Bayfair Shopping Centre is going green.
The Mt Maunganui centre is one of the first shopping centres in the country to use solar power in its bathrooms and has been pre-plumbed for future grey water recycling measures.
The solar energy and ecological "grey water" systems are endorsed by conservation groups worldwide and meet the requirements of New Zealand's Climate Change Act 2002, intended to reduce energy emissions.
The centre's new environmental measures, which conserve energy used from hand-dryers, lighting and heated water in its revamped amenities and parents' room feature new sustainability measures.
In addition to the pre-plumbing of grey water harvesting tanks, solar panels have been fitted to provide heat to water, and LED lighting which will result in at least a 50 per cent energy saving.
Other measures include air conditioning systems, water-saving tap sensors, foam soap dispensers, recycling bins, and speedier hand-dryers which reduce energy consumption levels by up to 60 per cent.
Display screens showing the water and power savings in real time have been installed as an incentive for shoppers to try similar economies at home.
In the first six weeks since the installation of the energy saving technology, the cumulative solar energy generated to date from the solar panels installed on the Bayfair roof amounts to 976kW-hours - equal to powering a home with three occupants for four weeks.
