Environmental Credentials
The Cairns Convention Centre is Australia's first environmentally designed major public building and has won many awards for its energy and resource conservation features including the first ever EIBTM environmental award in 1994.
The Centre, unlike previous public buildings at the time was formed from a combination of steel and laminated plantation timber, producing a more crafted architecture that responds to environmental issues. The list of environmental features of the Centre includes:
Rain Water Storage - 50% Saving
Cairns Convention Centre's double layer pleated plate roof is designed to capture the seasonal tropical downpours, and channel rainwater directly into storage tanks.
This feature provides half of the Centre's grounds and garden watering needs, reducing its call on treated town water.
Flow Restrictors - 25% Water Saving
The Centre's water usage is modified further by the installation of water flow restrictors on all outlets. The expected water saving is between 25% and 30% of total water needs.
Solar Hot Water - 30% Energy Saving
Solar hot water heaters provide between 30% and 35% of the Centre's hot water needs, producing a significant saving on electricity usage and costs.
Shading Devices - 5% Energy Saving
Shading devices are installed along the eastern side of the structure, reducing the level of air conditioning needed to keep the building cool. The shading devices save approximately 5% of the energy required to air condition this section of the building.
Air Conditioning
R134a Refrigeration Machines have been installed throughout the Convention Centre's air conditioning system. This model machine does not use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as its refrigeration agent. This ensures that no damage would be caused to the ozone layer if a refrigerant leak were to occur.
