Rainwater harvesting and rooftop solar: world's greenest shopping centre could be Australian

Design competition asks architects, environmentalists and school kids to imagine a sustainable retail centre that generates energy for communities

Shopping centres are not the first thing to come to mind when thinking about sustainability. Those palaces of consumerism chewing through water and electricity, while shoppers wander along brightly-lit walkways; always buying, buying, buying.

But what if their energy usage could be slashed and they were transformed into sources of renewable energy, with solar panels on roof space and rainwater harvesting - all while making more money for retailers?