Energy Consumption & Saving in Strata

Energy consumption plays a significant role in both costs and environmental impact in multi-unit residential buildings. For strata owners, understanding how energy is used—and how it can be saved—offers the potential for meaningful cost reductions and sustainability improvements. Whether reducing expenses in common areas or promoting energy efficiency within individual units, every step counts toward creating a more energy-efficient building.

This guide highlights strata properties’ energy challenges and outlines actionable strategies for improving efficiency.

Understanding Energy Consumption in Multi-Unit Residential Buildings

Residential strata buildings typically consume more energy than other housing types. This is due to:

• Shared spaces and common area facilities
• Services that support the entire building
• Older buildings not designed for energy efficiency

Studies show a clear relationship between building height and the proportion of energy used in shared spaces.

Common Areas of Energy Consumption

Common Spaces

• Lighting in lobbies, stairs, and hallways
• Lift operations
• Water pumping (especially in high-rise buildings)
• Air conditioning in shared areas
• Pool and spa filtration systems
• Security systems
• Carpark ventilation

Individual Units

• Hot water heating
• Space heating and cooling
• Interior lighting
• Domestic appliances (TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.)

The Importance of Energy Efficiency

Improving energy efficiency in your strata property is a crucial endeavour with far-reaching benefits. Firstly, it leads to significant cost savings by reducing utility bills for common areas and individual units.

This financial benefit is complemented by a positive environmental impact, as decreased energy consumption directly translates to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, enhancing energy efficiency serves as a form of future-proofing, protecting your property and its residents against the rising tide of electricity costs and potential carbon pricing measures.

These compelling reasons underscore the importance of implementing effective strategies for improving energy efficiency in strata properties, such as conducting energy audits, upgrading to energy-efficient systems, and engaging residents in conservation efforts.

Strategies for Improving Energy Efficiency

Establish an Energy Baseline

Before implementing changes, it’s essential to understand your current energy usage:

• Collect at least 12 months of energy data from invoices and utility reports.
• This baseline will help you measure the impact of future improvements.

Conduct an Energy Audit

A professional energy audit can identify areas for improvement:

• Assess lighting, HVAC systems, and other energy-consuming equipment.
• Identify inefficiencies and opportunities for upgrades.

Implement Energy-Saving Measures

Lighting

• Replace old bulbs with LED or other energy-efficient options.
• Install motion sensors in common areas.
• Use daylight-linked dimming systems where possible.

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning)

• Optimise temperature settings and operating hours.
• Consider installing variable speed drives on pumps and fans.
• Implement regular maintenance and tuning of HVAC systems.

Building Envelope

• Consider sustainability upgrades such as upgrades to energy-efficient windows and doors.

Renewable Energy

• Consider installing solar panels on available roof space to offset common area energy use.

Explore grants & funding available

There a many grants and funding available to receive rebates. Strata+ has a dedicated section to these under ‘green building grants’ in our resources section of the website.

Monitor and Report

• Implement a system to track energy usage and savings.
• Regularly compare current consumption to your baseline.
• Use this data to identify further opportunities for improvement.

Improving energy efficiency in your strata property is an ongoing process that requires commitment from owners, residents, and those who assist you manage your property such as building and strata managers.

Remember, every small change contributes to your building’s overall efficiency. Start with simple measures and gradually implement more complex solutions as you see the benefits of your energy-saving efforts.