The site
Sydney Town Hall is one of Sydney’s most loved landmarks, renowned as a major architectural icon and the pre-eminent site in Sydney. It is a building deeply connected to the rich civic traditions of Sydney, yet at the same time, it is a platform for the social, cultural and political expression of community values and aspirations.
As such, the heritage building was selected as the launch pad for the Sustainable Sydney 2030 initiative, which has a target of 25 per cent renewable energy and 70 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.
The photovoltaic (PV) system design is sympathetic to the Town Hall’s form and character, and its custom-engineered mounting system allows little or no impact to the building fabric, a key heritage consideration in the project’s development.
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Technology
The system uses Pluto cell technology that features a conversion efficiency of 19.2 per cent – the first of its kind to be installed in Australia.
The Pluto cell technology was selected for its high efficiency and sleek appearance. The 30 micrometre extra fine cell fingers reduce the surface shading, thereby boosting sunlight absorption into the cell. The revolutionary cell design improves efficiencies by up to 12 per cent in commercialised cells and was codeveloped by the University of New South Wales.
The 240 panels were installed on the heritage slate roof of the historic 121-year-old building, using engineering-designed mounting frames and installation methods.
The system features a real-time data feed that is broadcasted live to the Town Hall’s website and will also soon be incorporated into the foyer digital event displays.
Energy purchase and supply
The plant is expected to produce 60,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per annum.
Power generated from the project is used to power the Council Chambers and Town Hall offices throughout the year.
The generator operates intermittently by feeding power into the Town Hall’s electrical system.
Environmental impact
The project is expected to save 62.4 tonnes per annum of greenhouse gas emissions.
Thousands of visitors and school students will be able to participate in the Town Hall’s educational website that displays real-time information about solar energy production every 15 minutes and features a time-lapse video of the installation.
Other distinguishing features of the project
This is the first major installation of PV panels to take place on a heritage-listed slate roof in New South Wales. For this reason, the location and method of installing PV panels, as well as the visual and physical impact on the fabric, needed to be carefully considered. Sydney Town Hall provides a world-leading example of how heritage buildings can be transformed into sustainable relics that contribute to the future.
Success of the project to date
Since commissioning the system has generated over 10,000 kWh of electricity.
Future outlook
The City’s Green Transformers initiative is now focusing on significantly expanding renewable energy projects in the Sydney central business district, including 330 megawatt electric of combined cooling heat and power (or trigeneration) plants to be installed within the city.
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