How to boost a strata property’s sustainability factor

How to boost a strata property’s sustainability factor

By improving your strata property’s sustainability, you can save money while also saving the environment

There’s a reason why Australians are embracing sustainability initiatives, and people are making a move to greener living. While making the switch to a more sustainable lifestyle may seem like a daunting task at first, the reality is that there are small steps you can take that will make a big impact on your environmental footprint. This is particularly true when it comes to improving your strata property’s sustainability factor.

1. Sustainable lighting options

In Australia, lighting contributes up 10 per cent of the average household’s electricity usage. You and your owners corporation may benefit from making the switch to LEDs (light-emitting diodes) or CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), especially in frequently-used common areas.

Need a little convincing? Research has shown that LED lighting may use 80 per cent less energy than regular lighting, while also reducing the cost of power bills! This is perhaps the easier way to improve your strata property’s sustainability while making your strata levies go further.

2. Renewable energy sources

Investigating renewable energy options can pay off for those who want to improve a strata property’s sustainability because using less electricity will result in financial savings.
More and more Australians are now installing photovoltaic solar panels, which use sunlight as a source of energy. If solar power isn’t right for your strata property, you may also consider options such as wind-powered energy production, solar hot water and heat pumps for improved sustainability.
Don’t forget; you will likely need to consult with your owners corporation, local council and meet legal requirements before investing in renewable energy sources.

3. Water usage

Many regions in Australia are still suffering from drought, and most urban regions across Australia’s eastern seaboard are no strangers to water restrictions. Knowing this, it’s wise to investigate how to reduce water usage when improving your strata property’s sustainability factor.

Setting up a rainwater tank is a great way to feed gardens, toilets and laundries in your strata property, while reducing valuable water collected from our reservoirs. Rainwater tanks can also reduce water bills, and they may make you eligible for incentives like local council rebates.

Individual lot owners could also investigate water-saving showerheads and water pressure-limiting devices to help improve an overall strata property’s sustainability.

4. Communal gardening initiatives

Communal gardens have been found to connect people to nature and build community connections, but it’s important to consider what type of plants are being used if your focus is improving your strata property’s sustainability. Opting for native plants is wise, as they require less water for maintenance.

That being said, veggie gardens can reduce pollution and any greenery can create natural shade and reduce the need for indoor cooling systems.

5. Recycling

There are many environmental benefits to recycling materials such as paper, glass, aluminium. Recycling dutifully is one of the easiest ways to improve your strata property’s sustainability as a whole, as it can reduce energy usage and reduce your strata property’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions too.

By making improvements to your strata property’s lighting, energy sources, water usage, gardening initiatives and recycling, you can very easily take your strata property’s sustainability factor to the next level.

Before you begin, however, remember that any plans and ideas for common areas of your strata property should be proposed to the owners corporation before any changes are made. In some instances, you may need to lodge requests to your local council.

Supporting sustainability, increasing building value, and opening doors to potential savings… that’s our passion when it comes to enhancing community living. Ask about our CommunityUtilities energy savings program or explore our various green initiatives through CommunityGreen and other related services. If you would like to learn more about improving sustainability in strata settings, you can browse our article library here.