waste in Sydney’s Tourism Sector EC Focus partnered with the City of Sydney's Sustainable Destination Partnership to tackle food waste in tourism. We created a Business Case Tool to help sustainability managers in hotels, attractions, and institutions cut food waste by focusing on its climate impact, reputational benefits, regulatory requirements, and cost savings. Date: 2024 Read the full case study to see how this tailored tool supports Sydney’s tourism sector in building stronger business cases for food waste reduction, equipping sustainability managers with the insights and drivers they need to gain internal buy-in and make informed decisions.

< Back ABC CASTINGS RECYCLING EQUIPMENT EC Focus helped ABC Castings secure EPA rebates to install sand recovery and dust extraction equipment, enabling reuse of over 90% of resin sand and significantly reducing waste and disposal costs. Date: 2017 ABC Castings is a nonferrous metal casting business producing components for use in heavy industry, infrastructure and manufacturing. The castings are often made in hardened sand-based moulds, bonded with resin or clay, which are broken off the finished casting at the end of the process and cannot be reused unless they are refined back to sand. Prior to working with Energy Conservation over 200 tonnes of resin sand per annum was being lost this way to landfill. An assessor from Energy Conservation visited the business to conduct a visual waste assessment, interview the business owner and gather evidence from waste bills and procurement orders. The owner recognised that more efficient use of materials would reduce waste to landfill and cut operating costs. A proposal was submitted for the purchase of sand recovery and associated dust extraction equipment which, supported by the evidence collected by our assessor was approved by the NSW EPA. The business could then proceed to purchase their new equipment with 45% of the purchase cost guaranteed in rebate funding. With their new equipment installed, ABC Castings now reuses more than 90% of their resin sand and saves over $63,000 per year in waste disposal costs.

IKEA DISTRIBUTION CENTRE Project Overview At its state-of-the-art distribution centre in Moorebank, furniture giant IKEA was experiencing growing energy & lighting maintenance costs but decreasing light output, unfavourable to productivity & safety. A detailed site audit and measurement of lighting needs was conducted, and the property owner and Client chose LED High Bays for their proven minimum operating capability of 50,000 hours, equal to 10 years of maintenance-free lighting. Once the lighting upgrade was complete IKEA had measurably improved lighting performance, exceeding building code requirements by over 70% with positive implications for workplace productivity and safety. Supported by Energy Conservation, IKEA not only achieved savings of $111,000 in annual energy costs plus $15,000 in annual maintenance costs, but also secured funding of over $141,000 through the creation of Energy Savings Certificates to offset the project- with a 1.6-year simple payback.

< Back IMPROVING ORGANIC RECYCLING AT MARRICKVILLE METRO Marrickville Metro engaged EC Focus to boost tenant participation and improve the effectiveness of its underused organics recycling system, helping the centre maximise its existing Pulpmaster infrastructure. Marrickville Metro is a bustling retail hub home to a diverse range of food businesses. Despite having key infrastructure in place, including an onsite Pulpmaster system for processing organic waste, uptake of the organics recycling service among tenants was low. EC Focus was engaged to support the centre in improving organics recycling participation and effectiveness.

Get Paid to Connect Your Home Battery to a Virtual Power Plant Apply Now Current rate: $40 per kWh of battery capacity Up to $1,120 in Cash Incentives Available Now under the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme Have a solar-connected battery in NSW? You could unlock up to $1,120 in cash incentives by onboarding your battery with a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) provider such as (but not limited to): We help you: Maximise your incentive Take care of the paperwork Get paid fast You help us: Gather any missing information about your battery installation (we will assist) Click here to submit a claim or read on for more info. IMPORTANT: Make sure that – before you sign up to a VPP – you complete & sign our Nomination Form here . Here's a copy of IPART factsheet If you have questions about the contents of the nomination form, then please contact us here. What if you change your mind? No problem at all, please call us on 02 9660 9997 or send us a message here and your nomination will be revoked with immediate effect. We encourage you to nominate now because a valid nomination must be in place at the time you sign up with a VPP. This is a key eligibility requirement. AGL Amber Discover Energy Energy Australia Engie GloBird LocalVolts Nectr NRN Origin Powow Shinehub What this is? Eligibility Criteria Incentive Under the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) , households can earn a cash incentive simply by onboarding their battery with an eligible VPP . We are currently offering a cash incentive of $40 per kWh of usable battery capacity for eligible enrolments; paid to you fast - typically within 7 days from when the necessary documentation has been received and is validated by our team. The cash incentive is available once per battery installation and only for batteries that meet PDRS eligibility requirements. We note that you’re not locked into any contract and can leave the VPP at any time, however the terms & conditions of your VPP enrolment should state that the VPP plan is – at least notionally – for the provision of demand response capacity for at least 12 months. Further, the incentive is calculated based on the battery remaining in a VPP for six years. This means that once a claim has been made for an onboarded battery, you won’t be eligible to claim the incentive again. Battery UBC Est Incentives Sonnen Batterie Evo 10 kWh $ 400 Sungrow SBR128 12.8 kWh $ 512 Tesla Powerwall 3 13.5 kWh $ 540 Sungrow SBR256 25.6 kWh $ 1024 Note: Incentives apply to batteries with Usable Battery Capacity greater than 2 kWh and less than 28 kWh. Actual amounts depend on underlying PRC price and model eligibility. The estimated incentives are guaranteed for enrolments in September 2025 . To qualify, your site must: Be in New South Wales Have solar PV installed Use a battery on the Clean Energy Council's approved list that meets the PDRS requirements Not rely on life support equipment Have a valid Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work pertaining to the battery when it was installed and connected Join an eligible VPP Batteries can be new or existing. Conditions apply - contact us to check eligibility. Why this works and why it makes sense? We know battery owners value control, transparency, and energy independence. So, how does connecting to a VPP serve those goals? Energy independence isn’t about isolation - it’s about taking control. Going off-grid might seem like the ultimate symbol of independence but it can limit your flexibility , increase your costs , and reduce your resilience . Energy independence isn’t just about disconnecting from the grid, it’s about having control over when you buy, store, and use energy. A well-run VPP lets you: Charge your battery when prices are low or solar is abundant Discharge when prices are high or demand is peaking Reduce your grid reliance – not by disconnecting, but by engaging on your own terms This means more control, more choice, and often, better financial outcomes. The same means to different ends Many people may feel uneasy about handing control of their battery over to energy retailers or DNSPs. It may be true that different stakeholders work to different ends, but the means to those ends are often more aligned than you might think. Consider the following. Midday (solar peak): You want to charge your battery with your rooftop solar. Retailers don’t need the surplus energy and want to avoid paying feed-in tariffs. DNSPs want to reduce grid congestion and maintain grid stability. Everyone agrees: Charge the battery, don’t supply to the grid. Evening (demand peak): You may want to use your battery to avoid buying expensive electricity. Retailers want you to discharge so they don’t have to buy high-cost wholesale energy. DNSPs want more energy injected locally to off-load and stabilise the network. Again, aligned: Discharge the battery. In these cases, while the motivations are different, the actions that benefit all stakeholders are much the same. Delegating (limited) control to a trusted VPP or aggregator, isn’t giving up your independence; rather, it’s amplifying your advantage as these systems: Respond faster to market signals Optimise charge/discharge cycles Maximise returns with less effort They’re often more effective than manual operation. If the actions align, then why is control necessary in the first place? Because without it, the electricity market is flying blind - unable to coordinate or fully harness the potential of thousands of distributed batteries. By opting in, you're not just supporting the grid - you're making sure you’re first in line when value is created. But not everyone values the same things True. Not all battery owners have the same objectives. When battery owners are more focused on resilience, autonomy, or minimising grid reliance , that’s where the desired actions can diverge. You may prefer to keep your battery charged for self-use at other times and in case of an outage for example, but the VPP may want to discharge it during peak events. You may not care about market prices, but the VPP might schedule your battery based on price signals. You may want to limit exports, while the VPP optimises for maximum grid value. In these cases, your objectives may conflict with those of the VPP’s optimisation strategy. So How Do You Manage That? If you value self-sufficiency over cost reduction , make sure your VPP provider: Is transparent about when and why they’ll discharge your battery Allows custom reserve settings and opt-out options, including for certain event types Doesn’t lock you into usage patterns that conflict with your values Offers clear, fair compensation for any energy they use from your battery A good VPP should let you choose whether to maximise return, maximise autonomy, or balance the two - with no surprises. VPP providers we can work with We can support customers joining any VPP program so long as the right documentation is provided. Jump to here to get started. One more time in a nutshell: You have solar PV You have an eligible battery Contact EC Focus and nominate us as your ACP Join a VPP Submit key documents (we help you collect them) Receive your incentive – upfront, no lock-in contracts required Let's orchestrate some batteries! Whether you're a homeowner with a battery or a VPP partner looking to streamline onboarding and unlock incentives for your customers, we’re here to help. Contact Us Apply Now Why work with EC Focus? Accredited Certificate Provider under the PDRS Best-in-class rebates per kWh battery capacity Fast payment - within 7 days of complete applications Can work with all VPPs Expert guidance - we check your documents and handle the claim

EC Focus supported Levande in becoming the first Australian corporation to have its emissions reduction target approved under the 2024 Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Buildings Sectoral Decarbonisation Pathway. EC Focus Helps Levande Achieve Australia's First SBTi Buildings Emissions Target Project Overview EC Focus supported Levande in becoming the first Australian corporation to have its emissions reduction target approved under the 2024 Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Buildings Sectoral Decarbonisation Pathway. Key services provided by EC Focus included: Gap analysis of Levande’s GHG inventory against SBTi requirements Modelling science-based target options using the 2024 SBTi buildings guidance Support in obtaining third-party assurance of emissions data Full guidance through submission and validation Alignment with GHG Protocol and SBTi standards