September 2026 WATERLINE | 9 FEATURE ENVIRONMENT, DECARBONISATION & SUSTAINABILITY When space is tight and manoeuvrability is key, ASCOM delivers. Our customisable solutions fit perfectly without costly marina modifications. ANOTHER NEW ASCOM BHT 75 COMMISSIONED IN TWEED HEADS, AUSTRALIA CE Certified Italian Made Machinery & Hard Stand Equipment Fully customisable machines to maximise your capabilities Scan for the project video POWERING DOWN THE FOOTPRINT PRACTICAL ENERGY STRATEGIES FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE MARINA SECTOR Marinas run pumps, lighting, security, workshops, hoists and increasingly EV and vessel charging around the clock, often on ageing infrastructure, in environmentally sensitive locations. For operators, decarbonisation is becoming a real differentiator with berth holders, insurers and councils, not just a compliance box to tick. Experience across marina operators in Australia shows the most effective sustainability strategies rarely start with a bigticket investment. They typically start with visibility, move through procurement, and only then into infrastructure. START WITH WHAT YOU CAN MEASURE Marinas are collections of many small, always-on loads, so energy use is easy to underestimate. A proper energy assessment of meter data, tariffs and peak demand usually uncovers savings that need no capital works at all. Incorrect tariffs and unmanaged demand charges are common and fixing them frees up budget for what follows. PROCURE AS A GROUP Individually, most marinas are too small to attract competitive wholesale pricing. Collectively, they represent a load retailers will compete for. Group procurement tenders have delivered real savings without asking any business to change how it operates, building headroom that later funds solar, battery and electrification work. SOLAR, STORAGE AND ELECTRIFICATION Marinas typically have daytime-heavy loads (workshops, hoists, retail tenancies) alongside constant baseline loads for security and refrigeration, making them good candidates for solar sized to daytime draw. Battery storage adds resilience as much as savings: riding through an outage is often as valuable as storing solar for later use. Sizing to actual site load matters more here than in most commercial settings. As shore power, electric tenders and EV charging become more common, marinas start to look like small-scale electricity networks. Getting tariffs and generation right first avoids bill shock later. LESSONS FROM THE FIELD • Sequencing matters: tariffs first, generation second, electrification third. • Peak demand, not total consumption, drives bills. Hoists, pumps and chargers switching on together can trigger demand charges that dwarf the energy cost itself. • Collective action beats going it alone, through group tenders and association advocacy. • Resilience is now part of the sustainability conversation. WHERE TO FROM HERE Treating energy as a strategic asset rather than a fixed cost is the shift that matters most. A straightforward tariff review is usually the lowest-risk, highest-return first move. Choice Energy works with marina operators across Australia on energy procurement, commercial solar and battery solutions, and is a proud supporter of the Marina Industries Association. For more information, contact: Alycia McCarthy | Partnerships Specialist | Choice Energy 0478 670 420 | alycia.mccarthy@choiceenergy.com.au choiceenergy.com.au
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