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Council Depots Go Solar Insalling Solar Panels A Council's Wonthaggi Depot. As part of Bass Coast Shire Council’s commitment to reducing corporate emissions, solar systems were recently installed at Council’s Cowes and Wonthaggi Depots. By Bass Coast - 10th August 2011 - Back to News A two kilowatt solar system was installed on the roof at the Wonthaggi Depot and a 3.9 kilowatt system at the Cowes Depot. The panels were installed as part of the Southern Solar Hub project, a project of the local Energy Innovation Cooperative supported by Sustainability Victoria.
Bass Coast Shire Council Planning and Environment Director, Hannah Duncan-Jones, said the installation demonstrates Council’s commitment to renewable energy.
"We were impressed with the partnering between these groups, so purchased the panels through the local Energy Innovation Cooperative," explained Ms Duncan-Jones.
"They provided quality panels and used local installers to get the job done. We chose the Depots for solar panels because they provide the appropriate roof space, pitch, orientation and style for installation.
"Different panel systems were installed at each Depot, so we can demonstrate different options and compare the two," said Ms Duncan-Jones.
Ms Duncan-Jones explained that Council’s Energy Efficiency Program focuses on reducing electricity use and investing in renewable infrastructure. The Energy Efficiency Program also measures and quantifies Council’s greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2001 Council set specific energy reduction targets for Council and Community as part of its then Cities for Climate Protection program commitment.
These are:
- Corporate greenhouse emissions 20 per cent below 2001 levels by 2015
- Community greenhouse emissions 10 per cent below 1996 levels by 2015
Ms Duncan-Jones said that installing the panels is one way Council is working to meet these targets.
"Another great aspect of this project is our staff can be informed about energy efficiency and see these systems in action when they visit the Depots," said Ms Duncan-Jones. "They can pass this information onto friends and family which helps to get the message out about renewable energy."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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