Sydney apartment buildings invited to go green

The City of Sydney is inviting 20 high-rise apartment buildings to join Smart Green Apartments — a free program that is intended to reduce emissions and slash utility bills.

By participating in the program, eligible buildings will receive:

• tailored energy and water assessments to identify cost-effective improvements and upgrades in common areas;
• technical support to help implement energy and water efficiency upgrades;
• a waste and recycling operational assessment with tailored solutions;
• an online platform to track and manage energy and water consumption.

City of Sydney CEO Monica Barone said apartment buildings are surprisingly energy intensive due to centralised equipment such as lifts, common area lighting, air conditioning, ventilation and other shared facilities.

“Residential apartments are responsible for around 10% of the City’s total greenhouse gas emissions, so this program gives us the opportunity to make some serious cuts,” she said.

“Simple changes like upgrading lighting, equipment tune-ups and water efficiency upgrades can save owners money and reduce carbon emissions.

“By offering apartment owners the means of reducing emissions, we can make apartment living far more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.”

A pilot of the program previously produced average savings of $25,000 per year and cut carbon emissions by 3000 tonnes. For example, Aria Apartments in Waterloo made significant cuts to bills and emissions by changing all lighting to LED, introducing new recycling stations and an e-waste bin.

Bauhaus Apartments in Pyrmont also participated in the trial, which was described by the building’s executive committee chair, Gordon Streight, as invaluable.

“The program provided a huge amount of knowledge about the building and how our resources were being used,” Streight said.

“The program’s ongoing support and networking opportunities helped us learn how other buildings tackle the same issues as we do. I would encourage other buildings to embrace the Smart Green Apartments program and leverage the experience of others across the city.”

Apartment buildings throughout the City of Sydney local government area are encouraged to apply to the program at www.smartgreenapartments.com.au.