One step closer to net zero emissions
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This week, Blue Mountains City Council came a step closer to achieving its target of net zero emissions by 2025, with the completion of its fifth, large scale, solar panel installation at the Katoomba Sports and Aquatic Centre.
An impressive 226 solar panels totalling 90.4kW have now been installed on the roof of the Centre, making it the latest Council site to start generating clean energy as part of Council’s 2016 Carbon Abatement Action Plan (CAAP).
Other Council facilities which have also had solar panels installed are: • Springwood Aquatic Centre • Springwood Theatre and Community Hub • Blaxland Waste Management Facility drop-off bay, and • Katoomba Waste Management Facility.
With the solar installation at the fifth facility, the Katoomba Sports & Aquatic Centre, now completed, the combined total of 289kW installed across all five sites will reduce Council emissions by approximately 313 tonnes of CO2e per year.
This is a significant reduction considering the average household generates around 7 tonnes of CO2e per year.
Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “It is so rewarding to see these solar projects reach this stage of completion and to know that these Council facilities are now running on renewable energy”.
“As residents of a City within a World Heritage-listed Area, we see the changes that are happening in our environment every day and projects like these demonstrate that we’re not just talking about taking action on climate change, we’re doing it.
“I encourage every member of our community to look at ways that we can all reduce our carbon footprint so we can create a more sustainable future for everyone.”
Solar technology is getting better and cheaper and, according to the NSW Government’s Energy Saver website, the average Sydney household can save up to $900 a year by installing a 4-kilowatt system on their roof. This means the solar system would pay itself off in less than five years through lower energy bills.
For more information about Council’s action on climate change and how you can reduce emissions at home go to bmcc.nsw.gov.au/action-on-climate-change.