Date Published: 07/2014

Oakhill College is an independent Catholic secondary school located in Castle Hill, NSW, within the Diocese of Parramatta. Set across 42 hectares, the campus includes educational facilities, wetlands and agricultural land.

With approximately 1,650 students, Oakhill has made sustainability a core part of its operations, investing in renewable energy, waste reduction and energy efficiency initiatives. The College engaged Pangolin to establish a greenhouse gas emissions baseline, identify opportunities for improvement and track progress over time.

The Challenge

Oakhill sought to better understand its environmental footprint and identify practical opportunities to reduce emissions, energy consumption and waste across its operations.

Key objectives included:

• Establishing a greenhouse gas emissions baseline.
• Tracking emissions performance over time.
• Identifying cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities.
• Reducing waste sent to landfill.
• Supporting long-term sustainability goals.

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Our Approach

Pangolin conducted a greenhouse gas assessment in 2010, establishing a baseline against which annual performance could be measured.

To further support emissions reduction planning, Pangolin also undertook a comprehensive energy audit, providing detailed insights into energy use across the campus and identifying opportunities for operational and infrastructure improvements.

This ongoing approach enabled Oakhill to monitor progress, prioritise initiatives and measure the impact of implemented actions.

Key Initiatives

Greenhouse Gas Management

Annual greenhouse gas assessments were undertaken to track performance and identify new opportunities for emissions reduction.

Waste Reduction

Oakhill introduced dedicated recycling infrastructure across the campus, including custom stainless steel recycling stations designed to encourage waste separation and support behavioural change among students and staff.

Renewable Energy

In 2013, Oakhill installed a 20 kW solar photovoltaic system comprising 83 solar panels, helping reduce reliance on grid electricity and supporting renewable energy generation onsite.

Energy Efficient Lighting

Lighting was identified as the largest electricity consumption category, accounting for more than 40% of total site energy use. Oakhill incorporated LED lighting into new building works and progressively upgraded existing lighting infrastructure as assets reached end of life.

Operational Improvements

The College implemented a range of behavioural and operational measures, including improved lighting and air-conditioning management practices, to reduce energy consumption and operating costs.

Results

Emissions Reduction

• 23.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions year-on-year.
• 24.4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 2010 baseline.
• Total emissions reduction of 684.3 tonnes CO₂-e.

Energy Performance

• Electricity and natural gas emissions reduced from 1,843.5 tonnes CO₂-e in 2010 to 1,693.9 tonnes CO₂-e in 2013.

Waste Diversion

• Waste sent to landfill reduced from 511 tonnes to 114 tonnes between 2010 and 2013.

Energy Audit Findings

Pangolin identified:

• Potential electricity savings of 23%.
• Potential overall site energy reduction of 21%.
• Estimated annual energy cost savings of $59,223.
• Simple payback period of approximately 3.1 years.
• Total implementation cost of $183,420.

Looking Ahead

Oakhill continues to build on its sustainability program through further operational improvements and investigations into more efficient technologies, including upgrades to hot water systems and ongoing energy efficiency initiatives. By combining data-driven decision-making with practical sustainability measures, the College continues to demonstrate leadership in environmental stewardship within the education sector.