Newcastle believes it has Australia’s first solar powered fountain with a 22 year old fountain now powered by the sun. The Pacific Park Fountain in inner Newcastle was donated to the people by the Newcastle Herald in 1982 to commemorate the City’s 125th anniversary.
After many years in service, the Fountain was turned off in 1999 for a number of reasons, including ongoing mechanical problems like the breakdown of hydraulic controls and fusing of electrical motors, rising maintenance costs exceeding $20,000 per annum, electricity consumption of $13,000, OH&S and public safety concerns.
The fountain comprised five 2.5 kilowatt submersible electric motors located in an underground holding tank supplying five water jets. Controlled by a chain driven mechanical cam, the fountain operated with one jet fully open, two half open and two closed at any point in time. This meant no relief for the electric pumps leading to continual breakdowns.
The dilemma for city engineers was how to address rising maintenance, water and power costs as well as OH&S and public safety problems. Staff turned to a proven formula of approaching the fountain design problem from an environmental and financial sustainability point of view, while answering community expectations at the same time.
The fountain upgrade includes a new 600 watt solar panel that tracks the sun or finds the brightest spot for maximum power output.
One fountain pump was installed above ground to address the OH&S confined spaces issue and a state of the art computerised control system to allow flexible programming and diagnosis of fountain operation. A wind sensor turns off the fountain on windy days to conserve water. The fountain itself was refurbished with jet wells raised up and fitted with new brass grates and retiled with non slip ceramic tiles. A sandstone wall and seating hides the fountain plant and provides a viewing area for the public.
A successful project in reducing the city’s consumption of natural resources, the fountain has also become an educational tool with local schools visiting it as part of their science curriculum on renewable energy.
The upgrade cost $80,000 but will save Council approximately $165,000 over the next five years.
Newcastle Lord Mayor, John Tate, says he’s proud of the Council’s proven track record in reducing costs and consumption of natural resources.
“By approaching issues like Pacific Park fountain from an environmental viewpoint we’ve made impressive savings and promoted energy efficiency to the community,” he said.
