A vibrant Hindu community embraces solar
Collective action comes naturally to the strong and vibrant community that makes up the the Kundrathu Kumaran Temple in Deanside, which is attended by many of Victoria’s Indian, Sri Lankan, Fijian, Mauritian, Malaysian, Singaporean and South African Hindu communities.
Inspired by a desire to create a more sustainable future, the temple is one of more than 100 community centres Sustainability Victoria helped upgrade to renewable energy through our Community Climate Change and Energy Action program, delivered on behalf of the Victorian Government.
Temple Project Manager Kasi Nathan explained that the Hindu religion is based on protecting nature.
“We pray to the sun, we pray to the trees, we pray to nature. So, supporting sustainability is very important to our congregation.”
Temple President Mr Dharma Dharmakularajah agreed, saying that the group embraced a sustainable mindset to provide services to their congregation, as well as a desire to showcase and promote renewable energy to the wider community.
"Temple management is very keen on adopting green energy. As a religious and community organisation, we believe we have a duty to be an example in this respect to the communities we represent," said Dharma.
Mr Nathan added that many members of their congregation are now following their lead.
“A lot of people are considering solar power and some are already in the process of installing panels and batteries in their homes,” Mr Nathan said. “We’ve been able to give general advice on installing a solar system and the benefits it can bring, and people are very interested.”
The solar panels and battery installed in the temple in Deanside, which has reduced energy costs by 65%. The funded solar system and battery now powers the temple, small community hall, canteen, priests' residences, external lights, car park lights and security lights.
Mr Nathan said the temple’s power consumption and costs have reduced by 65%.
“We used to pay about $1,300 a month, and now our bill is around $600,” Mr Nathan said. “We’re using the savings to improve our facilities and offer more programs to attract women and youth. We just started running yoga classes, for example.”
Mr Nathan said the temple would not have been able to install the solar system without the support of Sustainability Victoria.
“We already had a small system, but we wouldn’t have been able to install such a substantial system,” Mr Nathan said. “We’d like to thank Sustainability Victoria for their support because this has been a wonderful initiative for our community.”
The program is just one of the ways Sustainability Victoria connects communities with the expertise, resources and tools they need to take real action at a local level.
Watch the video to learn more about the community action happening across Victoria.
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Visual summary
This video shows regions around Victoria and the people involved in working towards a climate-resilient, circular economy.
The video is narrated and has no speakers.
Text
Nine adults standing together with some arms raised and 'The power of community' in white text. Harnessing the power of community white text transitions to an aerial view of Victoria’s coastline.
Narrator: In the journey to a climate-resilient, circular economy, never underestimate the power of community.
Across Victoria, communities are being drawn together not just by location, but by a desire to create a more sustainable future.
More and more are taking action to address climate change; they know how to make a difference and are doing what it takes to get there.
And Sustainability Victoria, (on behalf of the Victorian Government) is supporting the local groups taking action.
Over in Deanside, the Kundrathu Kumaran Temple is one of more than 100 community centres we've helped upgrade to renewable energy.
So now the temple is proudly powered entirely by solar.
A space for all ages and nationalities, they're leading by example - embracing a sustainable mindset for their own needs and promoting renewable energy to the wider community.
Up in Mernda, a Sustainability Victoria grant challenging groups to look at waste differently inspired Whittlesea Community Connections to kick start the free monthly Mernda Repair café, where volunteers repair nearly everything from bikes and clothing to furniture and electronics, saving them from landfill.
This is just one of over 60 projects we funded to help move Victoria towards an economy where we reuse, repair and recycle rather than throw things away.
Over in Yea, the solar panels installed with help from the local Community Power Hub keep the lights on, the wheels turning and the kettle hot for the local Pottery Studio and Men's Shed.
They're also estimated to save nearly $2,000 a year on bills savings that will be put directly back into the centre, improving facilities and supporting the groups who use it.
Projects like this are popping up all over Victoria, as we work with communities to become more sustainable.
Because we know the change that can happen when you put communities first.
Visit sustainability.vic.gov.au and see how we can help your community transition to a clean, circular and climate-resilient economy.
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Community Climate Change and Energy Action Program
The Community Climate Change and Energy Action program has delivered $2.96 million funding to more than 100 community projects, helping them to save $1.2 million in bills annually.
And importantly, this collective action is helping to keep 4,424 tonnes of CO2 out of our atmosphere each year.
Collective action
At Sustainability Victoria, we’re collecting stories about community action that we've supported through our grants and programs.
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