Artistic Directors of STC Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment of $1.2 million towards the STC Greening The Wharf project through its Green Precincts Fund. Significant philanthropic donations will also fund the project, including $2 million from the family foundation of Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech Chairman and CEO, and his wife Vivienne Shi.
“One of the roles of art is to imagine the future. To do this effectively it must be both visionary and practical. We believe Greening The Wharf not only delivers enormous practical outcomes for Sydney Theatre Company but offers a vision of how we might all creatively embrace the challenge and opportunities that climate change presents,” said Mr Upton and Ms Blanchett.
STC’s project comprises three key initiatives; the installation of a large capacity PV array; the introduction of extensive energy efficiency measures; and the introduction of an innovative rainwater harvesting, storage and reticulation system which will supply 100 per cent of the Company’s nonpotable water requirements.
The solar array will be erected on the roof of The Wharf of the Sydney Harbour-based company, along with energy saving measures, and will reduce STC’s power drawn from the grid by up to 70 per cent.
The project represents a unique partnership between STC and the University of NSW’s School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering. The installation of the 2,000 solar panels, working in harmony with a major heritage-listed building, will provide a high profile showcase for UNSW’s world-leading photovoltaics research and development.
The project will install Pluto photovoltaic cells – high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells developed by UNSW and China’s Suntech Power from the University’s world-record-holding PERL silicon solar cell technology.
Over the next 25 years, STC estimates that the Greening The Wharf project will deliver water savings of 37.5 million litres; 5,000 MWh in energy savings and 10,350 MWh of power generated via the PV array.
“Sydney Theatre Company’s Greening the Wharf project is a great example of innovative energy and water-saving technologies being put to use in the urban environment,” said Federal Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong.
“The project will deliver substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate that significant cuts in energy and water use can be made within a heritage building,” Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett said.
STC will continue to seek corporate, philanthropic and government partners to complete the funding for the full Greening The Wharf program while it moves ahead with the first phase of the works.
