The roof of Byron Central Hospital will soon be covered in photovoltaic (PV) panels, harnessing energy from the sun to provide more than half of the hospital’s annual electricity usage.
The 720 kilowatt system will be the largest rooftop-mounted PV installation on the north coast, and the first of its kind for a hospital in the region.
Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) Director, Corporate Services, Matt Long, said the project will deliver significant reductions in greenhouses gases, as well as cost savings over the life of the system. ‘The feasibility study indicated changing to renewable energy at Byron Central Hospital will offset the equivalent of 940 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year.
‘We know renewable energy is better for the planet, but it’s also a financially sustainable option, with the estimated electricity cost savings to our health district across the life of the system being more than $3 million.’
NNSWLHD will also be working to expand the solar program to other sites across the District.
‘As a health service, we are committed to reducing our overall environmental footprint, and we’re excited to be embarking on this initial project in Byron Bay,’ said Mr Long.
The installation is expected to be completed during the final quarter of 2022, and operational in time to take advantage of the increased daylight hours throughout summer.
The Byron Central Hospital PV system is part of NNSWLHD’s work under the NSW Government’s Net Zero Plan, which aims to deliver a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
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