Melbourne’s historic tram fleet is on its way to being powered by renewable energy with Yarra Trams’ depots being fitted out with solar panels.
Announcing the move, Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll said 100 kilowatts of solar panels had been installed on the roof of the Southbank depot, the first of seven solar depots housing solar trams.
“The 200-panels across seven depots will produce over 550 megawatt hours of power annually which will help power depot operations and keep the network running,” Mr Carroll said.
“Catching a tram is already one of the most sustainable ways to get around Melbourne, but these solar panels mean the network will be even more environmentally friendly – reducing the overall network draw on the power grid,” he said.
“The new solar panels are expected to cut CO2 emissions by up to 350 tonnes and save approximately $370,000 on energy costs each year.”
Mr Carroll said excess power would be fed back into the network when it was produced.
He said Melbourne’s tram fleet was powered by renewable energy from two solar farms in northern Victoria.
“These panels have been made possible through our Greener Government Buildings Program, slashing C02 emissions significantly and helping to power Melbourne’s tram system,” the Minister said.
