August 21, 2015
The Barambah Environmental Education Centre near Gallangowan will install a solar-powered water pump to recycle rainwater used in its native plant nursery thanks to a $5000 grant from Ergon Energy’s Community Fund.
Customer Delivery Manager Fraser Burnett Nick Grant said the club was among 14 not-for-profit community groups across regional Queensland to share $50,000 in total for projects that promote energy efficiency or electrical safety.
Mr Grant encouraged other South Burnett groups to submit applications for the next round of Community Fund grants, which are now open.
“Four stand-alone solar lights also will be installed in key locations around the Barambah centre as energy efficient security lighting, further reducing their demand for power,” he said.
“The nursery relies on an overhead rainwater sprinkler system to keep its plants healthy and alive. The sprinklers come on automatically several times each day.
“During the 2014 drought, the centre became very short of rainwater and commenced hand-watering its plants.
“The water shortage problem highlighted the need to design and install a recycling system which would allow the rainwater to be recycled and re-used several times. To use a solar pump was the obvious sustainable choice.
“As a result, the group has designed a sustainable water recycling system for their nursery which will not only demonstrate energy efficient practices to their many clients and guests, but also reduce their water consumption as well.”
Mr Grant said this project had impressed the selection panel for the Community Fund because it delivered so many positive environmental outcomes in addition to being an energy efficient solution to their problem.
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Mr Grant said the Community Fund sought to fund innovative projects that supported local groups to:
- Reduce energy consumption, particularly during the peak period between 4:00pm and 8:00pm
- Upgrade equipment to more energy-efficient models
- Educate and encourage people to change the way they use energy
- Use or promote renewable energy alternatives (solar, wind, hydro and biomass)
- Adopt energy management systems to monitor, measure and control a building’s electrical load
- Keep the community safe around electricity
Applications for the next funding round will close at 5:00pm on Monday, September 14.
- More information is available online
- Related article: Ergon Grants Now Open
