The International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is installing 4,500 photovoltaic panels on its rooftop, which will make it home to the largest solar farm in any city centre in the Southern Hemisphere. The project is expected to cut carbon emissions by up to 2,000 tonnes a year and produce enough electricity to power up to 400 homes. NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully says this upgrade will attract more events to Sydney, citing its appeal as one of the most environmentally friendly convention centres in the world. The solar farm is expected to increase energy production by about 300% compared to existing panels on the site.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A large-scale solar farm is being built on the rooftop of the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) in the heart of Sydney. The project will install 4,500 photovoltaic panels and is expected to generate enough electricity to power up to 400 homes. Once completed, it will be the largest solar farm in any city centre in the Southern Hemisphere. The solar farm is expected to cut carbon emissions by up to 2,000 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to the amount absorbed by a forest of about 100,000 mature trees. The project is part of the ICC Sydney's upgrade to become entirely powered by green energy. According to Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully, the solar farm will be a major selling point for events coming to Sydney, as it will be one of the most environmentally friendly convention centres in the world.
Written for “Sydney's Big Solar Project” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 6073 · logged 2026-09-07
In short:
The International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is to install 4,500 photovoltaic panels on its rooftop.
asserted
Centre → install → rooftop
Once completed, the ICC Sydney will be home to what is being described as the largest solar farm in any city centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
asserted
what → complete → Hemisphere
The solar farm will cut carbon emissions by up to 2,000 tonnes a year.
asserted
farm → cut → tonnes
A solar farm heralded as the largest in any central business district (CBD) in the Southern Hemisphere is being built in the heart of Sydney.
asserted
farm → herald → Sydney
About 4,500 photovoltaic panels will cover the rooftops of the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) and produce enough electricity to power up to 400 homes.
asserted
panels → cover → homes
The rooftop generation, combined with purchased renewable electricity, will mean the government-owned site is powered entirely by green energy.
asserted
site → combine → energy
Paul Scully, the minister for planning and public spaces, told the ABC that the upgrade would attract more events to Sydney.
asserted
upgrade → tell → Sydney
"Coming to one of the most environmentally friendly convention centres in the world is a big selling point," Mr Scully said.
asserted
Scully → come → world
"This is showing how, as an urban community, we can do our part in the rebuild of our energy system, where we're using large roof spaces."
asserted
we → show → spaces
The solar farm will cut carbon emissions by up to 2,000 tonnes a year, which the government has said is equivalent to the amount absorbed by a forest of about 100,000 mature trees.
The ICC Sydney already had some solar panels installed, but the older technology was too heavy to be placed on certain sections of the rooftops.
asserted
technology → cut → rooftops
With lighter panels now available, the centre can increase the size of its solar footprint.
asserted
centre → increase → footprint
Chris Jones is the head of asset management at Capella Capital, which leads the consortium that maintains the facility.
asserted
that → lead → facility
Mr Jones said the newer, more efficient panels would allow the ICC Sydney to produce about 300 per cent more energy.
asserted
panels → say → energy
"This facility running at full capacity is a big drawer of electricity," Mr Jones said.
asserted
Jones → run → electricity
Battery storage was not an option as it would take up too much space.
asserted
it → take → space
"The only logical way to do it is to use the grid as a synthetic battery, if you will," Mr Jones said.
asserted
Jones → do → battery
With power bills reaching $1.8 million a year, the centre was also trying to reduce consumption by upgrading appliances such as fridges.
asserted
centre → reach → fridges
ICC Sydney chief executive officer Adam Mather-Brown said the facility sought to use less power each year.
asserted
facility → say → power
"We've just finished an entire re-bulbing exercise on the building, because being 10 years old, new technology has come in," Mr Mather-Brown said.
"For thousands of lights that we have, we've reduced that already."
asserted
we → finish → that
The existing panels were dismantled this week and will be given to the Kindly Animal Sanctuary near Armidale in the Northern Tablelands for reuse.
asserted
panels → exist → reuse
It is estimated they will last another 10 to 15 years.
asserted
they → estimate → years
"They can reduce their energy bill and keep those rescue animals warm at the same time," Mr Scully said.
asserted
Scully → reduce → time
More cities likely to follow
In June, NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane pledged to create a renewable energy zone (REZ) in the cities of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
asserted
Sloane → follow → Sydney
The state's first urban REZ is being set up in the Illawarra, drawing from solar generated on the roofs of homes and businesses, and using home and community batteries.
asserted
REZ → set → batteries
Mr Scully would not say whether the government was looking to establish a REZ in Sydney but hinted other areas of urban generation would follow the Illawarra.
asserted
areas → say → Illawarra
"We're looking to use that as the test bed to see what we might be able to take from that and scale up to other urban communities," he said.
uncertain
he → look → communities