Apartment All-Electric Living - From Shared Gas to Shared Savings!

Project Description

Apartment All-Electric Living – From Shared Gas to Shared Savings!

How a Brunswick Apartment Block Electrified and Saved Over $17,000 a Year!

The Challenge

Like many apartment buildings from the 1970s-90s, 76 Edward Street relied on an aging, shared gas hot water system. It was:

Expensive to run (over $19,000/year)
Emissions-intensive (30+ tonnes of CO₂ annually)
Prone to faults
Ill-suited for a sustainable future

The Owners Corporation wanted to eliminate gas and reduce bills—without the cost and complexity of major building upgrades or new metering systems.

The Solution: Go Where the Energy Is

Instead of trying to electrify the entire building at once, the team at All Electric Homes identified hot water as the single biggest energy user. Their targeted, holistic approach focused on upgrading just that system.

What They Installed:

25 x 475W Jinko Solar Panels
10kW GoodWe Inverter
2 x 400L Reclaim Energy CO₂ Heat Pumps
1 x 50L Finishing Tank
New metering, plumbing, and electrical setup

The new system stores hot water during the day using solar power, supplying residents with clean energy when they need it – without over-engineering the solution.

The Results: Simple, Scalable Success

Annual Savings: ~$17,944
Emissions Cut: 86%
Payback: < 2 years
System Performance: Strong across summer; stabilising data expected over 12 months
Resident Experience: Quiet, low-maintenance, and effective

“We’re now running the hot water system on solar — saving thousands a year while slashing our carbon footprint. The upgrade pays for itself in under 2 years.”
— Resident, 76 Edward Street

Lessons Learned

This project proves that electrification doesn’t have to be complex. Not every apartment block needs high-tech solar sharing systems. Many can start with shared services like hot water, especially when:

The system is centrally managed (body corporate-controlled)
It’s a high energy user (e.g., hot water or HVAC)
It can be easily solar-powered and time-shifted

Why It Matters

Apartments are often seen as “too hard” when it comes to electrification. But success stories like this prove otherwise. By taking a whole-of-system view, buildings can find smart, manageable pathways to cleaner, cheaper energy.

Ready to Electrify Your Strata Complex?

This project isn’t an exception – it’s one of many. If you’re living in or managing a strata-building and want to eliminate gas, cut costs, and reduce emissions:

📍 Start by asking: