ICC Sydney will be home to the first community-funded solar energy project of its kind in Australia, allowing members of the public to buy shares in a social venture that will own the building’s solar array.
One of Australia’s largest solar arrays within a Central Business District is being erected onto the roof of ICC Sydney to generate power for the venue. Sydney Renewable Power Company is the social venture that will own the array.
ICC Sydney Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Donaghy said the initiative reflected the approach the management team would take once the venue was operational in late 2016.
“The smart design of ICC Sydney delivers a range of environmentally and socially sustainable solutions and we intend to amplify these strategies through our management of the venue,” Mr Donaghy said.
“International convention centres of our scale have the ability to make meaningful social connections on a variety of fronts,” said Mr Donaghy.
“These include but are not limited to enhancing the intellectual capital of the host community, food redistribution projects, in-house training schemes and connecting school and community groups with leaders of industry, innovation and professional development,” he said.
Mr Donaghy is also President of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), which has a membership base covering more than 50 countries.
The solar array is expected to produce approximately 5 per cent of the energy required for the venue, which is equivalent to powering more than 100 homes every year.
Under construction and opening in December 2016, ICC Sydney is being developed through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the New South Wales Government and Darling Harbour Live (comprising Lend Lease, HOSTPLUS, Capella Capital, AEG Ogden and Spotless). Lend Lease, who is designing and constructing the venue and associated public realm and connections, will install a solar array supplied by Canadian Solar Inc. onto the rooves of the theatre and convention buildings.