Brisbane is one of Australia’s fasting growing cities so it’s imperative that it remains energy efficient and sustainable. What better way to advocate energy efficiency than with its latest proposed smart energy system - district cooling.

If you’re unfamiliar with district cooling, it’s basically an energy cooling system. It centrally produces and distributes cold water via an insulated underground pipeline to domestic, commercial and industrial spaces - altogether cooling the air of buildings within (as the name suggests) a certain district. Think of it like a giant underground air conditioner for the masses.

While district cooling is not a new method, Brisbane CBD’s new proposed smart energy system will definitely be an Australian first. Expecting to be the largest of its kind on record in Australian history, Brisbane’s proposed cooling system will potentially create between 10 and 30 per cent in energy savings for individual buildings and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 24,000 tonnes per annum. These staggering figures make it an integral component to the overall energy efficiency of the CBD.

“We recognise the importance of smart energy solutions in the long-term development of the CBD and have been working towards this goal with CitySmart – our sustainability agency – and industry partners including Energex, who have provided significant financial and resource support for this project.”

Brisbane City Council have appointed the Cofely Australia and Thiess Services group to undertake the design and planning phase of this innovative energy efficiency project. The pivotal infrastructure will replace air conditioner chillers and cooling towers throughout the CBD, alternatively using a central plant room to supply chilled water to CBD buildings via a series of underground pipes.

“When combined with Thermal Energy Storage, the district cooling system will chill water during off-peak periods and then supply it to CBD buildings during the day, resulting in significant energy savings and helping to deliver on Council’s vision for a clean, green city,” said acting Lord Mayor Cr Adrian Schrinner.

Leading the way in energy advancement is, yet again, just another massive tick in the box when it comes to Brisbane’s CBD real estate. Generating more than just efficient energy, the district cooling infrastructure will be a huge advantage for home and business properties within the Brisbane CBD area. As CBD properties become more energy efficient, they also become more economical and cheaper to maintain… thus means more valuable and consequently their dollar value increases.

This is really exciting news for property investors and another massive step in the right direction for Brisbane’s inner-city real estate market.

Interested in potential CBD real estate opportunities? Want to sell your CBD property? For all Brisbane CBD real estate enquiries, please contact Hannah on 0419 782 133.