CAR parks could soon double as solar hubs in a Bendigo university's bid to drive electricity costs and greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The $2.5 million project could reveal the future of outdoor car parks across the city, its backers say.
La Trobe University wants to build a series of car ports with solar panels over ever space in two of its Bendigo campus car parks.
The panels would generate the same amount of power as 160 houses fitted with solar systems, the university's carbon neutral strategy director Andrew Jennings said.
"We think more people should be thinking about this. The financial incentive is there. It's a very cheap and reliable way of generating solar power," he said.
The University wants to push its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2029, seven years before the City of Greater Bendigo's own carbon-free deadline.
Both are part of the Bendigo Drawdown Alliance, a group of large public and private organisations sharing ideas on dramatically reducing reliance on fossil fuels, Mr Jennings said.
"It's about putting together a raft of ideas and looking at reducing carbon across the whole city, as opposed to individual projects," he said.
"We are working closely with the council on this project and will share all our learnings with them. They might use that to support those who want to go down this path or potentially do it themselves."
More news:
La Trobe has already trialed a smaller version of the idea at its Albury-Wodonga campus and says there are lessons for other groups with their own sun-baked car parks.
"The benefit we have is that we own this land so we can put something on there which has a longer pay-back, as opposed to people in commercial premises," Mr Jennings said.
"They might only have their spaces available to them for four or five years."
La Trobe believes the panels will fuel 15 per cent of campus power once it is fully operational.
"It's good, solid technology and in a climate like Bendigo's it gives the added value of providing a bit of shade for cars, Mr Jennings said.
"You don't lose car parks, generally, because of the way things are constructed."
The car ports will likely have electrical car charging stations to help those who are making greener choices, Mr Jennings said.
La Trobe is waiting on the council's planning department to give the project the go-ahead.
It does not need the council's permission to start construction but will need approval to remove 24 native trees scattered across both car parks.