Sustainable Energy

Western is committed to sustainable energy practices across all campuses through:

• Contracting 100% of our electricity supply from renewable sources.
• Increasing onsite electricity generation via rooftop and carpark solar arrays.
• Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy alternatives.

Key initiatives include:

• Onsite Solar Generation: Solar arrays are being installed on rooftops and carparks, reducing reliance on the grid and supporting peak-load management.
• Green Parking Permits: Available to staff and students with electric vehicles, allowing access to parking under solar structures and EV charging stations.
• Fuel Switching: Transition from natural gas to solar or electric heat pump systems for water heating has commenced. A fuel-switching roadmap has been commissioned, with implementation starting in 2025.
• Energy Efficiency: Ongoing strategies include building to Green Star standards, coordinating BMS systems with load-shedding, and installing LED lighting across all campuses.

• Solar Engineering
• Urban Heat

Mandatory annual reporting for National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting scheme(opens in a new window) (NGER). Risks include financial costs, supply continuity, reputational loss.

Trends in energy use continue to increase, though this is influenced by the changing footprint of Western’s campuses, and changes in reporting inclusions.

Energy usage and sourcing renewable supplies contributes to both mitigation and adaptation actions for climate change.

In partnership with the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment,(opens in a new window) Building Z is powered by 200 kW of rooftop and 100 kW of carpark solar PV, supported by 60 kW of battery storage. This micro-grid supports surrounding precincts and is being monitored with Engineering and Technical Services.

In collaboration with Campus Operations(opens in a new window) and the Infrastructure Strategy and Planning(opens in a new window) design team, solar carparks were developed to better reflect campus character.

Building on the Kingswood pilot, new solar structures were rolled out across multiple campuses in 2024.