Trialling renewable energy in shared housing

The WA Government is using the Gen Y Demonstration Housing Project, part of the WGV at White Gum Valley development, to trial the potential for shared renewable energy in strata housing.

Apartment buildings up to four to five storeys have the potential to provide all their electricity needs using solar PV panels on their rooftops, but developers for the most part have not included these in their buildings. Just a few developers are currently offering solar PV systems for apartments, but they are usually individually wiring each PV array to each dwelling or just using PVs to light common areas. This limits the potential for sharing of electricity from dwelling to dwelling or apartment to apartment, which results in less opportunity to reduce electricity bills.

Now, LandCorp is collaborating with Curtin University, the CRC for Low Carbon Living, Solar Balance, Balance Group and the CSIRO to look at how to increase the uptake of renewable energy within strata residential developments across Australia. Their work will take place at the Gen Y Demonstration Housing Project, a practical demonstration of sustainable, flexible and cost-effective dwellings to suit 21st-century living.

WA Lands Minister Terry Redman said the medium-density strata building represents an ideal opportunity to trial the shared renewables approach, which will use shared rooftop solar panels and battery storage technology to create a microgrid for residents.

“By creating a microgrid using battery storage, the building can generate and store its own power, he explained. “The tenants pay any bills to a strata company, which manages the monitoring of the system.

“Successfully harnessing solar power for strata title buildings will dramatically increase the use of renewable energy across Australia and reduce energy costs for thousands of people.”

Construction is about to begin at the Gen Y Demonstration Housing Project, which comprises three interlocking one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments on a 250 m² block.