An energy efficiency upgrade to eight of the City of Sydney’s most visited community buildings will reportedly save enough electricity to power 55 homes for a year.
The buildings, including childcare centres, community centres and a swimming pool, are said to be important facilities and meeting places for locals and a key point of contact between the City of Sydney and its residents.
Upgrades to the community buildings will include installing new high-efficiency lighting, and movement sensors to automatically switch off lights and appliances when not in use.
Air conditioning in the centres will also be improved by making them more responsive and upgrading refrigerants.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the upgrades will save 104,000kWh of power per year and show that energy reduction is important in both small and large-scale buildings.
“Our childcare centres, pools and facilities are at the heart of community life, so it’s vital we ensure these buildings are as up-to-date and energy efficient as possible.”
“Retrofitting our buildings with energy-saving technologies not only reduces carbon emissions, it saves money. The City is proud to be a leader in reducing carbon emissions – but we’re also showing how going green through energy-efficiency retrofits make solid business sense,” the Lord Mayor said.
The City of Sydney says the combined amount of energy the centres will save is equal to almost $30,000 per year, meaning the cost of the project will pay itself back over approximately seven years.
The overhaul is part of the City’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 70 per cent, compared to 2006 levels by the year 2030. So far, the City has reduced carbon emissions from City buildings by 20 per cent.
