In line with the SA Government’s commitment to a 100 per cent renewable grid by 2030, the new world-class facility will eliminate the use of fossil fuel on site, by connecting to an electricity source supplied from the electrical network or through on-site electricity generation and storage.
Since engagement on the project early in 2020, WSP’s team of sustainability, structural, mechanical engineering and specialist services has played a key role as lead of the engineering consortium delivering the masterplan and concept design.
Matthew Salisbury, Regional Director SA/NT and Project Director says, “We’re pleased to be supporting our client, SA Health, in creating a resilient and future ready hospital that will leave a positive legacy for future generations. We’ve been helping to develop a solution aligned with the SA Government’s strategic targets for sustainability.”
Selwyn Saman Associate – Sustainability adds, “While we’ve been guiding the nWCH project team on a range of sustainable design features, the decision to go all electric has been the most significant and only made possible by the robust feasibility assessment that each of our engineering disciplines contributed to.”
The SA Government estimates that as a net zero operational hospital, the nWCH will prevent approximately 2,100 tonnes of greenhouse gas being emitted per year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 700 vehicles off the road.
Matt concludes, “The SA Government is truly demonstrating leadership in the design of the nWCH and it will set to become the most sustainable major public hospital in Australia when the project is completed in 2025-26.”
In addition to 100 per cent electrical energy systems, other environmentally sustainable design features that will support the decarbonising of the nWCH, include:
- Rainwater capture and storage, to reduce water use and enable recycle supply for suitable uses
- Design for waste-to-landfill minimisation
- Access to nature and nature lighting, to create a high quality internal environmental and improve hospital amenity for staff and consumers
- Resilient and Future Ready design, with the capacity to withstand projected trends in climate change events
- Low emissions building materials, preferably locally made
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