Sovereign Hill is leading the way in the switch to a sustainable energy future by reducing its carbon emissions.
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The Gold Museum launched the solar energy project at Sovereign Hill which saw the installation of the installation of 290 solar panels at Sovereign Hill, which will generate 75.4kW of electricity and significantly reduce the site’s overall carbon emissions.
Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said there would be enough electricity generated to power the museum as well as feed electricity back into the grid.
“Congratulations to Sovereign Hill for their leadership and the example they are setting for the rest of the business community,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“This project has not only reduced the museum’s carbon footprint, but also contributes towards a changing attitude within the broader private sector.”
Sovereign Hill was last week awarded the Victorian Museum Award for Large Museums for outstanding initiatives in sustainability at a ceremony held at the State Library of Victoria.
The Sovereign Hill Museums Association is the first museum in Australasia to sign the Green Museums Accord.
Sovereign Hill’s Director of Museums, Brett Dunlop, said Sovereign Hill has taken a number of steps to consider its ecological impact as a part of the museum’s daily decision-making processes.
“Sovereign Hill is committed to involving, educating and communicating with staff, visitors and the wider museum sector on sustainability issues to share knowledge and inspire others towards positive change,” Mr Dunlop said.
“We’re extremely proud of the work we’ve done to reduce our environmental impact. It’s a thrill to be recognised by Museums Australia for the work that we’ve done in this area.”
Businesses are being encouraged to adopt sustainable energy options as the government moves to achieve it Renewable Energy Target reductions of 25 per cent by 2020, and 40 per cent by 2025.