NSW cafe installs solar air conditioning

Specialist bakery and cafe Brioche, already a popular Sydney destination due to its gluten- and preservative-free treats, is now leading the way ecologically by installing a solar air conditioner.

Using half the electricity of a traditional air-conditioning unit, Brioche’s new system saves power, reduces the business’s carbon footprint and is as easy to use for staff as a regular unit. Brioche owner Fiona Wilkinson says that the cafe’s commitment to reducing its impact on the environment is an ongoing one.

“The unit uses the sun’s energy in a heat exchange, which means the solar panels are not creating electricity, but capturing heat. It is an innovative method of cooling, perfectly suited to Australia.” 

Brioche is the first business in NSW to use the new technology, joining other homes and businesses across Brisbane, Central Queensland and Tasmania. The cafe is already an  innovator in several areas, having been founded to create food as organic and pure as possible due to Wilkinson’s own food allergies and intolerances. Brioche bakes all of its organic breads and pastries on site, eliminating the need for transport. The business also uses only recyclable plastic carry bags, and the entire bakery is geared towards low energy use, utilising natural gas ovens and refrigeration.