Shoalhaven City Council was successful in gaining Federal funding covering part of the cost of the installation of a grid interactive solar system on the roof of the Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club.
The club has installed a two kilowatt solar power system comprising 12 photovoltaic panels on the roof of the clubhouse, and an inverter.
The system will produce about 2800 kilowatt hours of sustainable energy per year and can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the normal generation of electricity by up to
300 kilograms each year.
This sustainable energy used by the Mollymook Surf Life
Saving Club will help to reduce the club’s electrical accounts and
any excess energy produced will be fed back to the electrical grid
The Shoalhaven branch of Clean Energy for Eternity initially requested Council consider providing cleaner energy to its public buildings.
Community group Footprint has worked tirelessly in providing education on ‘energy for the future’, coordinating community consultation with various stakeholders, applying for rebates and seeking sponsorship funding with the assistance of Healthy Cities Shoalhaven.
Footprint has partnered with Council, Milton Ulladulla Community Bank, and the Department of Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts to provide funding for the Mollymook Surf Life Saving clubhouse.
Three other public buildings in Kioloa, Milton and Ulladulla are also proposed to have the same two kilowatt solar system installed during this financial year.
A local electrical business substantially discounted the cost of the material for the two kilowatt solar system and coordinated the installation of the solar power system for the surf life saving club.
Shoalhaven City Mayor Councillor Paul Green said that Council is aiming to achieve a sustainable Shoalhaven where many of its public buildings are using sustainable technologies to reduce their greenhouse gas footprint.
“We are aiming to progressively incorporate energy and water saving measures into Council buildings where we look at the whole of life costs,” Councillor Green said. “We actively encourage all community organisations that are using Council’s buildings to develop asset management plans that identify operational requirements, desired enhancements, capital improvements and include Ecologically Sustainable Development principles, such as the solar photovoltaic panels that have been installed at the Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club do.”
Further information is available on Council’s web site at
shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/Environment/GreenLiving.htm
