Since joining the Low Carbon Living Blue Mountains (LCL-BM) program two years ago, local owner of the award winning Rooster Restaurant and Jamison Guesthouse, Ross Delaney has lowered the operation’s carbon footprint and is the first business member to progress from a bronze to a gold rating.
Mr Delaney has made significant renovations to the heritage-listed building to ensure energy efficiency without compromising the 1890s Edwardian architecture or structure.
He is the first business member to progress from a bronze to a gold rating.
Double-glazing, time regulated central heating, waste management, LED lighting and energy efficient globes have been installed since he joined the program.
With the roof too steep for solar panels, LCL-BM director John Merson advised Mr Delaney to switch to a renewable energy provider.
After researching the following link, https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvement/energy-saving/reducing-your-carbon-footprint/articles/green-electricity-review#Table, he switched to Powershop – the Melbourne-based Australian retail arm of New Zealand public company, Meridian Energy.
Meridian Energy is Australasia’s largest 100 per cent renewable generator with two massive wind farms in Victoria and South Australia, generating an accumulative 580 GWh of renewable energy annually – enough for 116,000 households and businesses.
It is also supported by the national government-managed GreenPower program that enables energy consumers to choose renewable energy providers that generate electricity from wind, solar, water and bioenergy.
Powershop is recognised as Australia’s first carbon neutral accredited power company, due to offsetting residual emissions via the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS).
NCOS measures a company’s residual carbon emissions for which equivalent carbon credits can be purchased. Credits are then used to buy plantation trees to sequester atmospheric to biological carbon as they grow.
Mr Delaney plans to eventually reconsider solar panels, solar water and to replace gas heating with reverse cycle air conditioning.
“If others in the industry have suggestions about becoming more green, I’m willing to take them on board.”
