The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) in Queensland, Australia, partnered with the resource management company Veolia to build a giant three-story-high water battery. It also installed 6,000 solar panels across the carparks and rooftops. The project was designed to help the campus reach its goal to be carbon neutral by 2025.
Since the battery turned on in September 2019, it has generated enough electricity to power the campus’ air conditioning system, resulting in a 40% reduced dependence on the grid! The giant water battery harnesses its power from the solar panels. Then, it uses that power to cool water. The cooled water is then used in the school’s air conditioning system. It is essentially a huge thermal storage tank that is reducing the university’s carbon footprint by 42%.
The system will save the USC an estimated $100 million in electricity costs over the next 25 years, and it will prevent 100,000 tons of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere. The Global District Energy Climate Awards have even recognized the project for its outstanding results. It was the winner in the Out of the Box category.
Dennis Frost, the university’s infrastructure and energy manager, who received the award in Iceland, said:
Universities have a very large energy footprint and we wanted to tackle that and reduce that expense. The project provides great fodder for teaching students about using solar power since it is a real-world example of a renewable energy source cutting down on emissions and saving money. I think it is exciting because we have the opportunity to teach the younger generation that the environmental challenges that are faced by the planet can be solved.
The University and Veola, who funded and engineered the battery, say they wanted to take advantage of the region’s abundant sunshine. They see it as the perfect way to cut down on the air conditioning systems’ reliance on the grid.
Chief Operating Officer Scott Snyder, said in a press release:
The University of the Sunshine Coast has a plan to be completely carbon neutral by 2025, which is a challenge to any budget because it requires significant changes to the way energy is captured and consumed. So, we really did have to think out of the box, and by forming a partnership with Veolia, we were able to negotiate a 10-year plan that suited us both and delivered major energy savings to the University.
Queensland has been setting a good example with its use of solar panels recently. The region has ramped up their production so much that it’s generating twice as much energy from solar panels as the state’s biggest power station, according to the Queensland Energy Minister Anthony Lynham.
So far, Queensland has 30 solar farms that produce 4,000 megawatts of power to supply homes and businesses with electricity. In comparison, the region’s biggest power station is Gladstone produces only 1,680 megawatts of power.
