(Photo Credit: Dean McQuade, Unsplash)The Sydney Opera House in Australia signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy retailer Flow Power. Under the terms of the deal, more than 85% of the iconic landmark’s annual energy consumption will be matched by supply from wind and solar projects in New South Wales.
Through the PPA, the Sydney Opera House is investing its annual $2.4 million (about $1.67 million in US dollars) electricity spend in sourcing the renewable energy, for a total investment of more than $16 million (nearly $11.2 million in US dollars). The deal covers over 85% of the building’s yearly energy consumption of 16 gigawatt hours.
Power supply is expected to come from wind and solar projects that include the Sapphire Wind Farm in Glenn Innes and the Bomen Solar Farm currently under construction in Wagga Wagga, according to the Sydney Opera House.
The architectural work designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“The Opera House is Australia’s first heritage-listed building to commit to this innovative energy retail model, joining a growing number of high-profile organizations leading the way towards a low carbon future through investment in large-scale renewable projects,” said Ian Cashen, the Sydney Opera House’s executive director of building, PV Magazine reported. “This deal brings us another step closer to our long-term renewable energy goals and will deliver significant savings in operational costs over its seven-year period.”
Besides renewable energy, efficiency has been a long-term focus for the site. Since launching their first environmental sustainability plan in 2010, the Opera House has saved more than $1 million in electricity costs through energy efficiency projects, their 2017-19 plan reported.
“Jørn Utzon believed that efficiency was beauty. Efficiency is also good for business,” chief executive officer Louise Herron wrote.
