How to start a renewable revolution in your apartment building
If you own an apartment, you may already be making smart environmental choices but it’s also worth thinking about common areas.
If you own an apartment, you may already be making smart environmental choices but it’s also worth thinking about common areas.
As an owner, you collectively own and manage the common areas of your apartment building, which can use up to 60% of total energy consumption.
“Large pumps, motors and fans are used to heat, cool and ventilate apartment buildings, and these can consume large volumes of energy,” says Kimberly Crawford, sustainability engagement coordinator at the City of Sydney.
“Lighting in corridors, car parks and fire stairs also use significant amounts of power.”
Traditionally, most electricity in NSW comes from coal-burning generators. By purchasing GreenPower for your common areas, you signal to the market to increase the percentage of power sourced from renewable sources – solar, wind, hydro or waste – into the grid.
In the bigger picture, you’re driving greater demand for clean energy. Purchasing GreenPower also helps grow the renewable sector, as some of the profits are invested in large-scale renewables projects.
Since its launch 20 years ago, GreenPower purchases have invested $1 billion of extra funds back to Australia's renewable energy industry. Your building can be part of this revolution.
The bigger your apartment building, the bigger its environmental impact – and the more it costs your owners corporation to run. Improving the energy efficiency of your building can offset any additional GreenPower costs. But GreenPower may not cost significantly more.
“Switching to GreenPower may not necessarily cost your owners corporation more than your existing tariff arrangement. This is because some common area electricity contracts are not on the correct tariff with their current contracts to start with,” says Kimberly.
Power is part of ongoing admin for your building, so your strata committee can switch to GreenPower without waiting for the annual general meeting.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you work with your strata committee to make the switch:
Your choices matter. Help shape a cleaner future and GreenPower your common areas today.
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