White Gum Valley
Image 1: Credit: LandCorp
Client/Partner
Partners: LandCorp, City of Fremantle, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, CRC for Low Carbon Living, ARENA, Balance Utility Solutions, Power Ledger
Overview
The White Gum Valley (WGV) project in Fremantle, Western Australia, is a carbon-positive urban redevelopment demonstrating sustainable urban infill to support Australia’s Paris Agreement commitment to reduce fossil fuel use. This two-hectare precinct, part of LandCorp’s ‘Innovation through Demonstration’ projects and funded by ARENA, integrates solar photovoltaics (PV) systems, battery storage and peer-to-peer energy sharing via Power Ledger’s blockchain platform across three developments, Gen Y (for first-home buyers), SHAC (Sustainable Housing for Artists and Creatives) and Evermore (downsizing home owners), promoting social diversity and affordability.
Table 1: Key characteristics of each project. Credit: Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP)
WGV employs a smart embedded network (SEN) to optimise distributed energy resources like solar PV and batteries, minimising grid imports, reducing carbon footprints and enabling community energy sharing. Early modelling indicates 60% lower carbon emissions, 70% reduced water usage through rainwater harvesting and stormwater reuse for irrigation and 20% lower operating costs, with potential for carbon-positive outcomes.
The Curtin Institute for Data Science (formerly known as the Curtin Institute for Computation or CIC), developed a data workflow to retrieve usage profiles from sensors in detached houses and three multi-dwelling residences, validating WGV’s design decisions. These sensors measured the impact of design choices, providing data for research and monthly reports to developers and occupants. This work was presented in 2019 at the CRC for Low Carbon Living’s “Research to Reality Expo: How can we achieve a zero-carbon future?”, hosted by Curtin University in Fremantle. It was attended by government, academics and community members. The datasets have been safely kept and now contributing to the range of sustainability and home monitoring datasets CUSP will have accessible for a range of future research projects.