Swimming’s solar eclipse
“Our annual electricity expenditure has almost doubled over the past 10 years and we need to reduce our reliance on the current system by investing in alternative energy sources,” Mayor Tom Tate said.
The more than $600,000 solar installation is part of a wider city plan to save power and reduce energy costs.
Cr Tate said about $28 million was spent each year to power the city, including street lights and councilowned buildings and facilities, with the aquatic centre the first cab off the rank in a wider savings drive.
“We have to start somewhere,” he said.
Under the council’s new energy management plan lights at Surfers Paradise will also be converted to LEDs in order to save power.
The light conversion will cost about $900,000 but it is not clear how long it will take to recover those costs.
Details of other power saving plans are being kept under wraps after a report was sent to council last month. “The report will be released when the CEO has redacted it given commercial aspects contained in it,” Cr Tate said.