Smart Energy Zones
Imagine entire communities running on clean, renewable power sourced from the sun and wind. Where homes and workplaces are built to use less energy, and smart meters help us track and manage our own energy use. Where micro-grids balance local energy needs and communities and developers work hand in hand to improve energy security and cut greenhouse gases.
The Smart Energy Zones program was established to turn this vision into reality. The aim of the program is to demonstrate that communities can dramatically and cost-effectively reduce their greenhouse intensity by combining supply and demand solutions and developing local energy opportunities.
Smart Energy Zone Projects
On 6 July 2009, the Minister for Environment and Climate Change Gavin Jennings formally announced six new Smart Energy Zone Projects.
The successful projects demonstrate innovative demand and supply side energy solutions, showcasing:
- renewable and distributed energy generation technologies (such as cogeneration, trigeneration, bio-energy, solar photovoltaics (PV), solar hot water, wind turbines and micro grid technology)
- passive building design (including orientation, shading, passive solar heating/cooling, double-glazing, insulation, natural light and ventilation, and smart metering).
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Project summaries and business cases | |
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Vic Urban: Revitalising Central Dandenong - |
VicUrban is revitalising the central business area of Dandenong as part of a major urban revitalisation, Revitalising Central Dandenong (RCD). Among the suite of sustainability initiatives for the RCD Project, VicUrban is planning to incorporate a Central Services Hub to supply electricity, heating, cooling and recycled water for the precinct. |
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Banyule City Council: The Greensborough Smart Energy Precinct - Demonstrating Sustainability in the Suburbs |
Banyule City Council will create the Greensborough Smart Energy Precinct using a public-private partnership model. A gas-fired co-generation plant will supply electricity and heating to a new shopping centre and the excess heat will be piped across the site boundary to heat the pools in the Greensborough Regional Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Download the Business case for the Greensborough smart energy precinct - Demonstrating sustainability in the suburbs (pdf; 765KB)* |
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Manningham City Council: Doncaster Hill Smart Energy Zone and Sustainability Education Hub |
Manningham City Council is aiming for a green civic precinct and will use gas-fired tri generation to supply the community centre, council offices and sustainability education hub. The project will incorporate a micro grid, real time monitoring and energy efficiency measures including natural ventilation and high efficiency lighting. Download the Business case for Donacaster Hill Smart Energy Zone and sustainability education hub project (pdf; 1,052KB)* |
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Boroondara City Council: Ashburton Community Precinct Cogeneration Project |
Boroondara City Council will install a gas-fired co-generation plant to supply heat and electricity to the Ashburton pool and recreation centre and electricity to the Craig Family Centre. Neighbouring buildings will receive energy efficient lighting retrofits and PV panels. Download the Business case for the Ashburton community precinct cogeneration project (pdf; 199KB)* |
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CERES: Beacons for a Climate-Friendly Era |
CERES environmental park in Brunswick will work with a local shopping centre to take their organic waste to feed a biogas digester. The gas created by the digester will power the CERES site including the new Van Raay Centre building along with new solar and wind generation. The CERES van will be converted to an electric vehicle and a solar PV charging station for the vehicle constructed. Download the Business case for the CERES beacons for a climate-friendly era (pdf; 446KB)* |
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Department of Human Services: Office of Housing, Carlton Housing Redevelopment - Alternative Energy |
The Department of Human Services will supply each new public and social housing building at the Carlton redevelopment with a cogeneration plant. The gas utilised by the plant will be off-set through electricity provided on-site by both wind turbines and solar photovoltaics (PVs) to achieve a 'Zero Carbon' development. The decentralised energy compliments energy efficiency measures already incorporated in the redevelopment design. Download the Business case for the Department of Human Services Carlton housing redevelopment (pdf; 1,066KB)* |
*To view any of the attachments for the business cases, email Susan Lindsay; susan.lindsay@sustainability.vic.gov.au
Case studies & enabling technologies
Case studies & enabling technologies
See downloads below.
Downloads
- Dongtan, China: World first eco-city recreates the face of urban development (620.20KB)
- Glenfield, Australia: Visionary housing estate showcases leading Australian energy technology (386.18KB)
- Växjö, Sweden: 'Europe's Greenest City' through a combination of distributed generation and energy efficiency measures (484.62KB)
- Woking, UK: It pays to be UK's most energy efficient council (515.62KB)
- Dockside Green, Canada: Dockside to produce a complete community - with a green side (547.57KB)
- Enabling Technologies: An overview of demand side and supply side energy technologies that could be part of a Smart Energy Zone (642.61KB)
