The main building of the Wonthaggi Civic Centre is now home to a 100kW rooftop solar power system, made up of 277 panels.
Of all of Bass Coast Shire Council’s owned and managed buildings, the Civic Centre is the highest user of energy.
The installation is expected to reduce the annual electricity costs of the Civic Centre by $38,500 a year, equivalent to 30 per cent of the building’s current electricity demand.
The cost of this project was $116,920, which includes grant funding of $58,460 from Sustainability Victoria, through the Local Government Energy Saver Program.
Victorian Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio visited the Civic Centre last Friday, 3 May to have a look at the project.
Bass Coast Deputy Mayor, Cr Bruce Kent said Council is not only working on becoming more sustainable within its own walls.
“Council set an emission reduction target for its corporate activities in 2017 and in December 2018 extended this to include community emissions,” Cr Kent said.
“To achieve the target, we need to understand and map the amount and source of community emissions. To help us do this the State Government has provided a $15,000 grant to support Council’s next steps, to help the whole Bass Coast community transition to zero-emissions.
“This will include helping to expand on the great work already started by the community of Phillip Island, which has made a commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.”
