The City Of Sydney’s new Alexandra Canal Depot in Alexandria boasts a bunch of solar panels on its rooftop and a shiny new Tesla Powerpack energy storage system.
Officially launched yesterday, the facility features more than 1,600 solar panels and a 500kWh Tesla Powerpack battery installation.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the installation won’t just power the building, but also provide grid support services. Lord Mayor Moore says it’s the first Tesla Powerpack system to be installed at a major site in New South Wales.
The installation is part of a trial being conducted in partnership with TransGrid, operator and manager of the NSW high voltage transmission network, to determine whether a network of similar solar power and battery storage systems should be rolled out across the metropolitan area to help manage peak demand and lower energy costs.
Other sustainability-related features at Alexandra Canal Depot include natural ventilation and lighting, rainwater collection, water re-use and what’s been called “eco-concrete”, which reduced the amount of carbon dioxide embodied in construction of the facility.
Alexandra Canal Depot replaces three existing City of Sydney depots (Epsom Road, Zetland; Marian Street, Redfern and Gerard Street, Alexandria) and will accommodate 150 staff.
Those wanting to check out the depot’s solar + storage system and other aspects of the facility can do so this Saturday from 1pm to 3pm. There will be free coffee, gelato, activities for children and a visit from Bob the Builder (whether Elon Musk will be wearing the costume isn’t clear). The address: 67C Bourke Road, Alexandria.
The City is working towards a target of 50 per cent of all electricity in its area to be sourced from renewables by 2030 and we can expect to see more solar panels rolled out on the rooftops of its buildings in the years ahead. The City Of Sydney has also set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the entire local area to 70% below 2006 levels by 2030.
In other recent Tesla related news, Australians keen on getting their hands on a Powerwall 2 may be in for a lengthy wait (again). SQ’s Ronald reported a couple of weeks ago Australians ordering a Powerwall 2 (now known simply as “Powerwall”) from companies without any in stock will now have to wait until early next year to have one delivered. This disappointing news follows a Tesla Powerwall 2 price hike earlier this year.
Trivia: According to analysis released earlier this year by the Australian PV Institute; suitable rooftops across Sydney’s CBD have the potential to host 619MW of solar panels, which would generate approximately 777 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and provide the equivalent of 22% of Sydney CBD’s electricity requirements.
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