Energy programs receive recognition!
Published on 20 November 2020
We’re delighted to announce that two of our energy reduction programs were recently finalists in national and state award programs.
The SA division of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia awarded the Wakefield House solar shade project, a ‘high commendation’ in the Excellence in Environment and Sustainability category.
These prestigious awards celebrate the best of the public works industry in SA.
The Wakefield House Solar Shade was project led by our Green Buildings Officer and is an innovative green upgrade that’s set to slash annual energy bills by $7500 and reduce the building’s annual carbon footprint by 14 tonnes of CO2e. Produced in partnership with Lonsdale company PVDynamics, it’s believed the pilot project is SA’s first solar carpark shade at a community building.
The award ceremony was held on 13 November 2020 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Other City of Onkaparinga finalists included the Wilfred Taylor Playspace and the Kangarilla Netball and Tennis Courts (high commendation).
Find out more about the Wakefield House solar shade project
Our Energy Support Program made it to the finals of the 2020 Climate Awards in the Community Engagement Category.
The Climate Awards are a national program run by the Climate Council under the local government Cities Power Partnership program. The Awards celebrate the grass roots climate change work that Local Government achieves every day, particularly in reducing emissions.
The Energy Support Program is a joint program managed by our Environmental Sustainability and Green Buildings Officers. It supports staff, volunteers and users in community faced centres to understand and monitor their energy use and set goals as part of an environmental plan that is tailored to their centre. It aims to complement the energy upgrades being undertaken by our Green Buildings Program by bringing the people aspect in. This can lead to behavioural changes and wider environmental interest on topics such as waste to landfill reduction, biodiversity outcomes and more.
The Awards Ceremony was held online on 30 October 2020 and hosted by Craig Reucassel of War on Waste and Fight for Planet A fame. While we didn’t win, we were thrilled to be the only SA finalists in the entire awards program for 2020.
In 2017, we were the first SA council that joined the Climate Council's Cities Power Partnership, a network of Australian councils committed to tackling climate change.
