The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is helping demonstrate the diverse potential of energy efficiency programs by helping finance clean energy improvements to two Adelaide buildings, under the South Australian Government’s new Building Upgrade Finance (BUF) initiative.
The YourDC data centre is a 6,000 square metre specialist facility in suburban Edinburgh Parks, while the 26 Flinders Street commercial property is a 15-storey office tower in the heart of the Adelaide CBD.
Both buildings are installing equipment that will reduce their grid energy use and lower their carbon emissions.
The businesses accessed finance through Eureka Real Assets, a subsidiary of AXA IM – Real Assets, a global leader in real assets investment. Eureka draws on finance provided by the CEFC and NAB.
Including these latest two projects, the CEFC has announced finance to five South Australian developments since August last year.
CEFC Building Upgrade Finance spokesperson Yolande Pepperall said although property accounts for almost a quarter of Australia’s carbon emissions, there are proven technologies that can dramatically improve this situation.
In fact, cost effective energy efficiency technologies could deliver an estimated $20 billion in energy savings by 2030.
YourDC is installing a 199kW rooftop solar system from ZEN Energy that is forecast to deliver electricity at an effective cost of just over 4c per kWh over the life of the system, less than 25 per cent of its current grid electricity tariffs.
The commercial office block at 26 Flinders Street has commenced an upgrade that includes installing around 30kW of Solar PV, upgrading to LED lighting, installing power factor correction equipment and façade greening.