Search

Aged care goes green with renewable wind and solar power agreement

We are an online community created around a smart and easy to access information hub which is focused on providing proven global and local insights about sustainability

22 Nov, 2023

This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters

Aged care and community services provider BaptistCare NSW, ACT and WA has signed a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Flow Power, linking energy use from its NSW and ACT operations to renewable generation from January 2025.

The PPA will allow BaptistCare to purchase around 15,000 megawatt hours each year from solar and wind farms in NSW from 2025. This will reduce the carbon footprint of its NSW and ACT operations by 70% (off a 2022 baseline of Scope 1 and 2 emissions).

“BaptistCare is committed to reaching net zero in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 or before, and this PPA with Flow Power forms a key part of our credible roadmap to get there,” said Thomas Griffiths, Head of Strategy & Investments for BaptistCare NSW, ACT and WA.

“We will save around 11,000 tonnes of carbon per year, which is like taking 25,000 petrol-powered cars off the road over the 10 years of the agreement.1

“It’s also a way to ensure BaptistCare is a part of the just transition. We care for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and this PPA, paired with other initiatives, is one part of our commitment to caring for people, planet and the community. We are proud to help lead the aged care and community sector towards a just transition to renewable energy,” Griffiths said.

Byron Serjeantson, Chief Operating Officer for Flow Power, said: “This agreement represents a significant milestone on their 2050 net zero roadmap, and an important moment for the wider aged care sector.”

Along with obtaining supply linked to renewable energy sources and large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) from Flow Power, the agreement will complement other environmental and sustainability initiatives from BaptistCare. These include the installation of solar panels at residential aged care homes and efforts to reduce Scope 3 emissions such as through improved recycling practices.

“The scale of these challenges requires innovation and collaboration. We are grateful for the support from the NSW Office of Energy and Climate Change and the Sustainability Advantage Program to develop our net zero pathway and identify opportunities to reduce our emissions,” said Charles Moore, CEO of BaptistCare NSW, ACT and WA.

1 EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator: Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator | US EPA

Pass over the stars to rate this post. Your opinion is always welcome.
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

You may also like…

Battery life and EV cybersecurity projects receive funding

Battery life and EV cybersecurity projects receive funding

Swinburne University of Technology researchers have been awarded close to $920,000 to advance two projects for battery life and EV cybersecurity, securing a portion of over $46 million shared across 75 new projects.

The university received the funding in the latest round of Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Linkage Projects 2024. The scheme, part of the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program, funds research that delivers practical benefits and strengthens Australia’s innovation and industry capabilities.

Swinburne’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Professor Karen Hapgood, said, “These projects demonstrate how our researchers are partnering with industry to deliver practical solutions, from extending the life of battery systems to securing Australia’s electric vehicle infrastructure. It’s a powerful example of how university research is driving innovation and supporting a more sustainable, technologically advanced future.”

The first of the two projects, led by Professor Weixiang Shen, received $449,882 to extend the lifetime of battery energy storage systems for power grids.

“This project will enable my team to develop an innovative control strategy to actively manage the operating conditions of an individual battery cell using digital twin technology. It offers an excellent opportunity to implement and validate our approach in inverter-less battery energy storage systems provided by our industry partner, which uniquely enables cell-level control within the system,” Shen said.

“The project’s outcomes will strengthen Australia’s leadership in advanced energy storage technologies, support the growth of the domestic manufacturing sector, and contribute to the creation of high-skilled jobs.”

Aiming to enhance energy storage performance, the three-year project will develop new strategies to slow battery aging within each cell. It will use digital twin technology, combining deep learning and electrochemical modelling, to predict the impact of operating conditions on battery aging and regulate these conditions to control the aging process and extend battery life.

Working in partnership with Relectrify Pty Ltd, the project team will support Australia’s transition to sustainable energy by delivering longer battery life and reduced downtime so that battery systems can produce more over time.

The second project, led by Professor Yang Xiang, received $474,531 to address cybersecurity challenges in electric vehicle charging stations.

“This grant will allow my team to build advanced cybersecurity tools that address the challenges posed by the interaction between EV charging stations, diverse EVs, the national power grid and wireless communication protocols,” Xiang said.

“It creates a unique opportunity to generate novel research insights, validate solutions in real-world settings, and produce tools with strong commercialisation potential. Its outcomes support sustainable economic growth by enabling the safe uptake of EVs, reducing emissions and creating jobs.”

Electric vehicle charging stations are widely deployed, but they face complex security risks due to the diversity of electric vehicles, their connection to the power grid, and wireless communication with users. The three-year project aims to address these challenges by functionality-guided, update-guided and greybox-guided fuzzing techniques.

Working in partnership with T-POWER Pty Ltd, the project team will explore methods for testing charging stations and developing advanced tools to secure EV infrastructure and improve cybersecurity within Australia’s expanding sustainable transport sector.

Image credit: iStock.com/narvo vexar

Extreme Weather Is Now Normal Weather in the UK: Met Office Report

Extreme Weather Is Now Normal Weather in the UK: Met Office Report

Extreme heat, excessive rainfall, ongoing droughts — these conditions are now considered the new normal, according to the latest State of the UK Climate report from the UK Met Office. The report highlights several alarming trends, including warming at the rate of 0.25°C per decade in the UK. The past three consecutive years have ranked […]
The post Extreme Weather Is Now Normal Weather in the UK: Met Office Report appeared first on EcoWatch.

“They’re Turning Pollution Into Candy!”: Chinese Scientists Stun the World by Making Food from Captured Carbon Emissions

IN A NUTSHELL 🌱 Chinese researchers have developed a groundbreaking method to convert methanol into sucrose, bypassing traditional agriculture. 🔬 The innovative in vitro biotransformation (ivBT) system uses enzymes to transform methanol derived from industrial waste into complex sugars. 🌍 This method contributes to sustainability by utilizing carbon dioxide as a raw material, supporting carbon […]
The post “They’re Turning Pollution Into Candy!”: Chinese Scientists Stun the World by Making Food from Captured Carbon Emissions appeared first on Sustainability Times.

0 Comments