Wyndham City is improving energy efficiency across Council buildings, parks and open space with lighting upgrades, installing solar and incorporating Environmental Sustainable Design in the planning of new buildings.
Wyndham Solar City
Wyndham Solar City project has been designed to reduce the energy demands and greenhouse emissions of the municipality’s community buildings through the installation of solar panels and cutting-edge battery technology.
The program started in 2015, and by the end of the 2019/20 financial year Council will have installed 52 solar PV systems on community buildings across the municipality.
These panels will offset a total of 63,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and save Council and community groups approximately $10 million in energy costs over their lifetime.
The $3.5 million project is largely funded through a $3.1 million Federal Government grant, with Wyndham City investing $400,000.
Open Space Lighting Upgrades
The first stage of lighting upgrades at Wyndham City’s parks and open spaces were complete in early 2016. Energy efficient retrofit and upgrades occurred at 33 sites; this will save $13,821 and reduce greenhouse gases by 48 tonnes per year. The second stage of lighting upgrades will start late-2016, this will upgrade 39 Council sites, reducing 246 tonnes of greenhouses gases and saving $61,083 per year.
Lighting the West
Starting in 2014, the original Lighting the West project was a partnership between Wyndham City, Moonee Valley, Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay to bring sustainable street lighting to the west.
Wyndham is continuing this program and has committed to upgrading all inefficient streetlights on council roads by 2021. This includes replacing the bulbs of a further 6,000 inefficient lights with sustainable LED globes over a three-year period, from November 2018 – November 2021.
By replacing these lights, over 2,600 tonnes of greenhouse gases will be avoided per year and save Council $13 million in electricity fees over the 20-year lifespan of the new globes.
Council has invested a total of $8.4 million in Lighting the West, with the Federal Government contributing $1.5 million to the program.
Environmental Sustainable Design
Wyndham City’s Environmentally Sustainable Design Framework aims to reduce the environmental impact of our buildings while increase comfort of the buildings. This is done through:
- Improving energy performance
- Reducing water use
- Using renewable energy
- Using environmentally responsible construction techniques
- Improving indoor air quality
Saltwater Community Centre Case Study is a great example of Environmentally Sustainable Design.