If you have read recent Investor Returns articles you will have noted that on the roof of 212 Pirie Street there are many large black tiles converting solar energy into usable energy for the building. It is a large 100 kW system using hundreds of solar panels. The building has over 3,000 square metres of tenanted floor space and many employees housed within it. Other than weekends, the power generated is used
within the building.
After the first two months of its operation (March and April were mainly sunny), the system was producing approximately 300 kilo watt hours per day. In dollar terms that is around $93 of electricity per day. The solar panels are reducing the amount of carbon that would have been produced for the buildings energy needs, by approximately 4 tonnes per month (this figure varies depending on which energy supplier is used).
We are also seeking ways to reduce the amount of electricity we use within the building. As the solar panels have shown us, we can indeed do things that lead to outcomes that are significant.