Mark Vender
The opening of the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs has been celebrated as Australia’s first all-electric, renewable energy aquatic centre.
Located in Keilor Downs, the $60 million facility aims to provide an energy-efficient blueprint to councils across Australia. According to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), leisure centres are among the most emissions-intensive buildings owned by local governments, with gas boilers generally used to heat vast amounts of water for pools and showers.
The Brimbank centre uses an integrated approach to keeping emissions down. A 500kW rooftop solar system powers the site, and state-of-the-art insulation helps maintain indoor temperatures.
A sophisticated four-pipe heat pump system can provide simultaneous heat and cooling for the centre – including water-to-water heat recovery for maximum energy efficiency – and regulates the temperature of both water and air. The heat pump uses renewable energy from the onsite solar system, and an 88,000-litre hot water storage unit acts as a backup thermal battery.
Brimbank City Council spent two years redeveloping the former St Albans Leisure Centre and was awarded a $1.5 million grant from ARENA for the project.
ARENA Knowledge Sharing Officer Dr Lisa Randone says the centre is the “first all-electric aquatic centre in Australia”.
“The project will provide valuable insights on how to design, construct and operate a 100 per cent renewable energy powered aquatic and leisure centre,” says Dr Randone. “Other councils will be able to have access to a broad range of data including financial model, emission reduction and other performance metrics.
“I was pleased to see the community fully supportive of the initiative, with proud and loud acknowledgments of the sustainability side of the project.”
Image courtesy of ARENA.
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