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Australian summers often bring the perfect weather for beach trips and outdoor adventures. However, if you’re at home when it’s sweltering outside, switching on the air conditioner or fan might be the first thing you do.
In Australia, we tend to be big users of energy. According to the Residential Baseline Study for Australia 2000-2030, it was estimated that around 40% of residential energy expenses account for the average residential energy bill, closely followed by appliances and water heating.
40%
25%
23%
Energy Rating. (2022). Residential baseline study for Australia 2000-2030. https://www.energyrating.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-12/report-residential-baseline-study-for-australia-2000-2030.pdf
As the warmer months approach, energy consumption may increase in strata and body corporate properties due to higher temperatures, requiring cooling systems and more frequent appliance use. But here’s the good news: there’s a way to stay cool whilst potentially lowering costs. Implementing energy-saving practices can positively impact our communities and help keep down unnecessary strata expenses.
Whether you’re a owner or a committee member, knowing how to manage your building’s heating and cooling efficiently may be important. Additionally, promoting sustainable alternatives can positively impact your building’s overall consumption and market value. As we enter the warmer months, here are some top tips to help stay cool while keeping utilities low this summer.
Summer is the perfect time to conduct an energy assessment for your strata or body corporate building. These audits provide a comprehensive overview of your home’s utility consumption. It helps highlight any inefficiencies and provides insight into ways to reduce energy usage costs.
When looking for accredited assessors for energy ratings, government-backed initiatives like the NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) are available for owners corporations and body corporate to review the performance of common property utilities. Or property owners can use the Residential Efficiency Scorecard when sourcing ratings for individual lots.
By gaining insight into the property’s energy efficiency, owners, corporations, or body corporates can help identify areas where improvements are possible and find ways to help drive cost-saving changes that may provide long-term benefits for the entire community. When seeking an assessment for your common property utilities, it is important to discuss this with your committee first. This way, you can seek approval from the owners corporation or body corporate. Learn more about the NABERS rating for apartments below.
NABERS has helped buildings save 30-40% in electricity costs on average over 10 years.
Higher energy ratings can help improve rental income and market value.
Clearer insights into energy metering can help identify issues with billing and distribution.
Did you know that traditional halogen light bulbs can produce temperatures up to 370 degrees due to excess energy? Plus, lighting in shared areas can use up a lot of energy, especially when older lighting systems are still in use.
Switching to energy-efficient alternatives such as LED light bulbs can reduce the cost of your energy bill, decrease fire risks and heat omitted. Consider installing motion-sensor lighting in areas like stairwells, hallways, and garages. This helps minimise the usage of lights so that they are only on when needed. Remember that your owners corporation and body corporate must vote on any changes to common property before they are actioned.
LEDs use approximately 75% less energy than halogen bulbs.
LEDs last 5 to 10 times longer, reducing replacement costs and waste.
The initial cost of LEDs typically pays for itself in less than a year.
Living in a strata property has unique perks – and a pool might be one. If you have these facilities in your building, it’s always a great idea to beat the heat by taking a quick dip to cool off. Pool maintenance, is typically a shared cost covered in your levy payments, so you might as well make the most of it when the weather warms up. While pools are a fantastic community feature, they can drain energy and increase costs if not managed effectively. The main contributors to this are the pool pumps and heating systems.
However, strategies are available to mitigate the impact of these systems on your communal property’s energy expenses. For example, when it comes to pool pumps, single-speed options might be cheaper to buy. However, opting for dual, multi, or variable-speed alternatives could be more energy and cost-efficient in the long run. Also, considering eco-friendly options such as solar heating or heat pumps might help if your current heating system relies on gas or electricity. Plus, strategically utilising simple things like pool covers can also play a role in minimising energy usage by preventing heat loss.
You could save around 10 to 30% of your energy costs by reducing pool heating by 1°C.
Regular cleaning and maintaining pool filters can also help save on energy usage and costs.
Effectively utilising pool covers, solar power, and pump timers can help reduce heating costs.
Proper sealing and airflow are necessary to reduce energy consumption in the summer months. Overlooking even minor gaps around windows and doors can lead to a surge in your energy bills. Why? These areas can serve as access for hot air, forcing your air conditioning system to operate in overdrive and increase energy consumption.
To prevent hot air from entering and cooling, you can consider installing draft stoppers or weather strips for a quick and efficient solution. These small upgrades can significantly prevent unwanted draughts, helping to keep your indoor environment comfortable and potentially controlling energy costs.
However, there are two sides to this coin. Although proper sealing plays an important role in temperature control, it is equally important to maintain adequate airflow to the property. A simple way to do this is through natural ventilation, which can help improve your home’s air quality and prevent mould from growing from condensation due to humid weather. A cost-effective way to do this during the summer can involve simple steps like opening windows to maximise cooler breezes during the evening, which might help reduce your reliance on air conditioners.
Maximising cooler breezes during the evening can help reduce reliance on cooling systems.
Utilising natural ventilation is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to save energy.
Adequate sealing around windows and doors can help mitigate air leaks and lessen the strain on cooling systems.
When it comes to energy consumption, maintaining well-insulated buildings is key. This strategy is cost-effective and essential to your comfort during different weather conditions. For older strata and body corporate buildings, it is essential to check the condition of your roof and wall insulation and upgrade if necessary.
Investments such as shading and double-glazing can also play a significant role in cooling your property. This could include introducing plants, roofing insulation, double-glazing upgrades, or installing devices like awnings, shade sails, or window films. Although these upgrades may involve more time and money to seek approval and installation, the payoff in enhanced comfort, cost-savings, and property value can be worth it in the long run. All these measures block direct sunlight and heat from penetrating your building, keeping you cooler while reducing energy consumption.
Roof insulation can save up to 45% on heating and cooling costs
Energy-efficient window glazing can help reduce heating and cooling loads.
Shading can help prevent up to 90% of heat gained.
If your strata hasn’t yet tapped into the power of solar energy, there’s no better time than the sun-soaked summer to consider this. Installing rooftop panels can help generate electricity for common areas, thus reducing dependence on the grid and bringing down energy bills. Plus, this energy source can help offset the cost of running common area lighting, elevators, and HVAC systems, especially during peak sunlight hours in summer.
Plus, most Australian states and territories offer incentives or rebates, making this a viable long-term investment for sustainable savings. Getting approval from the owners corporation or body corporate is important to proceed with rooftop solar installation in strata properties. By highlighting solar energy’s financial and environmental benefits, you may be able to facilitate a collective move towards adopting solar power in your property.
Solar power can help increase property value and rental appeal.
Owners can harness government incentives for solar upgrades.
Solar upgrades can be a tax-deductible investment for landlords.
We often rely on several energy-hungry appliances, such as lights, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioning units and more. These products can account for about 25% of a home’s utility consumption.
When you’re looking to buy new appliances, investing more upfront for energy-efficient models can often translate into reduced running costs in the future. To help with your decision-making, you can use tools like the government’s energy rating calculator to compare products or look for options with higher Energy Star label ratings.
Modern appliances often consume less energy than older ones.
Energy-efficient options can typically provide better control to help reduce energy usage.
Energy-efficient systems can help enhance property value.
Installing smart meters to manage and track your utilities can help provide real-time control and monitoring of energy usage. These devices can be a valuable resource for individual lot owners and committees overseeing common property.
Smart meters serve as an information hub for valuable energy data and can drive more mindful and efficient energy practices. For instance, they enable the creation of smart schedules for heating and cooling, allowing you to optimise and limit your energy usage. Additionally, smart thermostats can control your heating or air conditioning through a Wi-Fi connection. These tools can be a great way to efficiently monitor your energy consumption and provide insight to pinpoint areas where potential savings can be made.
Smart meters can help save energy through remote automation and control capabilities.
Smart meters facilitate real-time monitoring, promoting mindful energy usage.
Smart data from these devices can help identify faults or inefficient equipment.
Plans and gardens aren’t just for aesthetics – they can play an important role in reducing heat, enhancing the property’s value, and contributing to a greener environment.
Strategic landscape design can create cooler environments in our communities by providing shade, funnel-cooling breezes, and minimising hot air through evaporation. While owners corporation and body corporate properties may not have the luxury of expansive garden space compared to standalone houses, innovative solutions such as strata green walls and roofs present an exciting alternative. If properly installed, these structures can help insulate existing buildings and provide an area for plants to grow on apartment buildings with little maintenance.
Green roofs can help solar panels increase efficiency by up to 15%.
Green roofs offer improved thermal regulation and insulation, lowering heating and cooling needs.
Landscapes and plants can help provide shading for windows during hot summer months.
Utilities is a complex area with hundreds of retailers in Australia. Knowledge truly is power – and when it comes to energy, so before you sign on the dotted line for your next energy plan, leverage the power of comparison.
Free and independent government energy price comparison tools and websites are available to assist with this process. These resources can comprehensively compare the offers, helping you discover the most beneficial and cost-effective energy deal.
Depending on your management provider, strata energy services may be available to help owners corporations, and body corporates find cost-saving opportunities for common property utilities. If you think it’s time for your strata property to look to reduce it’s common property energy bills and increase its sustainability, contact your strata manager or building manager to see what’s possible. They’ll likely be able to work with you to evaluate what is feasible and get the ball rolling on potential energy savings and a more sustainable future for your strata community.
PICA Group is taking steps to create a more sustainable future for our community. We are proud to actively participate in several national and local initiatives to improve apartment building sustainability. Ask about our CommunityUtilities energy savings program or explore our various green initiatives through CommunityGreen. Are you looking for specialised strata expertise to help your building support sustainability, increase building value, and open doors to potential savings?
Through our previous CommunityUtilities expense reduction programs, we helped customers from select branches save more than $5.5 million in electricity and gas charges over three years for schemes considered medium to low-energy users. The highest saving we achieved for a single scheme was $41,000 per year.
We are proud to participate in several national and local initiatives through CommunityGreen. Through these strategic partnerships, we can help owners corporation, and body corporates support sustainability, increasing building value, and potentially unlocking savings.
Before renewing your agreement, take a moment to compare your options. Our quick and easy form can be completed in less than 30 seconds.
With the right planning and action, strata owners and committee members can reduce energy consumption and lower bills this summer. From simple fixes like improving ventilation and servicing air conditioners to larger investments like solar panels and energy-efficient lighting, every step contributes to a more cost-effective and sustainable strata property.
To learn more about our services, click here for a free assessment.
This article is edited by Lauren Shaw Regional General Manager and Licensee-in-Charge on August 2024.
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