Ash Sayers, Director at Keystone, a Melbourne strata management company, explains why residents and owners corporations often assume solar, batteries and EV chargers will be too difficult to install, or won’t be approved. This can leave potentially viable projects stuck in the too-hard basket.

If you’re OC is concerned about compliance and correct installation of EV charging the NECA (National Electrical and Communications Association) has a fact sheet on Level 1 (L1) EV charging using purpose‑built 10A/15A “Smart Plug” outlets.

Rowan was initially told he couldn’t install a hot water heat pump in his 1980s Canberra apartment.

Instead of accepting “no,” he worked with installers, engineers and his strata manager to find practical solutions that allowed him to replace gas hot water with a heat pump, improve insulation and install efficient heating and cooling.

Learn how a Chatswood apartment building installed affordable EV charging and achieved a 5-star energy rating. A video by Willoughby City Council, NSW.

This 50 year old apartment building needed a window upgrade for all 66 apartments.

The ambitious retrofit was initiated by the owners corporation. Thanks to the window installer exceeding expectations and going above and beyond during the process the community are now enjoying increased comfort and liveability.

An owners corporation in Clifton Hill has developed a savvy funding model that unlocks the capacity of owners to install double glazing whenever time and budgets allow.

At the 2024 High Life Expo, an apartment owner at 76 Edward St, Brunswick met Trent Jones, Director of All Electric Homes. Working with the owners corporation, they delivered an impressive electrification transformation that considered the whole building as a system.

As residents and government get aboard the electrification train, there are more and more Australians who don’t live in stand-alone owner-occupier housing who are interested in finding out how they too can make the switch to all-electric living.

According to Alex Zeller, the Assistant Director, Australian Energy Regulator “Compared to free standing houses, apartments stay warmer in winter by huddling together like penguins. For a number of reasons, this huddling can risk making apartments airless and damp. Due to regulatory quirks, it also means that Australian apartments have lower thermal performance than comparable international counterparts.”

Hear from Aurecon heat pump experts, plus speakers from three different sized apartment blocks across Sydney who have electrified their centralised hot water and pool heating systems. 

In this video you’ll hear from Norman Koslowski, a principal consultant at Sky High Energy Control, an independent sustainable energy consultancy for Sydney apartments and houses. He is an expert on specifying the best mix of solar and energy saving technology to reduce the cost of strata living, plus make apartments resilient to extreme climate conditions.

Never Too Small - a media company dedicated to small footprint design and living - has made some brilliant short films about Shaun’s renovation. Shaun’s $20,000 complete renovation is inspiring and includes lots of clever tips about how you can save your hard earned cash, use more sustainable materials, and improve the thermal comfort of your apartment.

Looking to improve energy efficiency or electrify your apartment or townhouse, and not sure where to start? 

In this recorded webinar, you’ll hear successes, challenges and insights from local residents who improved energy efficiency, installed solar and switched to electric appliances in apartments and townhouses. 

If you’re looking for a place to start, we recommend the Unlocking Sustainable Strata infographics. The infographics provide an overview of what’s possible in different types of buildings: Townhouses, Low-rise apartments, Medium-rise apartments, High-rise apartments.

Whether you’re a renter or have budget limitations, you still deserve an efficient, comfortable home.

These detailed slides share expert advice about making your apartment more thermally comfortable, efficient, and electric within the bounds of your rental agreement or available budget.

NABERS ratings for apartment buildings quantify your building’s energy and water performance.

NABERS gives your building a rating from one to six stars, based on the energy use of shared services such as car parks, lobbies and gyms.

The dedicated owners corporation committee in this apartment complex do more than just maintain their building, they actively enhance it and connect their community. After a hugely successful landscaping project, they started investigating opportunities to electrify, but ran into a series of major barriers.

When Shaun bought the top floor apartment of a 1980s low-rise block in 2022, it was dated, and unbearably hot on summer days. Shaun put his DIY skills and sustainability expertise to work renovating and retrofitting what is now a beautiful, comfortable, and sustainable home.

Located in the former Red Tulip building, this one-bedroom apartment was thoughtfully renovated to become an all-electric, small footprint, adaptable, and much-loved home to Natalie, Tim and their adorable dog, Bella.

This contemporary 12-unit apartment building in Melbourne’s southeast, has a single owner who installed a SolShare solar system. Now every tenant has access to on-site renewable energy. It’s a renters dream!