Powering along with the sun

Northern Beaches Council is busy harnessing the power of the sun to meet its sustainability objectives.

Council has recently completed a number of solar power initiatives aimed at lowering emissions and the impact on the environment.

At Council’s Cromer and Balgowlah buildings, recently installed solar panels mean up to 40% of Balgowlah’s energy requirements are sourced from the sun and almost 30% at Cromer.

The systems (combined) will reduce carbon emissions by 120 tonnes, the equivalent of taking 26 cars off the road every year. They will also offset approximately 145,000 kWh of coal fired electricity and save Council about $40,000 in electricity costs.

At 34 sites across the Northern Beaches Council, solar panels generating 381kW of power have now been installed.

It’s all part of Council’s pledge to the Cities Power Partnership to adopt best practice energy efficiency measures across council buildings.

Council’s aim is to be a community leader in environmental sustainability, a goal contained in our Community Strategic Plan.

And the solar initiatives don’t end there.

At Currawong, Council’s eco-friendly resort in Pittwater, a pilot study has been conducted into producing drinking water from air, using solar hydropanels.

The hydropanels use a combination of materials science and thermodynamics to extract water molecules from the air. The water is stored in a reservoir at the base of the unit and pumped to a dispenser.

Currawong has no reticulated water supply and the hydropanels will produce up to 1825 standard water bottles per month, and offset over 300,000 plastic bottles in their 15-year lifespan.

The projects fit with Council’s objective of reducing the use of single use plastics such as water bottles, disposable coffee cups and straws and across the Northern Beaches area.

Council is also assisting businesses to go solar and be more energy efficient with a special workshop. It will be held on Wednesday 14 November between 6.30 and 8.30pm at the Dee Why RSL club.

The information session will help small businesses learn more about solar power, battery storage and overall energy efficiency. Bookings are essential.