Sydney apartment block first to retrospectively install solar panels, now has half the energy bills
And the 40 residents of the small, three-storey building, who comprise tenants and students on low incomes, say this could now serve as the prototype for apartments across the country.
“Our example really shows what’s possible,” says one of the renters of an apartment in the Newtown heritage building, Sydney University neuroscience student Edie Griffin, aged 20.
Students living at Stucco pose with the building’s rooftop solar panels. Photo: Stucco
“This hasn’t been done before but it’s made a real difference to us and our bills. I usually pay a three-monthly electricity bill of about $97 and now that’s down to just $29. It’s been a really wonderful experiment.”
In December 2016, residents, with the blessing of their landlord and grants from various sources, installed 114 solar panels and 36 batteries to store solar power during peak hours when electricity prices are three to four times the off-peak cost.
Over 2017, they’ve just revealed, they saved about 55 per cent on their usual electricity bills while living at the block Stucco, paying an average of $240 a year, compared with an estimated $540 if they were still buying their power normally.
Sydney University neuroscience student Edie Griffin. Photo: Supplied
They even produced more hours of renewable energy than they could use, so they sold excess power back to the grid.
The project, a brainchild of a former resident student, Dr Bjorn Sturmberg – who came up with the idea while completing his PhD in physics about how to improve efficiency in solar cells – cost $130,000, which will pay for itself within six years.
- Related: When does solar ‘pay for itself?’
- Related: Sydney development with rooftop solar
- Related: Off-grid living as a lifestyle
“There are three main hurdles apartment buildings have to overcome if they want to do something similar,” says Dr Sturmberg, who’s now founded a social enterprise SunTenants helping other rentals go solar. “Firstly, you need enough space on your rooftop to install panels, or they can also be installed on to a façade too if you’re not overshadowed.
“Secondly, you have to get your strata committee to agree and free up some money from their funds to invest in clean energy. And thirdly, there’s the regulatory landscape which I thought would take three months to sort out, but ended up taking 18. But hopefully we’ve now set some precedents with the regulator, which will make it much easier for others following in our footsteps.”
Their system effectively set up a micro grid that all residents shared with a software system in place to keep track of how much power each unit used, to bill each apartment individually.
Dr Sturmberg says that if that’s too challenging for larger blocks, maybe they could start off by setting up a solar system just to provide electricity for common areas: lighting in car parks, foyers, lobbies and gyms, and power for lifts and to heat pools.
“With rentals, studies have shown that tenants are happy to pay higher rents in return for cheaper energy bills,” he says. “Our example has shown that Australia’s apartment sector can access clean, renewable energy, and also cut the cost of living for everyone there.”
Ms Griffin agrees. “As we’re students, we don’t have much money and this system has provided savings that have allowed us to work less and study more,” she says. “It makes living in a city so much more affordable.
“Hopefully now others can see the value of installing solar into their apartments and enjoying the savings.”