APARTMENTS

Efficiently electrifying strata (apartments, units, townhouses).

Improving your own or shared spaces.

Units and apartments can be electrified or made more energy efficient just like stand-alone homes.

However, retrofitting shared energy systems may be more complex. As government policy in this area is still developing, it currently depends on how supportive your strata company and other owners are.

  • Emissions reduction

  • Lower energy bills

  • Better health and home comfort

BENEFITS

PLANNNING AND PRACTICALITIES

Can you work with your strata to improve shared systems? Or will you need to focus on your own space?

Improvements that can be made within your own apartment include:

  • Energy efficient home habits

  • Energy efficient appliances

  • Some energy efficient building features, like windows and window coverings

  • Electrification of gas appliances

  • Electric transport

Improvements that may require cooperation of other occupants, approval from the strata company or changes to the wider building:

  • Some efficient building features, like roof colour.

  • Rooftop solar and battery systems

  • Electrification of centralised water or space heating

  • Charging stations for electric vehicles

CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE BY YOURSELF

Cooking, heating and hot water upgrades can be made for an apartment or unit, just like a stand-alone home.

Improving the building’s thermal efficiency through installing insulation may be tricky due to shared walls, floors and roofs. However sealing draughts, upgrading curtains and blinds and installing double glazing or low- emissivity windows can all be done without strata approval. These will make your home more comfortable and improve energy efficiency. 

Smart meters allow you to track your usage and, with a Synergy Midday Saver Plan, enable you to use power-hungry appliances at a reduced rate during off peak times. No strata council approval is required.

Other easy steps to reduce your energy consumption include:

  • Installing LED lighting

  • Turning down air con settings

  • Using cold water for washing

  • Turning down the temperature setting of your hot water system

  • In summer, opening windows to get the sea breeze in the evening and closing up in the day. In winter, open windows during the day and close up at night.

See the relevant webpages for more detail.

CHANGES TO THE WIDER APARTMENT COMPLEX

Shared solar panels, batteries and EV chargers can benefit everyone but need approval from the strata company. Energy from shared systems can also power common areas.

Reforms to the Strata Titles Act that came into effect in May 2020 make it easier to install infrastructure like solar panels and charging infrastructure on common property within a strata or survey-strata scheme.

Shared energy systems can be owned by 

  • The strata company

  • Individual lot owners

  • Third parties such as energy retailers.

Retrofitting solar systems into existing buildings may require upgrading the building’s embedded networks as well as installing smart meters. 

These infrastructure upgrades will support solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage and EV rechargers.

Advice and support can be provided by specialist service providers (see New Energy Tech approved sellers). This advice will help work through the benefits, design the right system and bring a detailed, costed proposal back to a strata meeting to make a decision. 

Things to consider might include the following.

EV chargers

  • Can the building’s embedded network handle the load? 

  • Are upgrades required to the distribution board and to metering?

  • How many chargers should be installed?

  • Will it be a shared or private EV system?

  • Will the billing system work directly to credit cards (allowing for both owners and renters)?

Individual owners may want to install smart meters or private EV charging systems (if there is sufficient embedded network capacity). 

Strata council approval may be needed to install EV chargers in a common area.

Develop a formally scoped and costed plan for decision by owners, then implement. 

WORKING WITH YOUR STRATA COMPANY AND CO-OWNERS

Consult owners on progressing an equitable solution and the timing of upgrades. Consider funding through a 10-year strata energy maintenance plan. Take an initial plan and roadmap to a strata meeting for discussion and agreement. The roadmap should include amending by-laws.

If you’re trying to get strata buy-in, strata companies may want to future proof their strata, bring their energy infrastructure up to date, or respond to people asking about installing EV chargers.

Questions to consider include:

  • Who owns what - can the strata company or individual owners install a solar array, upgrade the electrical network and add EV chargers? 

  • Are upgrades proposed just for the common areas or for all buildings in the complex?

  • What is the condition and capacity of current electrical infrastructure?

  • Is there enough in the sinking fund to cover costs?

  • What improvements can individual owners make to their own places? 

Are there any changes coming down the track in terms of pricing, products or regulations eg:

  • Are there subsidies available for a full or partial electrical upgrade?

  • Have Australian Standards (and Building Regs) been updated to reduce risks and ensure new systems or appliances (esp EV chargers) comply?

How much change is involved:

  • What improvements are proposed for the strata company’s electricity network? Can these be staged and funded incrementally? 

  • Will upgrades be income generating for the strata company? 

Is your 10 year maintenance plan and reserve fund up to date?

Solar PV and battery:

  • What is the best size of PV array and battery? 

  • Is there enough roof space?

  • Is a third-party energy supplier the best solution or are there enough strata reserves for upfront costs?

  • What is the ROI (return on investment) period?

  • How will billing happen? Will owners receive a discount (as opposed to charges to renters)?

  • Are there any rebates or discounts available through your local or state government?

NEW APARTMENTS OR STRATA UNITS

New apartment buildings are required to be constructed to meet the National Construction Code for apartment energy efficiency.

The code covers requirements for thermal efficiency, energy efficiency, heating and cooling load limits, and performance requirements for EV charging and renewable energy equipment. 

Australian Building Codes Board 2023: National construction code, Apartment energy efficiency handbook.

RESOURCES

GOVERNMENT FUNDING

The Federal Government's new Household Energy Upgrades Fund can be used to electrify your home.

Find out more at: Household Energy Upgrades Fund | energy.gov.au

HELPFUL WEBSITES