With pressure on governments and planners to increase density in our cities and as a growing number of Australians opt for apartment living, Solar Citizens finds not enough is being done to ensure high-rise apartments are energy efficient and electrification-ready.
Solar Citizens’ new ‘Electrify Wolli Creek’ report reveals there are multiple barriers to high-rise dwellers accessing electrical vehicle charging, switching from gas to electric cooktops and hot water heating as well as installing rooftop solar. Many of these barriers can be overcome through increasing government funding and support, and by improving planning requirements for new-build apartments.
Solar Citizens CEO Heidi Lee Douglas says:
“Australia leads the world in the uptake of rooftop solar, but we are neglecting almost half a million owners and renters of high-rise apartments – most of them are missing out on the cost-of-living savings provided by rooftop solar and household electrification.
“Creating electrification pathways for high-rise apartments will deliver cheaper energy bills and huge energy emission reductions, enabling state and federal governments to meet their ambitious emission reduction targets. Not addressing these barriers will create greater emissions well into the future.”
Solar Citizens worked with a high-rise community in Wolli Creek - one of NSW’s most population-dense suburbs where 98% of residents live in an apartment building and lack access to renewable energy and clean transport.
“In 2016, we moved into a brand-new high-rise apartment in Wolli Creek and found that it would be difficult and costly to replace the gas stove with an induction cooktop, and that there were multiple barriers to installing electric vehicle charging in our parking space, or rooftop solar on a tall narrow building.” said apartment owner Carolin Wenzel.
“The recommendations in this report go a long way to addressing the barriers we have experienced at Wolli Creek. People moving into apartments nowadays expect to have access to electric vehicle charging and not to be tied to gas hot water and cooktops,” said Ms Wenzel.
“State governments should future-proof new high-rise developments and insist they include proper electrification infrastructure, without gas connections, as retro-fitting later is too complex and costly,” concluded Ms Douglas.
Solar Citizens Electrify Wolli Creek Report - key points and recommendations
An estimated 60% of Australians face barriers to accessing Consumer Energy Resources such as rooftop solar, behind-the-meter batteries and electric vehicle chargers, and are often referred to as ‘locked out households’. This includes the 1 in 10 Australians living in an apartment, the 1 in 6 living in a strata scheme, and the 1 in 3 who are renting.
The report looks into five key problem areas identified by the Wolli Creek community, and provides recommendations to address them:
- Strata and governance
- Rooftop Solar
- Understanding electrical supply
- EV charging
- Getting off gas
Strata and governance
Owners corporations and strata committees often lack the technical knowledge required to make electrification and sustainability upgrades, and are not always informed about the various programs and rebates on offer. Interpersonal relationships within a strata scheme also play a critical role in effective management and decision making. Greater support is required from all levels of government to mediate these factors and better enable strata schemes to electrify.
Key Recommendation:
- Review strata policies around renewable energy upgrades and remove barriers
Rooftop solar
In 2020, just 0.6% of strata schemes in Greater Sydney had rooftop solar compared to 21% of residential houses. The challenge of installing rooftop solar is greater for high-rise apartment buildings due to limited roof area for solar technologies relative to the number of dwellings. Other challenges include increased wind pressure at higher elevations, shading issues, higher installation costs and longer payback periods.
Key Recommendations include:
- All jurisdictions participate in the Commonwealth’s Community Solar Banks program with a specific funding stream dedicated to apartments and strata
- Community Solar Banks scheme to be expanded to include funding for batteries to be installed in apartments, with ambitious targets for solar and battery uptake
Understanding electrical supply
Apartment residents often find it difficult to access information regarding their strata scheme’s energy use and supply, which creates a barrier to installing electrification upgrades. In large buildings such as high-rise apartments, up to 60% of energy consumption comes from common areas and shared services, and around 25% of administrative fund strata levies are spent on energy bills alone.
Key Recommendation:
- Free mandatory energy assessments and independent consultations for apartments & strata
Electric Vehicle Charging
Getting approval from strata committees and owners corporations to install electric vehicle charging can be very difficult. Barriers include high installation costs which may require capital works funding; electrical or technical limitations; lack of time and skills required to make the upgrades; and increased insurance premiums due to concerns about fire risk despite a lack of evidence.
Key recommendation:
- Funding to install EV chargers in existing apartment buildings, as well as policies to ensure new apartment buildings are EV-ready
Getting off gas
Getting off gas can be a challenge for apartment residents - especially if the building has a shared hot water system, communal heating and cooling, or if they are connected to an embedded network. Gas prices in some parts of Australia were found to have tripled in the last ten years, and there is a growing body of evidence pointing to the negative health impacts of gas. More than 75% of the methane emissions produced by gas stovetops occur when they are turned off, and nitrous oxides released when cooking with gas pose a respiratory risk, especially to children and people with asthma.
Key recommendation:
- All new apartments to built without connection to gas (for hot water, cooking or heating)
Key Facts:
About half a million people living in high-rise apartments face electrification barriers such as installing rooftop solar, electric vehicle charging and switching from gas to electric cooktops and hot water heating.
While 30% of home owners have rooftop solar, less than 3% of apartment owners have access to rooftop solar.
60% of Australians face barriers to accessing rooftop solar, behind-the-meter batteries and electric vehicle chargers - including:
- 1 in 10 who live in apartments
- 1 in 6 living in strata schemes
- 1 in 3 who are renting
About us:
Solar Citizens is an independent, community-based organisation working to protect and grow renewable energy and clean transport in Australia. Our website is https://www.solarcitizens.org.au/
Contact details:
Heidi Lee Douglas, National Director 0401 092 570
Carolin Wenzel, Media Advisor 0417 668 957
