SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy , Pūngāo iti te utu, Pūngao mā

Energy efficiency initiatives

Decarbonising energy is a key element of the Massey University Climate Action Plan. In 2023, Climate Minister James Shaw announced that the university was granted $3.9 million from the State Sector Decarbonisation Fund to reduce carbon emissions across its campuses. This funding will be used to replace 23 gas boilers and a chiller and install LED lighting. These initiatives are estimated to reduce emissions by 7,105 tonnes over the next decade.

Since 2022, there have been significant improvements in energy efficiency and fossil fuel reductions through several projects delivered by our Energy Efficiency officers. The roles are supported by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). For example, in 2022 alone, the university saved a total of 1.6 gigawatt-hours through a combination of:

• improvements in building management systems enabling better campus-wide control
• replacing inefficient fluorescent light fittings with LEDs in many buildings
• improved control over boilers.

These initiatives were implemented in both existing buildings and new ones, positively impacting energy usage.

In 2024, the university consumed 53.4 gigawatt-hours, a 2.1% reduction from consumption in 2023 of 54.5 gigawatt-hours and a 2.6% reduction from the 2022 consumption of 54.8 gigawatt-hours. These figures include electricity and natural gas usage on the university’s campuses, the Massey Aviation school, several off-campus building spaces leased by the university, some student accommodation and the Massey Research farms.

Recent projects have also focused on identifying energy usage hot-spots. They include replacing inefficient technologies, reducing waste through improved controls, adjusting schedules and aligning systems with current requirements.

See further details on reducing our carbon footprint

Energy reviews

Energy usage at Massey University is tracked using ESP software, with regular reviews conducted to identify opportunities for improvement. A key role of our Energy Efficiency Officers is to pinpoint areas of energy wastage and high consumption to implement effective reductions.

We collect energy data using a portable data logger to monitor equipment like air compressors, electric boilers and chillers, helping us to identify areas of high energy usage across our campuses. This data is analysed using visual dashboards.

Recent initiatives since 2022 have led to significant energy savings in:

• our Veterinary school by optimising schedules, enhancing controls and redesigning systems
• our libraries by installing energy-efficient LEDs and reducing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) hours
• the Riddet building by reducing dependency on gas boilers
• Block 10 on the Wellington campus by optimising gas boiler operation and reducing HVAC hours.

International collaborations

68% of Massey University’s 152 SDG7 Clean and Affordable Energy publications between 2020 and 2024 resulted from international collaborations (Scopus database extracted using SciVal in October 2025).

Key areas of focus for this research included energy transition, green buildings and biofuel.

The number of publications per year has shown an overall upward trend in recent years, increasing from 28 in 2020 to 32 in 2021, dropping to 23 in 2022, and increasing to 28 in 2023 and reaching 41 in 2024.

Energy Efficiency is a key focus for new buildings

Massey has committed that all new buildings achieve the 5 Green Star New Zealand Excellence rating in the Green Star building standard or the equivalent. This standard is a sustainability rating system certified by the Green Building Council Australia.

The rating system is holistic and includes an assessment of various key performance and environmental categories (including energy use, water conservation measures, indoor environment quality and the building materials used) during the building’s environmental impact assessment.

The Massey University Climate Action Plan reiterates this commitment with its strategies, initiatives and milestones for reducing emissions.

The newly built Veterinary school Student Learning Complex and Post-Mortem/Production Animal Hospital facility incorporate numerous energy-efficient features.

• Insulation-enhanced walk-in chillers and freezers.
• Lab areas linked with the Campus Building Management system, which allows remote control of building systems and setting time schedules.
• LED lighting with intelligent control systems to reduce lighting when not required.
• Specialised lab equipment, including speed-adjustable fans, increases energy efficiency.
• Passive ventilation and motorised dampers shut down ventilation in unoccupied spaces.
• Heat recovery units and carbon dioxide sensors reduce heating and cooling costs.

Find out more about the Green Star rating system

Massey University Climate Action Plan (PDF, 1.6 MB)

What you can do

Let us know if you have ideas on how we can reduce on-campus energy use. All ideas are welcome.

Contact our Sustainability office

Come and join us at Green Impact. This change and learning programme is designed for university staff and students to help tackle everyday sustainability issues.

For more information, visit Green Impact

Solar panels boost pasture growth

Ongoing Massey research between 2022 and 2025 indicates that solar panels on farmland can boost net pasture growth. This creates a win-win situation for farmers, with both increased pasture yield and a second revenue stream from low-carbon electricity. The project seeks to deepen understanding and inform future solar farming practices, enhancing both sustainability and productivity.

Read more about this project

Start-up companies supporting a low-carbon economy

Massey Ventures supported the commercial development and invested in financial assistance and commercialisation expertise for the start-up company Captivate Technology. This company specialises in carbon capture and removal, using a metal-organic framework, MUF-16, as a sponge-like adsorbent to sieve carbon dioxide from industrial emissions.

Massey Ventures was the first investor to support EatKinda, a Start-up co-founded by Massey University student Mrinali Kumar. EatKinda makes dairy-free ice cream from cauliflower that is better for the environment (compared to dairy ice cream) and tastes great.