While politicians grandstand, a local community group is framing the future
Announcement posted by Blackwattle Mews 01 May 2018
Glebe, NSW, Australia - 2nd May, 2018
Background
The City of Sydney has set ambitious 2030 targets for renewable energy but they will not be achievable without the commitment of the City’s strata properties which constitute more than three-quarters of dwellings in the local government area. This picture is replicated across Australia but, to date, no established strata schemes have been able to overcome the technical and regulatory hurdles to retrofitting solar or other renewable energy.
The Blackwattle Mews Strata complex in Glebe, NSW is tackling this challenge with support from the City of Sydney. BlackwattleSolar is seeking to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, obtain savings in electricity costs and achieve simplicity in management, equity for owners and tenants in the complex’s 18 townhouses and flexibility to support emerging technologies and respond to changes in the energy marketplace.
Body
While some politicians are stuck in debate about new coal-fired power generation and preserving old and inefficient generators, a small strata community in central Sydney is working to try to ensure cheaper electricity, reduced emissions, future proofing, and electric vehicle readiness by other means.
A first amongst strata in NSW and nationally, BlackwattleSolar aims to lead the way in retrofitting a micro grid in strata complexes and delivering electric vehicle readiness. A feasibility study supported by City of Sydney has positioned BlackwattleSolar for implementation early in 2019.
Although some developers of commercial and residential properties have included renewable energy in new developments, existing strata schemes have been daunted by regulatory hurdles and the difficulty of gaining the support of their members.
The BlackwattleSolar team is working to retrofit an embedded solar network through a participative process which will model processes and policies for other strata schemes. BlackwattleSolar is working closely with the City of Sydney to help it meet its green targets and to prepare for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. The team has calculated that implementation of a minimal solar installation by half of the 74,000 strata dwellings in the City would save more than 51,000 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to a forest of 771,000 trees or taking more than 10,000 cars off the road.
About
More information about Blackwattle Mews and BlackwattleSolar is available on the project website: http://blackwattlemews.sydney/