Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves aims to become most sustainable entertainment precinct

Brisbane’s cultural and entertainment precinct, Howard Smith Wharves has taken another step towards its goal of becoming the most sustainable precinct in the world this month with the installation of 179kW of rooftop solar panels.

After engaging Origin Zero, Howard Smith Wharves commissioned an energy audit and kitchen electrification study in its ambitious quest to reduce emissions by 44% by June 2026, compared to 2022 levels. It has already diverted 97% of its waste from landfill, with this energy audit another avenue to reduce emissions and support its sustainability mission.

Following the audit, Origin Zero proposed the rooftop solar and power factor correction (an adjustment of the power supply systems to enhance efficiency) to achieve immediate supply-side emissions savings of 7.2% across the precinct’s restaurants, cafes, bars, event spaces, hotel and brewery.

Luke Fraser, Chief Executive of Artemus Group (developers of Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves), says that sustainability is his number one priority and adds “these two quick and simple solutions drastically reduce our emissions, so of course we jumped at the opportunity. We have the goal of becoming the most sustainable precinct in the world and we’re proud to continue to partner with industry leaders who are supporting us to achieve our goal.

“It’s exciting to continue redefining sustainability in hospitality as we work collaboratively to raise the industry standard and to support national emissions reduction targets and help the country toward net zero by 2050.”

Liam McWhirter, Origin Zero’s GM Enterprise and Strategic Partners advised  “we’ve worked closely with Howard Smith Wharves to understand their business needs and identify the right solutions to help achieve their ambitious sustainability goals.

“The first step in the process was conducting a full energy audit and carbon assessment. We’ve since been able to implement a range of initiatives together, including the installation of a rooftop solar system that meets heritage requirements and will generate a considerable portion of Howard Smith Wharves’ day-time energy usage.

“Alongside achieving meaningful carbon emissions reductions, our work with Howard Smith Wharves will also deliver significant energy savings.”

The audit found electricity corresponded to 69% of HSW’s energy consumption but 90% of its emissions due to the high emissions factor of the Queensland electricity grid. The decarbonisation of the grid over the coming years with the phase-out of coal power plants is expected to contribute emissions savings of 25% for the precinct.

The audit developed an emissions reduction pathway to map the various actions that could help Howard Smith Wharves reach its target. It found the precinct could reduce demand-side emissions by 7.7% through various measures.

The audit found the use of a heat pump to supply chilled water to the precinct could offset 625,700kWh of natural gas, reducing emissions by 4.3%, the biggest demand-side potential emissions reduction for the precinct.

Fraser continued “our next step is to establish a plan to replace our gas appliances, obtain designs for chilled water heat recovery, and buy the green power we need – as well as implementing some other changes the audit identified that we can make for smaller gains, like optimising fans in the car park.

“It’s our vision at Howard Smith Wharves to become the most sustainable precinct on the planet. We want to redefine the benchmark for sustainability in the hospitality industry in Australia.”

About Origin
Origin is one of Australia’s leading energy companies with the ambition to lead the energy transition through cleaner energy and customer solutions. Origin Zero is the team within Origin that works with large businesses, like Howard Smith Wharves, to help them accelerate towards zero.

About Artemus Group
With an ever-expanding portfolio of restaurants, bars and real estate, Artemus Group specialises in revitalising iconic waterfront precincts and transforming them into thriving community and cultural hubs.

A project spanning over 10 years from conception, they developed Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves (HSW). Covering nine acres, it is now one of the leading hospitality and entertainment precincts in Queensland. Their most recent acquisition, Sydney’s Manly Wharf precinct, is their latest endeavour with unbound potential.