Western Australian Museum Construction About To Get Under Way

Old Meets New | Image: WA Museum

The first sod of soil was turned at the site of the new Western Australian Museum yesterday, a huge project that will also incorporate a solar power aspect.

Building will be complete in 2019 (doors open in 2020) and the project is expected to create 3,300 jobs. The new museum is being developed on the site of the existing museum in Perth and will be four times larger.

According to the State Government, up to 80 per cent of materials removed from the site through the demolition of non-heritage parts of the existing buildings are to be recycled or reused. While the topic of environmental issues, when the $428.3 million project was announced last year, then-Premier Colin Barnett stated:

“Fundamental to the project will be efficiency and sustainability, with an innovative Energy and Thermal Solution combining solar power and water heat-exchange systems to support energy savings right across the Perth Cultural Centre.”

There doesn’t appear to be more information available on the solar power aspect as yet. The project page states a “Central Energy Plant” servicing the Perth Cultural Centre will reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions associated with the Centre by 30-40% by 2020.

The State Government is hoping the new facility will boost tourist numbers.

“The McGowan Labor Government recognises the important role played by the cultural industries sector in supporting WA’s economy by creating jobs, attracting tourists and promoting a vibrant and cohesive community,” said Premier Mark McGowan.

In other solar-related news out of WA, North Regional TAFE intends having a solar power system installed at its Karratha Campus in Western Australia. The Karratha Campus specialises in business, fabrication, hairdressing, safety, high risk and computing training.

According to the tender notice, “the system is to be designed to suit the usage requirements on the campus and reflect the current requirements of the TAFE.” The tender closes on Friday, June 2.

Also recently announced were plans to quadruple the size of the Greenough River solar farm in Western Australia – from 10MW to 40MW. The facility was the first large-scale solar farm in Australia.

While large scale PV is really just starting to make its presence felt in the state, small-scale solar power in Perth and across Western Australia continues to be very popular. It’s a good thing more Perth households are switching on to harnessing the energy of the sun to take control of power costs – Synergy’s residential electricity prices may rise by up to 15 per cent within two years.

According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are now more than 225,000 sub-100kW solar panel systems installed across the state.