Focus on energy efficiency cuts Council power usage

Published on 05 December 2014

Reducing energy consumption in municipal buildings is something Mildura Rural City Council is committed to, with several new energy initiatives set to cut costs at the popular Alfred Deakin Centre.

Council has recently been awarded $292,172 funding from the Australian Government to improve energy efficiency in public buildings and spaces.

Environmental Sustainability portfolio Councillor Judi Harris said upgrades to lighting Mildura’s Alfred Deakin Centre had already started, with inefficient mercury vapour and florescent lighting being replaced with Light Emitting Diodes (LED) globes.

“In addition to the easy things, like changing over to more efficient globes, other systems at the ADC will also be overhauled,” Cr Harris said.

“Occupancy sensors will be installed so as to automatically turn lights on and off, as well as daylight sensors that only allow lights to come on when the light levels drop.”

The project will also see the sauna, air-conditioning and solar heating systems for the pool updated.

A key aspect of the funding is the promotion of energy awareness and education to the whole community. 

“We really want to get the message out there that small things, like changing over to more efficient light globes, can make a huge difference,” Cr Harris explained.

Outside of this project, Council has already been rolling out a series of energy saving initiatives at other sites, including the Madden Avenue Service Centre setting a number of goals in relation to power usage. 

“The Madden Avenue Service Centre has made substantial in roads in relation to cutting energy usage,” Cr Harris said.  “They measure and report monthly on the cuts being made and where there needs to be improvement. 

“When you have such a large office, little things like shutting down computers at night and not leaving them on standby, or reducing unnecessary printing can make a big difference.”