2015 Green Globe Awards

Laing O'Rourke confirmed as a finalist in the prestigious 2015 Green Globe Awards

Laing O’Rourke has been selected as a finalist in the Excellence in Leadership and Innovation - Environmental Innovation category, in this year’s prestigious Green Globe Awards.

The awards, now in their 16th year, celebrate innovative environmental achievements and resource-saving measures from businesses, government and community groups across NSW.

Laing O’Rourke’s submission featured SunSHIFT, the world's first large-scale, fully redeployable, solar-diesel hybrid power system for off-grid areas.

The innovative system was developed with funding support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and aims to enable the transition towards renewable energy supplies by rural and remote businesses and communities.

Australia Hub Head of Engineering Alan Ainsworth said Laing O’Rourke is incredibly honoured to be recognised as a finalist for a Green Globe Award.

“SunSHIFT is an example of how engineering can solve important environmental challenges,” Mr Ainsworth said.

“It uses modules manufactured off-site which are compactly transported to site and are easy to assemble. This reduces the cost of on-site assembly and enables easy, efficient relocation.

“Our first system has been successfully delivering solar power to a 550-bed construction worker accommodation village in remote Queensland since February this year, easing that site’s reliance on diesel fuel and also positively impacting workforce morale.”

Laing O’Rourke has also developed an interactive calculator that can be used to explore the diesel savings of SunSHIFT, and associated carbon reductions.

The 2015 award finalists, across 16 award categories, range from industry-experts, iconic Sydney buildings, small community groups and global brands. Finalists were chosen by an independent panel of leading environmental experts in the fields of energy, water, waste, sustainability and environmental research and academia.

Robin Mellon, Green Globe Award Judging Panel Chair describes the high calibre of this year’s nominations.

"It’s remarkable to see the sustained effort from not only NSW's largest corporates but also councils, small and medium businesses and community groups in the Green Globe Award nominations this year. Nominees are now addressing sustainability across more areas of their business than ever before, with many looking at long-term visions, social and shared value, and holistic initiatives, rather than simply their short-term goals,” said Mr Mellon.

The winners will be announced at the Green Globe Awards Ceremony on Thursday, 15 October at the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney.