Evolving green sustainability program

EVOLVING GREEN SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM PROGRESSES TO STAGE 3

Evolve Housing has progressed to Stage 3 of its Evolving Green Sustainability Program and will be installing eco-friendly technology on 55 dwellings.

The Evolving Green program first began in May 2017 and is aimed at embracing sustainable technology and supporting low-income residents to reduce their energy bills.

Stage 3 of the program involves the installation of an additional 120kW of solar power on 55 dwellings.

The installations have targeted dwellings with those residents who are most in need, including disability housing properties with typically high power demands for support equipment, as well as senior residents who are more at risk of thermal stress.

These works are being funded in conjunction with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. They will be completed by the end of 2021, allowing residents immediate cost relief over summer.

It is estimated that the Stage 3 solar installation program will generate around 150,000 kWh of energy each year, saving each resident about $650 per year. Stage 1 of the program delivered upgrades including a heat pump system and solar PV installation to 137 social and affordable housing residences. It also included installation of new lights and solar panels at Evolve Housing’s Parramatta office, and new lighting in common areas of our owned and managed residential buildings.

Stage 2 involved trialling cutting edge technology at a social housing apartment building with predominantly senior residents. The technology enabled a centralised solar PV system to be shared by multiple residents in an apartment building, lowering residents’ energy bills in a more efficient manner. Two other social housing apartment buildings had traditional solar PV systems installed. A total of 57 residents benefited from the upgrades in this stage, with a forecast saving of between $405 and $782 per year for each residents’ energy bills.

Other upgrades under the Evolving Green program included replacing 20 aged hot water systems in social housing buildings with more efficient heat pump systems (estimated to deliver savings of $410–$520 per year for each residence). Energy-saving LEDs with motion sensors were also installed in the underground car parking areas of five apartment buildings.