Waterfront uses energy savings to aid safety

The Office of Environment and Heritage’s Director Metropolitan Branch, Tom Grosskopf, said that works at iconic buildings on the Sydney waterfront have been part of the more than $13 million worth of savings under the NSW Government’s Energy Saver Program while also increasing harbour-side safety with lighting upgrades.

“Following their Energy Saver audit, Jones Bay Wharf has installed new LED lighting which has not only improved lighting quality, but they have not had to change a single light in 18 months,” Grosskopf said.

Highlighting energy savings during the Office of Environment and Heritage’s Energy Productivity in Action Week, Grosskopf said waterfront businesses Bennelong Apartments, Opera Quays and Jones Bay Wharf alone saved more than $230,000 a year on energy bills by replacing lighting on the iconic Sydney waterfront.

“Whether a business is an apartment building or wharf complex, investing in sustainability brings social and economic benefits to the whole community,” Grosskopf said.

“Based on the advice and support of the Energy Saver Program, the owners of these sites have made investments that will pay for themselves in less than 18 months and free up ongoing finance streams to reinvest in core business opportunities.

“The iconic harbour is key to this beautiful city’s success, and returning money to harbour-side businesses through simple upgrades to their infrastructure, such as air conditioning and lighting, is a great economic and environmental step for the city.

“Sydney’s waterfront businesses are one of the leaders in reducing energy consumption and driving down operating costs in the city’s CBD,” Grosskopf said.

Facility manager of Jones Bay Wharf, associate director CBRE Wayne McManus, said that when Jones Bay Wharf made their Energy Saver application, lighting levels were poor and safety on and around the wharf was an issue.

“In addition to this, the maintenance of the lighting fixtures was excessive due to the accessibility and the corrosive seafront environment,” McManus said.

An audit of the Jones Bay Wharf highlighted energy-saving opportunities, and the lighting efficiency upgrade had the biggest benefit for the site.

Since undertaking the upgrade, McManus said there was improved safety throughout the site with enhanced lighting output, enriched security with greater vision through the site’s video surveillance and better visual ambience of the heritage structure at Jones Bay Wharf.

“The lighting selected is approximately 65% more energy efficient than the original lighting saving approximately 235.3 megawatt hours or around $28,000 in running costs per annum for the wharf,” McManus said.

Grosskopf said that the Energy Saver Program is a NSW Government initiative to provide practical support to businesses to increase energy efficiency, enhance competitiveness and reduce operating costs.

Businesses that are eligible for the Energy Saver Program can receive subsidised, specialised advice and project support from approved energy-efficiency experts.

For more information about the Energy Saver Program or about energy-efficiency training courses, visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/sustainbus/energysaver