MidCoast Council Completes Two-Year Project to Reduce Non-Renewable Energy Use

Strategic Insights -

A significant milestone has been achieved in MidCoast Council's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. The completion of a two-year project to install solar panels at five water and sewer sites has enabled these facilities to generate a substantial proportion of their own energy. The project, which involved the installation of over 400 solar panels, is expected to pay for itself within five years and will result in ongoing savings as the sites continue to draw energy from the sun.

Key Takeaways:

  • The project involves the installation of over 400 solar panels at five water and sewer sites, including the Tuncurry Recycled Water Treatment Plant, Bulahdelah Water Treatment Plant, Tea Gardens Sewer Pump Station 13, and the Coopernook and Manning Point sewage treatment plants.
  • The solar panels will enable these sites to generate a considerable proportion of their own energy, reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
  • The project is expected to pay for itself within five years, with ongoing savings resulting from reduced electricity costs.
  • The project aligns with MidCoast Council's Climate Change Strategy, which aims to power all council operations with 100% renewable energy by 2040.

The use of analytics hardware to monitor the performance of the solar power systems has also been highlighted as a key feature of the project. This hardware provides real-time data on electricity generation, consumption, and delivery to the grid, enabling the council to identify and resolve any issues that may arise.

Statistics:

  • Over 400 solar panels have been installed at five water and sewer sites.
  • The project is expected to generate a considerable proportion of the energy required by these sites.
  • The project is expected to pay for itself within five years.
  • 80% of MidCoast Council's power use is accounted for by water and sewer infrastructure.
  • The number of sites powered by 100% renewable energy at the start of 2023 was not specified in the source material.

Sources:

  • Global Data Point (2022)