ʹڲƱ leads the way for Australian universities, transitioning to renewable electric energy across all Sydney residential colleges. The replacement of outdated gas systems is a key milestone as the University strides toward its net zero emissions goal.
ʹڲƱ Sydney has ditched gas and adopted clean, renewable electric power for all student accommodation sites, kitchens, childcare, sports and hospitality facilities at the Kensington and Paddington campuses.
The current upgrade prevents approximately 700 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. The entire university network is set to be electrified by 2030 and ʹڲƱ is on track to achieve net zero by 2050.
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Better facilities, healthier environments
At ʹڲƱ’s Goldstein Hall in Kensington it’s cooking with gas, no more! The kitchen serves more than 1300 meals daily. Senior Manager of Energy and Utilities at ʹڲƱ, Jose Bilbao, said the now fully electrified commercial kitchen had revolutionised operations.
“It has been absolutely rewarding seeing the kitchen before and after,” he said. “The fryers don't produce fumes when we're using them, so it's a lot healthier here, much better air quality, it’s cooler and we're using less energy.”
Head Chef at Goldstein Hall, Eve Wannasorn, said the change from a gas-powered to electric kitchen had been positive for both staff and students. “Making a stew for around 300 people used to take about three hours. Now it’s around 45 minutes,” she said. “The food tastes nice. It's fresher. And chefs don’t need to waste time changing oil manually. It means the quality of the food is much better.”
This is an important investment for the University and the community. Once the program is completed, we'll save around 155,000GJ of gas per year. That’s like removing more than 5300 cars from the road.
Looking ahead to net zero
ʹڲƱ is leading the charge to electrification for Australian universities. This first phase of ʹڲƱ’s electrification program has reduced ʹڲƱ’s emissions from natural gas by an estimated 10%. Across all ʹڲƱ Sydney colleges, gas-powered systems have been replaced with:
34 heat pump-operated dryers and 34 washers
31 induction cooktops and 10 electric barbecues
new high-efficiency electric commercial kitchen appliances such as fryers, pressurised Bratt pans, and dishwashing systems
eight domestic hot water heat pumps, with a total heating capacity of 400kW, and 18 hot water tanks (total of more than 12,000 litres of hot water), replacing more than 20 instant hot water gas units.
All electrical amenities are powered by renewable solar energy, thanks to the University’s on-site solar system and the through a solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). ʹڲƱ is expected to save 1.25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over the 15-year term of agreement.
Chief Property Officer at ʹڲƱ, Timothy Beattie, said the transition had set an example for the broader Australian industry. “Electrification is not only possible, and critical to achieve the Paris agreement, but also desired as it provides so many direct and indirect benefits, like better air quality, operational efficiencies, and reduction of fugitive emissions,” he said.
“This is an important investment for the University and the community. Once the program is completed, we'll save around 155,000GJ of gas per year. That’s like removing more than 5300 cars from the road.”
ʹڲƱ is one of the world’s leading universities for environmental and social sustainability, ranked 12th globally in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025.
