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On average, residents of highand medium-density blocks use 25 per cent more energy than those in detached dwellings, with up to 50 per cent of this energy use coming from common areas like hallways, car parks and swimming pools
Strata buildings urged to get behind energy initiative Strata and community title owners and managers are being urged to adopt an energy-saving initiative that was awarded a top prize for sustainability at the prestigious Melbourne Awards in late 2014. Smart Blocks was recognised for helping apartment owners and managers to improve the energy efficiency of common property in apartment buildings throughout Australia. On average, residents of highand medium-density blocks use 25 per cent more energy than those in detached dwellings, with up to 50 per cent of this energy use coming from common areas like hallways, car parks and swimming pools. Smart Blocks provides a groundbreaking online toolkit that equips owners and managers with the tools to work collaboratively to implement projects in the common areas of their buildings. The online project management toolkit guides participants through each
Newstead to become Victoria’s first fully renewable town Newstead will become Victoria’s first town to run on 100 per cent renewables, with the help of a $200,000 Andrews Labor Government grant announced in February by Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio. The funding will help local group Newstead 2021 develop and implement a model for supplying the town’s homes and businesses with 100 per cent renewable energy from a community-scale grid. The model will incorporate community ownership, and balance commercial viability with social equity through low prices and price protections for Newstead residents who are vulnerable to rising energy costs. Newstead 2021 has been exploring options for transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy by undertaking household energy assessments and retrofits, conducting feasibility studies into various renewable energy supply options, and preparing a technical paper on Newstead becoming an energy self-sufficient micro-grid.
step of the process, allowing users to register their building, identify relevant projects, build a business case, and prepare a case for implementation. Projects are varied, and include lighting upgrades, heating and cooling, ventilation, and solar options. Strata Community Australia (SCA) CEO Kim Henshaw says that there are big savings for strata communities throughout Australia if they adopt the Smart Blocks projects. ‘It can often be hard to make energy-efficient changes in residential strata buildings, for many reasons, such as the frustration of trying to retrofit an old building with new power-saving technologies, the difficulties of collective decision-making, and the complexity of navigating codes and by-laws. Smart Blocks takes care of these challenges, providing a clear and easy way for owners and managers to create a more sustainable and energy-efficient building,’ says Henshaw.
RETROFIT AUSTRALIA • VOLUME 4 NUMBER 1 | 2015• 7