The University of New South Wales has won an Energy Smart Green Globe Award for the installation of co-generation to power and heat the university swimming pool. The award recognises UNSW as a key player in the renewable energy industry.

"I believe that co-generation has the potential to make the single largest (immediate) contribution to our greenhouse targets, and further reduce our energy costs," said the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wyatt R. Hume, who accepted the award from New South Wales Minister for Energy, Kim Yeadon.

Co-generation for the swimming pool was a pilot project for larger scale installations on campus, according to Simon Ruben, the Manager of UNSW Engineering Services.

Presently, the annual UNSW energy bill is over $5 million and rising. Co-generation and photovoltaic cells will increasingly be installed, with participation from Photovoltaic and Solar Energy Engineering students, in a move to environmentally friendly energy.

Robert Grimmett, UNSW Energy Manager, said that the move to co-generation at the pool could save up to 710 tonnes of CO2 each year.

Learn more about the UNSW Cogeneration Project.