3 sustainability programs that can help your strata community embrace sustainable living

sustainability programs for strata that can help you live greener header image

Embracing these sustainability programs for strata will also save your strata community money in the long run

It’s no surprise that the boom in high-rise living has resulted in significant pressure on water, electricity and gas consumption, as well as waste and emissions output.

As we enter an age where the planet’s longevity depends on our actions today, there is a growing need for strata communities to reduce our emissions and increase environmental sustainability.

The City of Sydney Council, one of Australia’s most active local councils in assisting apartments and office buildings to think green, has shown there is plenty of opportunity to increase a building’s efficiency. Thankfully, there are now several sustainability programs for strata communities that can help with this task. As an added bonus, many of these sustainability initiatives will help your strata community save money in the long run!

There are three sustainability programs for strata communities that will help you live greener while saving money too:

Smart Green Apartments
NABERS
WaterFix

Smart Green Apartments

As an award-winning program, Smart Green Apartments is a sustainability initiative that helps buildings become more energy-efficient and reduce their environmental and economic impact. It’s a great sustainability program for strata communities to embrace, as it helps improve sustainability and save funds through building assessments, action plans and training.

Through building assessments, action plans and training, the program helps owners improve the building’s bottom line via energy-efficient upgrades and planning.

The program shows that up to 60% of building energy usage in large residential buildings comes from common property equipment such as HVAC, lifts, pools, and lighting. The program saves $1 million in operational costs each year in total, and an average of about $57,234 per building the program has taken on so far.

NABERS

The National Australian Built Environment Rating System, which is commonly referred to as NABERS, rates the energy and water efficiency of a building’s common property and helps boost value by making energy consumption competitive and providing a report on where improvements can be made.

This sustainability program for strata apartment buildings was triggered by the longstanding office equivalent program, which has saved $870 million and 6 million tonnes of carbon emissions. The programs are run federally and rolled out locally. NABERS for office buildings is compulsory, and NABERS for residential apartments will likely become mandatory in the future too. It will be hugely beneficial for strata communities to get on the front foot and improve their rating while increasing the property’s value.

3. WaterFix

Sydney Water initiative WaterFix Strata is a simple and cost-effective way of resolving water-related issues and bringing down your property’s water costs. By getting involved in this sustainability program for strata communities, you can do your bit to help fight droughts too.

Over 87% of water usage within apartments happens within the private residence, particularly through showers. However, most apartments only have one meter for the entire property, unless the building was built after 2014. This can be a significant problem, as this setup offers a little financial incentive for occupants to reduce water usage.

WaterFix Strata looks at a buildings water history, identifies savings potentials, and provides quotes and management plans to reduce the water usage across the building by booking appointments with each apartment owner.

Once the appointments are locked in, WaterFix uses licensed plumbers to repair leaks within individual apartments and common property and install water efficiency devices across the property’s private and common areas.

While making the switch to greener living may seem like a daunting, challenging task, it doesn’t need to be that way. Getting involved with sustainability programs for strata communities, such as Smart Green Apartments, NABERS and WaterFix, can make it quite easy for your strata community to live more sustainably while saving money in the long run too.

Supporting sustainability, increasing building value, and opening doors to potential savings… that’s our passion when it comes to enhancing community living. Ask about our CommunityUtilities energy savings program or explore our various green initiatives through CommunityGreen and other related services. If you would like to learn more about improving sustainability in strata settings, you can browse our article library here.