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UNSW celebrates our first all-electric building

Colombo House's electrification is an important milestone supporting our goal of reaching net zero emissions.

Published on the 10 December 2024
Students using electric laundry appliances in Colombo House at UNSW.

UNSW has unveiled our first fully electrified building, Colombo House (B16), marking a key achievement in our journey toward electrifying and decarbonising our operations. The project highlights UNSW's commitment to innovation, sustainability and ensuring the health and wellbeing of our community.

What's happened?

Colombo House is now 100% electrified and natural gas-free, leading the way in UNSW's ambitious electrification strategy. Key upgrades include:

  • Modern electric systems: gas-powered amenities, such as water heaters, cooktops, dryers and even barbecues, have been replaced with efficient electric alternatives.

Did you know?

All electrical amenities at UNSW are powered by renewable solar energy, thanks to the University's on-site solar system and the Sunraysia Solar Farm through a solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

What are the benefits?

Electrifying Colombo House will prevent approximately 82 tonnes of CO2e emissions per year – equivalent to driving from Sydney to Melbourne 550 times in an average diesel car. By eliminating the building's reliance on fossil fuels, the project also reduces the environmental impact of gas extraction.

Switching to electric appliances eliminates the air pollutants caused by gas-powered cooktops and barbecues. Studies show that gas stoves can produce indoor air pollution that would be illegal outdoors*.

Colombo House residents are already experiencing the benefits:

  • "For the induction stove, it feels really efficient and easy to use."
  • "With the gas stove, there was an incident where it was left on, causing potential fire and bad air quality. The induction stove turns off automatically when not in use, which is much safer."
  • "I like how easy it is to clean the induction stove."

What are the next steps?

Colombo House is just the beginning:

  • Phase 1 expansion: By April 2025, other accommodation halls, including Goldstein, Basser, Fig Tree and Paddington Campus, will transition to fully electric systems as part of the electrification initiative.
  • University-wide transformation: By 2030, all UNSW campuses will be 100% electrified and powered entirely by renewable energy.

This ambitious achievement was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the Estate Management – Utilities team in collaboration with the residents of Colombo House. Their hard work and commitment have brought this bold vision to life.

*Seals, B. & Krasner, A. (2020), Gas Stoves: Health and Air Quality Impacts and Solutions, Rocky Mountain Institute. https://rmi.org/insight/gas-stoves-pollution-health