AusLeisure

Aiming to reach an ambitious goal of being carbon neutral by 2020, Darebin City Council has retrofitted the Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre (NARC), resulting in impressive energy and water savings.

Having also installed a gas fired cogeneration system and undertaken other energy efficiency works at its Reservoir Leisure Centre, the Council, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, has introduced the ‘Pooling Our Energy Savings’ project.

The project has the goal of significantly reducing the emissions and energy costs associated with both NARC and the Reservoir Leisure Centre.

NARC, a Council-owned facility with operations contracted to the YMCA, features outdoor 50 metre and 25 metre pools, an indoor heated 25 metre pool, a children’s play and education pool, as well as a spa.

NARC has a visitation rate of around 750,000, with 4,200 members. More than 30 local schools use the centre for their swimming carnivals and the centre is aligned with numerous community and sports groups.

Energy and water efficiency measures that have been implemented at NARC include:

• Cogeneration - using gas to generate electricity on site, with waste heat used to heat the pool water and pool halls;

• LED lighting, with close consideration given to safety and glare, including fitting diffusers over the indoor pool;

• HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades, including replacing the old gas heating system with a more efficient reverse-cycle heat recovery system;

• Pool blankets, which prevent evaporation and heat loss overnight, while also reducing condensation with the additional benefit of protecting the building from corrosion; and

• A commercial solar hot water system (visible from the spa, providing a positive community awareness opportunity).

Council Assets and Business Services Director, Steve Hamilton explains “Darebin City Council is seen as a leader in energy efficiency, having operated an in-house energy efficiency program with dedicated staff since 2006.

“Since the energy efficiency program was implemented, council has avoided more than $700,000 in expenditure and reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions by over 5000 tonnes annually – equivalent to around a 29% overall reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions.

“The aim is to roll out the upgrades at NARC, capitalise on the learnings, then realise the opportunity to apply similar measures to other facilities.”

The total emissions-reduction target at NARC alone will be 1,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent annually – comparable to removing around 270 passenger vehicles from the road every year.

Hamilton adds that benefits to the community resulting from the upgrades extend beyond emissions reduction, stating “due to the significant load on the electricity grid from these sites, our community should also benefit from reduced stress on the local networks and more reliable energy supply.’

Darebin City Council received co-funding for the project from the Australian Government’s Community Energy Efficiency Program (CEEP) and the Local Government Energy Efficiency Program (LGEEP).

Representing a population of about 150,000, Darebin City Council joined the Federal Government’s Cities for Climate Protection program in 1997 and has since developed its Community and Corporate Climate Change Action Plans, with the central goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2020.

The Council has also demonstrated its commitment to sharing information with other councils, participating in numerous knowledge-sharing events. It was also a partner in the development of the Municipal Associations of Victoria’s ‘Streamlining Cogeneration for Victorian Councils’ toolkit.

6th September 2014 - RESERVOIR LEISURE CENTRE’S SUSTAINABLE FUTURE 

26th February 2014 - SYDNEY TOWN HALL AIMS TO BE MODEL OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY

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