An install of over 300 solar
panels at Leisurelink Aquatic Centre, Grovedale has been completed as the
City’s Zero Carbon Buildings Program gets underway.
The panels join a similar install
completed on The Grove Community Centre in Ocean Grove in November, with other
community buildings including Bellarine Aquatic and Sports Centre, The Arena
and the National Wool Museum to follow as part of the Program in 2018.
The program is part of the Zero
Carbon Emissions Strategy, which aims to halve the City’s emissions by 2020,
and a win for Geelong’s community-led Clever Creative vision, which names a
carbon neutral city-region as one of its measures of success.
Besides generating renewable
energy, buildings included in the 2017-18 program will also undergo efficiency
improvements including upgrading lighting, automating building control systems
and upgrading heating/cooling systems.
These improvements are estimated
to save approximately $200,000 and result in 1,600 fewer tonnes of greenhouse
gases being released each year.
Other buildings including City
Hall and Boorai Centre in Ocean Grove already bear solar panels as part of
similar programs.
The City of Greater Geelong is
now recognised as a leader in sustainability after becoming just the third
council in Australia to be awarded One Planet Living certification, an
internationally recognised framework for sustainability.
Mayor Bruce Harwood:
It’s important for local government to lead the way with environmental
initiatives.
This is a great project for the City to reduce emissions as we
work towards becoming a Zero Carbon Council.
The benefits from installing these
solar panels across City buildings will also extend to the community with
significant annual savings.