Sustainability at home

Family in front of home with solar panels

Do you want to be more energy efficient at home? Installing solar power could be the solution you're looking for, and it can be possible for apartment blocks too. 

  • Council is offering free Solar Feasibility and Energy Assessments to help apartment buildings save money on energy bills and reduce energy consumption in common areas. Apply for an assessment here!
  • SunSPOT is a great tool to help you calculate how much electricity and money a solar PV system could save your home.

Have you considered switching to a greener electricity plan for your home?

Switching to GreenPower is one the best things that you can do for our planet today! GreenPower is the only government accredited and audited green energy program and it's ideal for those who can't install rooftop solar. 

If you switch to a 100% GreenPower plan, your energy provider will purchase your electricity from renewable sources in Australia. GreenPower will mean more of our area's electricity comes from the wind and sun.

Not sure how to make the switch? You can call your current energy provider and ask them if they have a GreenPower plan available. It's also a good idea to shop around using Energy Made Easy to find the best deal for you. 

For more information and tips, visit collaborate.canadabay.nsw.gov.au/greenpower

 

Need other resources?

  • Inner West Community Energy group provides free advice and information about solar installation process through our Energy Efficiency for homes program. 

  • NSW Home Solar Battery Guide helps households interested in buying battery systems.

  • Energy Rating is a Government website which assists people in explaining the star rating program.

  • Energy Rating App is a Government app (downloadable from Google Play or iTunes) which identifies the best light bulbs to replace your incandescent and halogen bulbs and also identifies how much you could save by transitioning to LED or CFL.

  • Department of the Environment & Energy this Government website assists people by allowing a comparison of products.

  • NABERS for apartment buildings program assists in reducing energy use in apartments, and Council recommends that strata committee investigate joining.

The world is turning away from internal combustion engines (ICE) toward electric vehicles (EVs) as a response to climate change and environmental concerns around air quality. 

The City of Canada Bay has adopted a goal of net zero emissions for Council operations by 2030, and to help us achieve our goal we are transitioning our fleet from hybrid to electric vehicles.  

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Council has also adopted a goal of net zero emissions for the community by 2050. There are a number of resources available to help residents reach this goal:

  • The NSW Government's  guide for electric vehicle ready buildings is available here. This website includes information and tools that will guide owners’ corporations, residents, facilities and building managers to preparing their building for electric vehicles through a simple 5-step approach. It also includes a costing tool.
  • The Electric Vehicle Council represents the electric vehicle industry, and their official website offers handy information about EVs. 
  • Australian Electric Vehicle Association is a volunteer not-for-profit organisation dedicated to switching Australia's transport network to electric vehicles. They offer car fact sheets, as well as other information and resources.
  • Watch our Electric Vehicles for Apartments: Part 1 and Electric Vehicles for Apartments: Part 2 webinars presented by Wattblock.
    These webinars were supported by the City of Canada Bay and offer expert information for how residential and mixed-use strata buildings can prepare for electric vehicle charging. Download the presentations from the webinars here: Part 1 and Part 2.  

 

These programs are supported by Council's Environmental Strategy and Emissions Reduction Action Plan, which sets a target of net zero emissions from the Canada Bay community by 2050.

This is supported by other Council strategies: