QUT has signed a contract that will see 50 per cent of its energy being produced from renewable solar sources until 2028.
This arrangement will see QUT using solar energy from the Columboola Solar Farm, which is being built between Miles and Chinchilla.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said that this new electricity supply arrangement would help provide a significant cut to QUT’s carbon footprint and give the university a pathway to achieve full carbon neutrality on total electricity consumption.
Professor Sheil said QUT was committed to reducing its impact on the environment, as detailed in the strategic plan, Blueprint 6.
“Part of our obligation as a university in Australia is to adapt to the impact of climate change by partnering with industry to develop new ways of operating in the world. We do this by embedding sustainability into our practices and by measuring and seeking to reduce the environmental impact of operating the university.”
The Columboola Solar Farm will feature solar technology such as bifacial panels that absorb light from both the front and the back, and single axis trackers that follow the sun.
CS Energy will buy 100 per cent of the output of the solar farm from owners Luminous Energy and on sell it to QUT, Griffith University and CQU.
QUT has a range of Green workspace initiatives in place which aim to:
- reduce energy use and our carbon footprint
- decrease the amount of waste generated
- increase the proportion of waste we recycle
- use water carefully
- prevent pollution
- purchase low impact goods and services, only when needed
- lessen travel impacts
- continually improve our environmental performance.
