Greenhouse gas emissions from Brimbank council’s most energy- guzzling building could soon be cut by 30 per cent.
The council has installed a $485,000 co-generation plant at Sunshine Leisure Centre, which it believes will cut its electricity bill by $60,000 a year.
Funded by the council and federal government, the unit uses natural gas to generate 50 per cent of the centre’s electricity onsite. It also reuses heat that would otherwise be lost to warm the centre’s pools, reducing reliance on buying electricity from the grid.
The council aims to reduce its emissions by 50 per cent by 2022-23 compared to 2011 emission levels.
Administrator Jane Nathan said the council had cut its emissions by seven per cent so far.
The new generator is one aspect of its $7 million Powering Down project; others include upgrading street lights and improving heating and cooling efficiency of council buildings.
“Council is actively creating a more sustainable Brimbank,” Ms Nathan said.
“Emissions from street lights have been reduced by 2659 tonnes of CO2 [carbon dioxide] per year. That’s the equivalent of taking 380 cars off the road.”
