The state-of-the-art particle accelerator facility, which operates 24/7 and consumes significant amounts of electricity, is expected to save approximately $2 million in energy costs over the next five years with the solar installation. The solar system will supply a portion of the Synchrotron’s energy needs, reducing its reliance on the grid and lowering its carbon footprint, equivalent to offsetting the annual emissions of 367 family-sized cars.
Table of Contents
Melbourne’s Synchrotron Goes Green with Massive Rooftop Solar Installation
Supporting World-Class Research and Expansion
The savings generated by the solar system will be used to support the operations and expansion of the Synchrotron’s research capabilities and facilities. The facility hosts over 4,000 researchers annually, conducting experiments in various fields, including biotechnology, medicine, engineering, and nanotechnology, utilizing the Synchrotron’s intense light beams.
The Synchrotron is currently undergoing a significant expansion, with initiatives like the $100 million BRIGHT Program aimed at constructing eight new beamlines for scientific research. Additionally, the facility has partnered with Monash University’s Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre to build a laboratory facility supporting health research and pharmaceutical manufacturing in Australia.
Aligning with ANSTO’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy
The solar installation aligns with ANSTO’s (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which aims to reduce grid electricity dependency by 20% by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 through the use of renewable energy technologies.
Professor Michael James, Director of ANSTO’s Australian Synchrotron, emphasized the facility’s commitment to a greener future while reducing operating costs. “This investment in renewable technology is just one way ANSTO can meet its own sustainability goals, while also acting as a buffer against increasing energy overheads in the future,” he said.
