Bradfield City’s First Building, a flagship development in Australia’s newest city, is setting a new benchmark for sustainable urban design by integrating living green roofs with solar energy systems. This approach is based on extensive research from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), which aims to provide a scalable model for building future cities that are more climate-resilient and energy-efficient.
The research behind this innovation, led by Dr. Peter Irga, Senior Lecturer at UTS, has recently earned global recognition. His work on biosolar technology—an approach that combines the ecological advantages of a green roof with the renewable energy generation of solar panels—won the 2025 World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) Award for Academic Work. The award highlights how the integration of green infrastructure and solar energy can offer multiple environmental and practical benefits.
Dr. Irga explains that traditional urban development has often treated green spaces and renewable energy as two unrelated goals. Their research demonstrates that merging the two is far more effective. Urban areas face increasing challenges due to heat-absorbing surfaces, intense heatwaves, rising energy use, and greater flood risks during heavy rainfall. The loss of biodiversity in cities further weakens natural ecosystems. By studying biosolar systems, Dr. Irga and his team have shown that integrated solutions can address several of these issues at once.
One of the most influential studies underpinning this award was carried out at Barangaroo in collaboration with Lendlease and the City of Sydney. The project compared a standard rooftop solar installation with a biosolar roof, offering clear, data-driven insights. The results showed that solar panels placed over a living roof generated noticeably more electricity because the plants helped keep the panels cooler. Meanwhile, the green roof reduced surface temperatures by almost 10°C, cut stormwater runoff by around 60% during major rainfall events, and created a welcoming habitat for insects and birds. According to Dr. Irga, this makes biosolar design an all-round benefit for energy, climate resilience, and urban biodiversity.
These findings are now shaping the development of Bradfield City, which is being built as Australia’s first completely new city in more than a century. The Bradfield Development Authority (BDA), a NSW Government organisation, is working with Dr. Irga’s UTS team to monitor and measure the performance of the First Building’s 1,300-square-metre native green roof. This roof incorporates biosolar features that align with the city’s goal of embedding nature-based solutions right from its initial planning phase.
Ken Morrison, CEO of the Bradfield Development Authority, emphasised that Bradfield City represents a rare chance to design a modern city with sustainability built into its foundations. While mandating biosolar roofs might seem ambitious today, Dr. Irga points out that many building features we now consider essential—such as smoke alarms and insulation—were once new ideas. As climate pressures intensify, biosolar systems may soon become just as important.
Though challenges such as higher upfront costs and slow industry adaptation remain, the long-term benefits are significant. These systems can reduce energy consumption, lower public spending on infrastructure like stormwater systems, and support better public health. Dr. Irga believes these advantages create a strong economic case for adopting biosolar technology more widely.
Australia’s leadership in this field is also supported by emerging researchers. At the same WGIN awards, UTS PhD candidate Louwen Lyu received an honorary mention for her study on improving water efficiency in green walls. Her research showed that using a low-flow drip irrigation system can conserve water while maintaining the structure’s ability to filter air effectively.
As governments and developers plan the cities of the future, evidence from UTS highlights that biosolar technology can help create cooler, greener, and more resilient urban environments. Dr. Irga notes that the research has already proven the concept and demonstrated its benefits. With projects like Bradfield City moving forward, the next step is to turn these findings into a standard feature for every new city in Australia. According to him, the question is no longer whether biosolar systems work, but how quickly they can be adopted as a mainstream solution.
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