1) Deeper Dive on NatHERS Rating (Thermal rating out of 10 stars)
Since introduction in 2022, most new homes have to have a minimum 7 star rating. 10 stars is extremely efficient.
A 7 Star rated home can still need 32MJ per square metre as a cooling load.  A 7.8 Star rated home may only need 16MJ per square metre as a cooling load (from air conditioning) as the scale isn't linear. An 8-star home uses half as much energy as a 6 star home.

Lack of shading over eastern or western windows/doors can be a culprit in terms of thermal performance of apartments. Factors such as orientation, glazing and shading, insulation levels, and access to cross-ventilation – all  fundamentally shape comfort and energy use. 

With seven out of 10 established homes having an estimated rating below 3 stars there is large potential for improvement.  

In the ACT which has had mandatory disclosure for over 20 years, ACT scheme found that the price premium for a 6-star house over a 3-star one was 2.4 per cent and that for a 7-star house it was 9.4 per cent.
​
2) Deeper Dive on NatHERS Whole of Home Rating (out of 100 points)
A NatHERS Whole of Home rating assesses the energy performance of a dwelling’s fixed appliances and onsite energy generation, resulting in a score out of 100 (or up to 150). It complements the thermal star rating by measuring energy used for heating, cooling, hot water, lighting, pool/spa pumps, and cooking, alongside solar and battery storage. 

Key components involved in a Whole of Home assessment include:

• Appliance Efficiency: Evaluation of heating, cooling, and hot water systems for energy efficiency.
• Lighting & Power: Analysis of fixed lighting and other fixed electrical appliances.
• Onsite Generation: Calculation of solar PV generation and battery storage capability. In the apartment context use of Allume Energy Solshare for shared solar and batteries or individual solar systems for townhouses would contribute towards this.
• Energy Budget: Used to demonstrate compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC) for new homes, aiming to reduce energy costs.
• Rating Scope: The assessment measures the energy value of the home, helping to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption.
• Software & Assessment: Accredited assessors use specialized software to calculate the rating, which is often combined with a 7-star thermal rating.

3) Deeper Dive on NABERS for Apartment Buildings Ratings

NABERS for Apartment Buildings rating measures the actual operational performance of a building’s common property. It tracks how much energy and water are consumed by the services shared by all residents. 

Core Coverage Areas
The rating typically covers utilities paid for by the owners corporation: 

• Energy: Measures consumption from shared facilities including lifts, lobby lighting, car park ventilation, gyms, and pools.
• Water: Can include shared water use only (e.g., gardens and pools) or all water use in the building, depending on the available metering and owner preference.

Key Features

• Performance Scale: Buildings are rated from 1 to 6 stars, where 3 stars is the market average and 6 stars represents a market-leading, highly efficient building.
• Operational Focus: Unlike design-based ratings, this requires 12 months of historical data (utility bills) to reflect real-world usage.
• Validity: Ratings are valid for 12 months to ensure they reflect current management practices and equipment performance.
• Exclusions: It specifically excludes the energy and water used inside individual apartments. Currently, gas-powered central hot water systems are also often excluded due to data availability issues. 
  
  

Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for a NABERS rating, an apartment building must have:

• At least four apartments.
• At least two floors. e.g. vertically stacked apartments
• A registered strata plan.

​There is a renewable energy indicator which shows how much energy is generated from renewable resources.
​
The fact that a NABERS for Apartment Buildings rating has been completed, is often used as a leading indicator of the strata building being a proactive and front-leaning strata scheme which has overcome major remediation issues and is looking towards futureproofing the apartment building.

​Decarbonising apartment buildings is significantly more complex than detached housing due to the split incentive problem: landlords often pay for upgrades while tenants reap the energy savings, or owners corporations struggle to reach a consensus on shared capital expenditure. 

To address this at a federal level, the Australian Government can move beyond simple rebates and focus on structural, financial, and regulatory shifts.

1. Financial Incentives & Tax Reform
The federal government has the unique power to alter the financial attractiveness of these upgrades through the tax system.

• Accelerated Depreciation: Allow landlords to instantly write off the cost of installing heat pumps, induction cooktops, or EV chargers in rental apartments.
• Green Loans for Strata: Expand the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to provide low-interest, long-term strata loans. These would allow Owners Corporations (OCs) to borrow for solar and batteries with much more attractive interest rates than are currently afforded to strata via unsecured lending. This was trialled with Brighte in the ACT in conjunction with a solar for apartments program and CEFC has work in progress with Lannock Strata finance in NSW. However, the strata loans need to be made more accessible and from a number of providers across all states and territories.
• Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Exemptions: Extend FBT exemptions (similar to those for electric vehicles) to include the installation of home EV charging infrastructure in multi-unit dwellings. 

2. Regulatory Alignment & National Standards
While building codes are often state-based, the Federal Government leads the National Construction Code (NCC). 

• Mandatory Minimum Standards: Update the NCC to require all existing buildings undergoing significant renovations to meet "EV-ready" standards (e.g., ensuring the switchboard can handle the load).
• Uniform Right to Charge: Create a federal framework that prevents Owners Corporations from unreasonably refusing an owner’s request to install an EV charger or solar connection, harmonising the currently fragmented state laws.
• Solar Sharing Standards: Incentivise the rollout of shared solar for apartments (e.g. Allume Energy Solar Sharing). Germany uses a tenant electricity surcharge where landlords receive a statutory bonus for selling rooftop solar power directly to their tenants at a rate lower than the grid. 
• Revisit "embedded networks" market regulation to protect consumers while encouraging investment. Can embedded network regulation be simplified to allow smaller strata schemes (e.g. under 60 lots) to retrofit embedded networks with billing and administration providers who are NOT also selling energy to the lot owners/common areas creating a conflict of interest? An article on recent embedded network updates in NSW is here. 
• Remove Red tape to allow Balcony Solar systems. Following over 1 million of these portable balcony solar systems being installed in Germany and rollout across Europe, Utah (U.S.) etc Australia should enact the legislation and regulations to make this easy. It will help renters access renewable energy for the first time. A podcast on the SwitchedON podcast on Balcony Solar is here. An article on Renew Economy is here.

3. Targeted Grant Programs
The $1.7 billion Energy Upgrades for Australian Homes package is a start, but it could be expanded specifically for high-density living rather than it's initial target of low income/social housing upgrades. 

• Electrification Concierge Services: Fund a national Strata Energy Advisor program. Most Owners Corporations fail to electrify because the technical complexity is too high; a federal grant could pay for the initial feasibility audits and engineering reports.
• The Gas-Free Bonus: Provide direct federal subsidies for the decommissioning of central gas hot water systems in favor of commercial-grade communal heat pumps. This needs to be coupled with resources to help Owners Corporation navigate disconnection from gas distribution monopolies where present (e.g. Jemena). Saul Griffith's Rewiring Australia estimates that there is a $7bn barrier to getting off gas at the present time. 

4. Addressing the Split Incentive
To get landlords to care about induction cooktops and insulation:

• Star Ratings for Rentals: Implement a mandatory federal energy efficiency disclosure scheme for all rental properties (e.g. using NatHERS). If a landlord can’t lease a 1-star apartment, they are incentivised to upgrade to 3-stars to attract tenants. The UK has a "no rating, no rent" policy.
• Modernisation Surcharges on Rent. German tenancy law allows landlords to increase annual rent by a percentage of the costs incurred for energy-efficiency modernisations. This gives landlords a direct path to recover capital spent on heat pumps or insulation, provided the tenant's energy bills are expected to drop.
• Solar for Renters: Offer a federal tax credit to landlords who install solar and batteries and pass a portion of those savings on to the tenant.

While some states have led the way with targeted grants, most current incentives are designed for detached, owner-occupied homes. Below is a summary of the existing landscape in key states and where federal gaps remain most prominent.

Prominent Federal Gaps
Despite these state efforts, several critical "valleys of death" exist where federal intervention is needed to achieve national scale: 

• Lack of Common Property Financing: Most state rebates (like VIC's Solar for Rentals) target individual units. There is a massive gap for Owners Corporations to fund building-wide upgrades (e.g., central heat pumps or large-scale batteries) because they cannot easily access consumer-style low-interest loans. Rewiring Australia has called for a HECS style loan system for solar energy secured against the property rather than the owner.
• The Rental Induction Barrier: While Victoria offers a small $140 rebate for induction, it doesn't cover the high cost of electrical work (upgrading circuits). Federal Instant Asset Write-offs would be a more powerful tool for landlords than small, state-based rebates.
• EV Retrofitting Standards: NSW's strata EV grant was highly successful but has closed ($10m funding). No national mandate or ongoing funding exists to ensure existing apartment switchboards are "EV-ready," creating a future bottleneck as EV adoption grows. ARENA has funded $1.6m for Nox Energy to provide a trial of 2,000 low power QR code activated power outlets for EV charging in strata. Case study is here. This should be expanded to an industry wide subsidy program across multiple vendors.
• Mandatory Disclosure: There is currently no national requirement to disclose the energy efficiency of an apartment at the point of lease or sale (similar to the mandatory star ratings in the ACT). Without this, landlords have no market incentive to invest in electrification.

Contributor
Brent Clark
CEO and Founder, Wattblock

1. Financial Support and Incentives
Councils can bridge the "cost concern" gap by providing direct financial assistance:

• Sustainability Rebates: Offer targeted rebates for common property upgrades like meter panel upgrades, heat pumps, or shared EV charging stations.
• Financing Partnerships: Partner with organizations like Sydney Water for programs like WaterFix® Strata, which often allows for "no upfront cost" repairs funded by the resulting water savings. Assist strata schemes to navigate “funding options” which can include strata loans, energy leasing and power purchase agreements
• Grant Navigation: Assist strata committees in applying for large state and federal grants, such as the Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) grant, which can cover up to 50% of installation costs. 

2. Specialized Technical Assistance
To address "technical and physical constraints," councils can provide expert guidance:

• Free Energy Audits: Fund professional assessments to benchmark a building's performance (e.g., using NABERS for Apartments) and identify specific areas for high-impact improvement.
• Expert Consulting Services: Initiatives like Lane Cove's "Ask a Sustainability Expert" provide free, independent advice in a zoom environment for short periods of 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
• Solar for Strata Audits of entire LGA: Provide pre-screening of all the rooftop solar opportunities on stratas in an LGA, helping committees understand their roof's potential before they commit to deeper levels of engagement with council programs e.g. dedicated solar feasibility studies or solar/battery feasibility studies. A blog on "LGA wide" solar for strata audits is here. 
• Funding Options. Help strata schemes navigate the best way to pay for upgrades from capital works fund, special levies, strata loans, energy leasing, power purchase agreements, community solar trusts etc without providing 'financial advice' or 'tax advice' which is subject to regulation
• Motions and By-Law frameworks. Help strata schemes with setting the 'frameworks' for motions and by-laws without providing formal 'legal advice'.

​
3. Education and Awareness
To move beyond "already-engaged owners," councils can broaden their outreach:

• Knowledge-Sharing Networks: Create networking groups (like the Electrify Strata Whatsapp Group) where strata managers, owners and industry professionals can troubleshoot and share success stories. Join the Electrify Strata whatsapp group here.
• Self-paced training. Online training courses can have "optional" quizzes at the end, where the strata committee member can get their results and have a coaching session on their results. Example courses are: Solar Readiness for Strata online training course. EV Charging Readiness for Strata online training course.
• Multilingual Communications: Ensure program materials and resident guides are available in multiple languages to include all residents
• Educational Workshops: Run free face to face community workshops on topics like composting, waste reduction, and the new "sustainability infrastructure" laws that make sustainability a compliance issue at each AGM
• Video/Webinar training material grouped by topic.

4. Policy and Regulatory Facilitation
Councils can use their regulatory role to lower barriers:

• Streamlined Approvals: Simplify the development application (DA) process for sustainable infrastructure, such as solar arrays or battery storage on common property. Provide access to complying development certificate “certifiers” to make it easy for the Owners Corporation to engage with them e.g. installing a battery > 20kWh
• Heritage Constraints. Provide a conduit from the sustainability team into the planning team which handles heritage applications, rather than dropping the strata committee member and letting them battle their way through to get heritage information themselves. e.g. remove 'siloed' thinking within council.

5. Rewards and Recognition

• Annual Awards Evening. Provide a range of awards to recognise sustainability achievement throughout the year. Awards for strata schemes which do something innovative that hasn’t been done before, strata committees who achieve the biggest improvements, strata managers which support the strata committees and facilities managers which support the strata committees. The “Strata Sustainability Champion of the Year” could go to a strata committee member, strata manager or facilities manager.
• Online map of strata sustainability achievements. Give kudos to specific strata schemes which have installed things such as solar, batteries, heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure etc See the City of Sydney Electrify Strata map.

Just a few thoughts to help lower the cost to council of carbon emissions reduced across the residential strata segment for local council sustainability teams in 2026.

Contributor:
Brent Clark
​CEO, Wattblock

135 solar installers across Australia interested in doing strata installs can be searched and viewed on the Electrify Strata Installer Directory on google maps here. The Top 50 solar installers for strata list is below. A more in depth summary of the Top 30 Solar installers for strata in NSW with links to references can be found at the bottom of the page.

To discuss solar with over 250 other strata electrification enthusiasts, feel free to join the Electrify Strata Whatsapp group here.

​Note: Wattblock does not receive any commissions or kickbacks from any of the solar installers on this list.

1) Jusaso. Allume Energy accreditation. 
2) Atlas Renewables. Allume Energy accreditation. 
3) Solahart. Allume Energy Accreditation.​​ Since 29th Jan 2026 Solahart have been declining new opportunities in Sydney due to their team being at full capacity on strata delivery projects.
4) Energus. Allume Energy accreditation. Currently working out their Home Building Warranty Insurance.
5) Sydney Solar Group (Brighter Sparks Electrical). Allume Energy Accreditation.   
6) Todae Solar. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
7) Solar Energy Enterprises. Allume Energy accreditation
8) ​Joomi. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
9) RK Solar & Consulting Service. Allume Energy Accreditation.
10) 1Komma5. Allume Energy Accreditation.​​ 
11) Plum Electrical. Allume Energy Accreditation. Victoria.
12) Guwing Green. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
13) Solai. Allume Energy Accreditation.
14) MyEnergyGroup . Allume Energy accreditation
15) Soltek. Also does heat pumps. Not accredited for Allume Energy Solshare. Not quoting NSW SoAR.
16) ​Elite Power Group (Newcastle). Allume Energy accreditation.  
17) Energy Culture. Allume Energy accreditation.
18) Good Earth Group. Allume Energy accreditation. Also does heat pumps. 
19)  Green.com.au. Allume Energy Accreditation.  
20) 4EVA Energy. Allume Energy Accreditation. Will quote Wollongong as well as Sydney metro.
21) SolarBC. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
22) Solar Australia. Allume Energy Accreditation
23) Onepower. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
24) New Ability Energy. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
25) Solarbase. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
26) Solarhub. Allume Energy Accreditation.  ACT based but also operating in NSW. 
27) Sunair. Allume Energy Accreditation. Central Coast.
28) Wattle Powr. Allume Energy Accreditation 
29) Cyanergy. Allume Energy Accreditation 
30) Bright Future Energy. Allume Energy Accreditation.
31)  Solar Merchants. (Victoria). Allume Energy Accreditation.
32) Infinite Electrical. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
​33) Venus Energy (South Australia)
34) AHE Group
35) Eastern Suburbs Solar
36) Lynton Electrical
37) Energy Locals
38) Greenpeak Energy. (Victoria). Allume Energy Accreditation. 
39) Specialised Solar and Electrical (Victoria). Allume Energy Accreditation. 
40) Smart Energy Group. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
41) OneAu Energy (Queensland).
42) Natural Solar 
43) Solargain. Allume Energy Accreditation.
44) Home and Energy (Queensland)
45) RACV Solar. (Victoria). Allume Energy Accreditation. 
46) The Green Guys
47) Smart Commercial Solar. Allume Energy Accreditation. Not quoting NSW SoAR grant. 
48) Energy Australia
49) Service Heroes
50) e-Smart Solar. Allume Energy Accreditation 
51) Easy Being Green. Allume Energy Accreditation. 
52) AGL Energy 
53) Solarpro. Allume Energy Accreditation. Currently declining to quote for strata. 
54) Bare Energy. Allume Energy Accreditation. Business undergoing restructuring.
55) Sungen . Allume Energy Accreditation.
56) Beyond Solar. Allume Energy accreditation.​

If you are a solar installer and would like to move up the list, please send us through your case studies and we will continue to update the list.

For the Top 30 Solar Installers for Strata in NSW we have further information below:

 Note: to check if an individual solar installer is Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredited search for them here. This was formerly known as Clean Energy Council (CEC) accredited.
Note: To check the year of incorporation of their business search for them on ABN Lookup here.
Note: To check if the solar installer has an unrestricted electrical license in NSW search for them here
Note: To check if a solar/battery installer is a New Energy Tech Approved Seller search for them here.

Other Resources:
​​Strata Committee Members Talking About Electrification - view the playlist on youtube here.
Our article on the NSW government Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) rebate is here.
Our Solar Readiness for strata online training course is here
We have posted over 40 videos on solar for strata here
See where over 1,600 strata buildings in 29 local government areas of Sydney have installed solar at ElectrifyStrata.
A list of government rebates and incentives which are applicable to strata schemes are here.
Sydney apartment buildings which have installed Allume Energy Solar Sharing systems can be found here.
​A map of over 20 residential buildings with Allume Energy installed in Sydney is here.
​Sydney apartment buildings which have installed batteries can be found here.
Our material for individual townhouses or apartments in strata wanting to do solar is here.
Our Balcony Solar for Individual Apartments connecting to internal apartment sub-board kit is here.
Our EV Charging Readiness for Strata online training course is here.
We have posted over 30 videos on EV Charging in strata here.
​Top 70 EV Charging Installers for Strata are here.
Top 13 Heat Pump Installers for Strata are here.​
A video on Beautiful Heat Pump Installs for Sydney strata buildings is here.

If you would like assistance from Wattblock, then you can browse our services here.

Navigating solar for strata can be a slow, building-by-building grind that leaves many owners in the dark.
By shifting to a Local Government Area (LGA) wide audit, councils can move from reactive "one-off" assistance to a proactive, data-driven transformation.

Why the "All-at-Once" Approach Wins
A precise audit of every strata in an LGA provides instant transparency that individual sustainability reports or solar feasibility studies can't match.

• Zero-Barrier Entry: Owners don't have to "apply" for an estimate; the data is already there, showing them exactly what they are missing out on.
• Scale and Benchmarking: Councils can identify "high-potential" buildings—those with the largest roofs and highest savings—prioritising them for targeted outreach. For example a local council can reach out to a Top 100 set of strata solar candidates which have already been assessed by a qualified solar engineer 
• Collective Knowledge Sharing: Data on hundreds of buildings allows the council to facilitate getting know-how to strata committee members and facilitating peer support across different strata committee silos. e.g. using a whatsapp subgroup in a community such as Electrify Strata. Seeing where other nearby strata solar installs are located on a google map.  Providing a summary report on a webpage for each strata building.

​Superior Data for Better Decisions
Individual estimates often lack the "big picture" context that an LGA-wide audit provides.

 Driving Real Climate Action
Traditional programs often only help the "early adopters"—committees already motivated enough to seek help.

• Total Emissions Mapping: An LGA audit allows councils to track and report on the total carbon reduction potential across the entire region.
• Equitable Access: It identifies opportunities for common area solar, shared solar and individual solar systems, ensuring low-income residents aren't left behind.
• Future-Proofing: Councils can plan infrastructure (like EV charging) based on the combined solar capacity of their entire strata stock.

Individual estimates are like trying to solve a puzzle one piece at a time. An LGA-wide solar audit provides the complete picture, empowering every strata committee with the financial and environmental data they need to say "yes" to solar today.

​Listen to an Inner West council renewable energy innovation officer speak about how Wattblock assisted their council to do Australia's first Solar Strata audit here.

Before you know it, you will be sending an email to the Secretary of the strata scheme such as the following:

​Subject: Solar Savings Report: [Strata Plan Number] – Potential for $[Insert Annual Savings] in Annual Savings 

Dear Strata Committee Members,
As part of [Council Name]’s commitment to reducing local energy costs and carbon emissions, we have conducted a comprehensive solar audit of every strata building in our local government area. 

We are pleased to provide the preliminary Solar Feasibility Estimate for [Strata Plan Number/Address]. Our data-driven analysis indicates that your building is an excellent candidate for solar.
The Opportunity at a Glance:

• Estimated Annual Savings: $[Insert Amount]
• Total System Cost (Estimated): $[Insert Amount]
• Payback Period: [Insert Number] Years
• Carbon Emissions Reduction: [Insert Amount] Tonnes of CO2 per year

Why Consider Solar Now?

• Lower Levies: Solar can significantly reduce electricity costs for common areas (lighting, lifts, and pools), directly lowering your owner's corporation's operating expenses.
• Increase Property Value: Buildings with high energy efficiency ratings are more attractive to eco-conscious buyers and renters.
• Simplified Voting: Recent changes in Strata Schemes Management legislation make it easier for committees to pass "sustainability infrastructure resolutions" with only a 50% majority vote. 

Next Steps
To help you act on this data, Council is offering the following support:

1. Detailed Report: [Link to Apply for a spot in an upcoming strata program].
2. Expert Webinar: Join us on [Date] for a session on navigating solar for strata.
3. Supplier List: Access a list of solar installers experienced in complex strata installations.
4. Solar for Strata Training: Take a solar for strata quiz and test your knowledge out here
5. Videos: Watch videos of other strata committee members who have been there and done it here
6. Discuss: Join a chat group of like-minded strata solar enthusiasts and learn here.
   

Let’s unlock the energy potential of your roof.

Kind regards,
[Name]
[Title, e.g., Sustainability Officer]
[Council Name]

A presentation on all the grants and rebates applicable to NSW strata schemes updated at January 2026 is here.
A webinar recorded by North Sydney council on all the grants and rebates applicable to NSW strata is here.
​If you are a NSW strata scheme and want to use a free 5 minute sustainability compliance form to assist you with meeting your annual sustainability compliance requirements (effective 1st July 2025) the link is here.

1) Australian Government Clean Energy Regulator
Small-Scale Technology Certificates
https://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Scheme-participants-and-industry/Agents-and-installers/Small-scale-technology-certificates
Applicable to strata schemes installing solar or heat pumps for hot water. Incentive is quoted net in the price of solar from solar installers which are Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredited. (This was formerly known as Clean Energy Council or CEC accredited).

1A) Federal "Cheaper Home Batteries" 
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate launched on 1st July 2025 and supersedes the previous NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) battery rebate which is now discontinued. This national initiative offers substantial upfront discounts on eligible home battery installations, aiming to accelerate battery adoption and enhance energy grid stability. The rebate is administered through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) via Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). These certificates are typically traded by installers to provide an upfront discount on the battery installation cost. The rebate is available to batteries between 5kWh and 100kWh of nominal capacity, however the rebate only applies to the first 50kWh of usable capacity. For example, an 80kWh battery is eligible for this rebate, however the STCs are only calculated on the first 50kWh of capacity. There is $0 rebate for batteries which are larger than 100kWh. The value of the rebate will be approximately $372 per usable kWh in 2025, equating to a 30–40% discount on battery costs. However, in December the federal government announced that from May 2026 the rebate will stay the same for batteries up to 14kWh but reduce Batteries sized between 14 kWh and 28 kWh will get 60 per cent of the original discount, while batteries between 28 kWh and 50 kWh will get 15 per cent of the original discount.The rebate value will decrease annually until the program concludes in 2030. To qualify for the rebate, the battery system must be Virtual Power Plant capable, be installed alongside a new or existing rooftop solar PV system, be carried out by a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredited installer, and both the battery and inverter must be listed on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved product list. There is a limit of one rebate per property.  Examples of batteries which are eligible are Tesla Powerwall 3, Tesla Powerwall 2, BYD, Energizer, Enphase, Genz, Goodwe, iStore, Powerplus, SolaX, Sungrow, Zenaji, SolarEdge, Sonnen, Eguana, Fimer, Soltaro, Sunpower, Varta, Bluetti, SigenStor and Lavo (Hydrogen). You also have to use a 'certified installer' and sign a nomination form and give this to the certified installer.

Further information can be found at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries 
​
2) NSW Climate and Energy Action
Energy Savings Scheme (ESS)
https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/nsw-plans-and-progress/regulation-and-policy/energy-security-safeguard/energy-savings-scheme
Incentive for upgrading fluorescent and halogen lighting in common areas to LED lighting is winding down in March 2026. This scheme will still apply to conversion of carpark ventilation fans to carbon monoxide sensor system. Applies to retrofit of gas hot water system to electric heat pump. (Possibility to double dip on heat pumps and get Federal STC incentive and NSW ESS incentive). Energy Saving Certificates (ESC’s) are colloquially known as “eskies”.

3) NSW Climate and Energy Action
Home Energy Efficiency Rebate (HEER)
https://www.energysustainabilityschemes.nsw.gov.au/Home/About-ESS/Energy-savings-calculation-methods/Home-Energy-Efficiency-Retrofits
Applies to halogen downlight upgrades and fluorescent light upgrades. (Cannot be claimed in conjunction with NSW ESS)

4) NSW Climate and Energy Action
Making your strata building EV ready
https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry/programs-grants-and-schemes/electric-vehicles/electric-vehicle-ready/strata#the-5-steps-to-ev-readiness
and a Building EV Charging Costing Tool (calculator)
https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry/programs-grants-and-schemes/electric-vehicles/electric-vehicle-ready/building
Sample survey templates, by-laws for strata buildings and 5 step process

5) NSW Climate and Energy Action EV Charging Infrastructure Co-funding for Strata Schemes - CLOSED 
$10m funding to be distributed towards EV Charging Feasibility studies and EV charging infrastructure implementations. Up to $80,000 per strata building is available until funds run out.  An enquiry was made of the NSW government in a public setting in July 2025 if this would open for a further round and the NSW government said there are no plans to re-open it. However, the NSW government is distributing some funds out to local councils for local council programs to subsidize low power ev charging in strata.

For approximately 100 strata schemes in NSW they received the following:
1) EV charging Feasibility study (>$2,000 ex GST) from an independent consultant, the NSW government may refund any cost already incurred by you above $2,000 ex GST.
More information in the guidelines here

2) Co-funding of EV charging infrastructure costs up to 80% of the total cost and up to $80,000 ex GST
To be eligible, a strata building of 40 units or less should have less than 4 ev chargepoints already installed, or an apartment building with over 40 units should have less than 10% of carspaces enabled for EV charging. Read the funding guidelines here.

https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry/programs-grants-and-schemes/electric-vehicles/electric-vehicle-ready

3) Co-funding 50% of ongoing EV charging software subscriptions costs for 2 years capped at $1,200 per year (in return for sharing data with the NSW government on the number of EV charging sessions in your building) 

5A) NSW Government Battery Rebate - DISCONTINUED IN JUNE 2025 EXCEPT FOR VIRTUAL POWERPLANT INCENTIVE AS IT WAS SUPERSEDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT "CHEAPER HOME BATTERIES" REBATE
This battery rebate was launched on the 1st November 2024 and was part of the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) being run by the NSW government. It was only relevant to batteries where the battery size was between 2kWh and 28kWh. There was $0 rebate for batteries which were larger than 28kWh. The exact value of the rebate fluctuates in a tradeable market similar to the NSW Energy Saving Scheme ESC certificates, except these are called Peak Demand Reduction Certificates (PRC's). Examples of batteries which are eligible are Tesla Powerwall 3, Tesla Powerwall 2, BYD, Energizer, Enphase, Genz, Goodwe, iStore, Powerplus, SolaX, Sungrow, Zenaji, SolarEdge, Sonnen, Eguana, Fimer, Soltaro, Sunpower, Varta, Bluetti, SigenStor and Lavo (Hydrogen). You also had to use a 'certified installer' and sign a nomination form and give this to the certified installer. The size of the rebate was dependent on the size of the battery and the postcode. For example, a same sized battery installed in Wagga Wagga would have gotten a higher rebate than the same sized battery installed in the northshore of Sydney.
Typically there was a $1,600-$2,400 rebate upfront on the battery.
Also, if the battery was connected to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) you were also entitled to a rebate of $250 to $400. The VPP rebate could be claimed twice, but the timing of each claim had to be 3 years apart. This incentive for connecting the battery to the Virtual Power Plant has been increased since 1st July 2025, even though the rebate on the battery has been discontinued. See 5B below.
www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/rebates-grants-and-schemes/household-energy-saving-upgrades/install-battery

5B) NSW Government Connect Your Battery to a Virtual Power Plant
This will almost double the upfront incentive you’ll receive compared to the previous incentive from the NSW government launched in November 2024 if you connect your battery to a Virtual Power Plant. For example, the payment you receive for connecting a 27 kWh battery to a Virtual Power Plant has the potential to increase from up to $800 before 1 July 2025, to up to $1,500 from 1 July 2025.

www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/rebates-grants-and-schemes/household-energy-saving-upgrades/connect-your-battery-virtual

5C) Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) Rebate
This is a limited time 50% rebate on solar which shares into the individual apartments in strata. Due to some exclusions it is usually about a 43% rebate, on the amount after you take off the federal STC rebate.

Read our article here as this has a lot of conditions.

​Possibly over 1500 applicants have subscribed for Stage 1 of this program. There is a two step grant application process and then, if successful, the rebate is paid out in 3 instalments during the project.

Some worked examples to assist with completing a Stage 2 application are here.

6) Sydney Water
Waterfix
Obligation free remote assessment if you send your water bill.
https://www.sydneywater.com.au/your-home/helping-you-save-water/waterfix-strata/request-a-waterfix-strata-assessment.html


7) City of Sydney
Smart Green Apartments
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/environmental-support-funding/smart-green-apartments
Green Building Grants
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/environmental-support-funding/green-building-grants
Assisted over 220 apartment buildings. Up to $15,000 funding per strata for sustainability assessments, EV charging reports or NABERS for Apartment Buildings Ratings.
Innovation and Ideas Grant
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cultural-support-funding/innovation-and-ideas-grant
$10,000-$50,000 per year up to 3 years. Up to $5,000 to one time capital funding.


8) North Sydney Council
Futureproofing Apartments Program
https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/home-improvements-maintenance/futureproofing-apartments
Assisted over 280 strata buildings with sustainability assessments over four consecutive rounds

Rebates of up to $5,000 for strata buildings:
Solar: 20% up to $5,000
Solar Healthcheck (for existing solar systems): 50% up to $200 by licensed electrician
Battery: 20% up to $5,000
EV Charger: 25% up to $5,000
Hot Water Heat Pumps: 25% up to $5,000 
Insulation: 25% up to $2,000
Rainwater Tank: 25% up to $2,000
Sydney Water Waterfix:  25% up to $2,000
Lighting: 25% up to $5,000 
Pool Pump: 50% up to $250
Switchboard or Meterboard upgrade in strata up to 20 lots to support solar or EV charging: 20% up to $5,000
Energy Efficient Windows: 20% up to $5,000
​Further information:
https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/homepage/174/sustainability-rebates 

9)Inner West Council
​Inner West council offers a free energy advice program for local residents here. Caution: the free energy advice program funnels participants towards a 'favoured' list of installers for things like solar, batteries, heat pumps, EV charging etc. To perform unbiased self-directed research on installers, you may want to try these Wattblock lists:
Solar Installers List for Strata
EV Charging Installers for Strata
Heat Pump Installers List for Strata

Go Solar for Strata (CLOSED)
https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/live/environment-and-sustainability/at-home/go-solar/solar-for-apartments-and-townhouses/go-solar-for-strata
Pre-vetted map of over 200 strata buildings in the LGA which are good solar candidates is here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1idF1cCvyHhm2bEv3q13obKtIBY0ZW8wC&ll=-33.88704028551194%2C151.15561119999995&z=12
Assisted 75 strata buildings with custom solar feasibility studies over 2 rounds

10) Woollahra Council
Eastern Suburbs "Stratasphere" program registrations are here. The initial trial closed on 29th August 2025.
Participants in the program may also receive a free solar health check for an existing solar system, they may also qualify for 2 hours of free advice for a structural project e.g. roof repair
Participants in the program may also qualify for a free energy tariff check.

Any Woollahra Council stratas may receive 50% local council rebate on Level 1 EV charging solutions (e.g. Nox Energy, Alchemy Charge etc) up to a maximum of $5,000.
• There is at least 1 electric vehicle owned (or on order) by a resident in theapartment block
• Minimum of 2 ‘smart plugs’ must be installed
• Must have owners corporation approval
• Installation must be undertaken by licenced electrician and completed before 31
May 2026
• Level 1 Electric Vehicle charger only with power connected to common power /
common meter
• Rebate can be used for smart plug supply, installation and signage
• Rebate is provided to the owners corporation directly, once the unit is installed

Apartment & Strata Savings Program (re-opened in early 2025 and now closed)
https://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/environment/energy_and_climate/apartment_and_strata_savings
Assisted over 35 strata buildings over 3 rounds

Apartment & Strata Savings
Strata Consultations Rooftop Solar are now closed:
https://airtable.com/shrTNP7oCkRWLkqJt
Strata Consultations EV charging are now closed:
https://airtable.com/shrjYDDdPcTqaGoRF

11) Randwick Council
Eastern Suburbs "Stratasphere" program registrations are here. The initial trial closed on 29th August 2025. Participants in this program may receive 25-50% local council rebate on Level 1 EV charging solutions (e.g. Nox Energy, Alchemy Charge etc)
Participants in the program may also receive a free solar health check for an existing solar system, they may also qualify for 2 hours of free advice for a structural project e.g. roof repair
Participants in the program may also qualify for a free energy tariff check.

https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/environment-and-sustainability/get-involved/sustainability-rebates
Strata Consultations Rooftop Solar are now closed:
https://airtable.com/shrTNP7oCkRWLkqJt
Strata Consultations EV charging are now closed:
https://airtable.com/shrjYDDdPcTqaGoRF
30 minute free consultations with expert on EV charging

Sustainability Rebates from Council:
Apartment Block EV charger: 25% up to $5,000.
Energy Assessment: 50% up to $1,000
Heat Pump: 25% up to $5,000
Insulation: 25% up to $2,000
Lighting: 25% up to $5,000
Pool Pump: 50% up to 250
Rainwater tank: 25% up to $2,000
Solar PV: 10% up to $5,000
Battery: 10% up to $2,000
Solar Health Check: 50% up to $100
Sydney Water Waterfix: 25% up to $2,000

Any Randwick Council stratas may receive 50% local council rebate on Level 1 EV charging solutions (e.g. Nox Energy, Alchemy Charge etc) up to a maximum of $5,000.
• There is at least 1 electric vehicle owned (or on order) by a resident in theapartment block
• Minimum of 2 ‘smart plugs’ must be installed
• Must have owners corporation approval
• Installation must be undertaken by licenced electrician and completed before 31
May 2026
• Level 1 Electric Vehicle charger only with power connected to common power /
common meter
• Rebate can be used for smart plug supply, installation and signage
• Rebate is provided to the owners corporation directly, once the unit is installed
This rebate can be applied for as well as the 25% up to $5,000 rebate on 'Apartment Block EV charger' claimed through Rebately above.


12) Waverley Council
​Eastern Suburbs "Stratasphere" program registrations are here. The initial trial closed on 29th August 2025. 
Participants in the program may also receive a free solar health check for an existing solar system, they may also qualify for 2 hours of free advice for a structural project e.g. roof repair
Participants in the program may also qualify for a free energy tariff check.

Any Waverley Council stratas may receive 50% local council rebate on Level 1 EV charging solutions (e.g. Nox Energy, Alchemy Charge etc) up to a maximum of $5,000.
• There is at least 1 electric vehicle owned (or on order) by a resident in theapartment block
• Minimum of 2 ‘smart plugs’ must be installed
• Must have owners corporation approval
• Installation must be undertaken by licenced electrician and completed before 31
May 2026
• Level 1 Electric Vehicle charger only with power connected to common power /
common meter
• Rebate can be used for smart plug supply, installation and signage
• Rebate is provided to the owners corporation directly, once the unit is installed

Building Futures:
https://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/environment/events_and_programs/building_futures
Building Futures has supported over 40 apartment buildings which are high rise.
Strata Consultations Rooftop Solar are now closed:
https://airtable.com/shrTNP7oCkRWLkqJt
Strata Consultations EV charging are now closed:
https://airtable.com/shrjYDDdPcTqaGoRF
30 minute free consultations with expert on solar or EV charging

​Waverley council has a $250,000 grant from the NSW Government to subsidize 'low power' ev charging into strata buildings.
​
As part of a 12-month trial, apartment buildings in Waverley were able to receive up to $5000 total in rebates for undertaking:

• common area energy assessments (including energy audit, electric vehicle feasibility, solar feasibility and NABERS for Apartment Buildings ratings): 50% up to $1,000  
• installing rooftop solar: 20% rebate up to $4,000
• electrifying centralised hot water systems: 20% rebate up to $4,000 
• electrifying swimming pool heating systems: 20% rebate up to $1,000 for pool or spa gas to electric

A summary of the sustainable products available in this trial, as well as their rebate amounts and eligibility criteria, can be found on Rebately to apply. Note: this funding closed at the end of December 2024.

13) Lane Cove Council
Greener Apartments
Assisted over 40 apartment buildings with sustainability assessments

Ask a Sustainability Expert
The Ask a Sustainability Expert program is a free Council initiative offering residents expert advice to help them adopt sustainable living practices. Whether you're looking to save money on your energy bills, install EV charging, create a native garden, or have some tricky recycling questions, you'll gain valuable insights during your one-on-one session. Residents can meet with a maximum of two experts on the following topics:

• Energy efficiency, solar power and batteries, Greenpower, reducing electricity costs and understanding your electricity bill
• Strata solar and batteries, EV charging and heat pumps for common hot water plants
• Building and renovating sustainably
• Recycling, repair and reuse, composting and worm farming
• Building resilience for extreme weather events and neighbourhood connections
• Native gardening, habitat to attract birds and bees, water wise gardens and balcony gardens.

Further information on registering is here.

Sustainability Rebates from council. 
Solar
• Unit (lot): 25% up to $1,000
• Unit (common area): 25% up to $5,000
• Business: 25% up to $1,000
Solar Battery
• Unit (lot or common area): 10% up to $1,000
Electric Vehicle Chargers
• Unit (lot): 25% up to $500
• Unit (common area): 25% up to $4,000
Rainwater Tanks
• Units (common area): 25% up to $2,000

14) Mosman Council
Apartment & Strata Savings
https://mosman.nsw.gov.au/environment/climate/councils-response-to-climate-change
Assisted over 30 apartment buildings with sustainability reports over two rounds.

15) City of Canada Bay
Solar for Community (on hold)
https://www.collaborate.canadabay.nsw.gov.au/buildingsnetwork/solarprograms
Owners Corporation commits to spending between $1,000-$3,500 on energy saving upgrades to match the price of the solar feasibility study or energy audit 100% funded by council. Assisted over a dozen strata schemes across two rounds.

16) Kur ring gai Council
Energy Smart Rebates
https://www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Environment/Sustainable-living/Claim-a-rebate/Smart-Units-rebates
Offers rebates up to $6,000 per apartment building.
50% co-funding up to $2,000 for shared EV chargepoint
50% co-funding up to $4000 for solar connected to minimum of 8 units
50% co-funding up to $2,000 for replacing centralised gas hot water plant with heat pump
50% co-funding up to $4,000 in a strata of 20+ units for LED lighting, ventilation, pool pump, Solar PV etc

17) Northern Beaches Council
Energy and Solar Advisory Service
https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/environment/climate-emergency-and-sustainability/solar-and-energy/energy-and-solar-expert-advisory
Free 20 minute conversation

Wattblock has put a number of videos on youtube for strata sustainability which can be found here


Note: Information compiled by Wattblock and no liability is taken for accuracy or correctness or currency of information provided. If your organisation is listed above and you would like to update your information, please contact Wattblock.

To mark the 20th year since a major study was done by Energy Australia into Sydney apartment building energy efficiency (the first of its kind in Australia!), Wattblock re-examined 25 of the original buildings which were studied by Energy Australia in 2005 here.

Our online "Electrify Strata" whatsapp group has now grown to over 250 strata electrification enthusiasts. Feel free to join here and ask a question of our friendly community or share your own success stories. Similarly, our Electrify Installer Directory has grown to over 339 companies and our free installer directory has had 10,000 views. This shows that there is increasing interest in retrofitting strata buildings for sustainability and electrification. If you are an installer who would like to be added please contact us.

Throughout 2025, Wattblock worked with a number of local councils on strata sustainability including North Sydney, Lane Cove, Mosman, Canada Bay, Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick, Newcastle and City of Sydney. A shout out to North Sydney council for trialling a new live event format called "Strata Social". We turned our 5 minute group discussion stimulus talk from "Strata Social" into a short video on the 4 personalities you need on a strata committee (bean counter, tinkerer, greenie and tech evangelist.) It is also great to see Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick councils teaming up on the Stratasphere program. We also recorded a webinar with Northern Beaches councillor, Joelene Hackman on solar for strata which can be viewed here. Wattblock participated in a workshop with City of Sydney to help focus future sustainability programs for residential strata schemes and was happy to see City of Sydney featuring Wattblock customer Bridgewater on its solar and heat pump journey. We've written a blog on 'Best Practices for Local Councils to avoid conflicts of interest in strata sustainability' here.

A slew of new incentives and rebates came to strata buildings in NSW in 2025 and you can see the full list here. Amanda Farmer from Your Strata Property online invited us back on her leading strata podcast with a segment on "The Best It's Even Been....Why now is the time to act on strata sustainability" which you can listen to here.

The start of 2025 was all about getting solar onto NSW residential strata buildings with 3 - 55 lots. The Prime Minister launched the NSW Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) grant in February as detailed in our article here. At the launch event, the Prime Minister quoted a key statistic from Wattblock's Electrify Strata project that only 3.5% of residential strata buildings have solar installed today. Wattblock got to work and assisted 6-8 Albert St Newtown to receive a $54,000 grant under this program. Congratulations to Veronica Tseng-Donald, the strata committee champion, who paved the way with the first grant application and made it easier for others to follow in her footsteps. Federal Energy minister Chris Bowen and NSW Energy minister, Penny Sharpe were onsite for the announcement of the first install. Our background video of how Wattblock assisted this strata scheme over the past 4 years and 8 months leading up to the solar install in October 2025 is here. 

In particular, we would like to thank the following solar installers who we have worked with as part of the NSW Solar for Apartment Residents grant program:
Atlas Renewables, Solahart,​​ Energus, Jusaso, Solar Energy Enterprises, Soltek, Sydney Solar Group, Good Earth Group. 4EVA Energy, Todae Solar, Guwing Green, Green.com.au, Solai, Joomi, Onepower, Bare Energy. MyEnergyGroup, Brighter Spark Electrical, Energy Culture, Green Tech and SolarBC. It has been very tough for these solar installers to provide quotations on the timelines required for the NSW SoAR grant and many of these solar installers have worked weekends to try to make deadlines and help our strata communities to avail themselves of the 50% grant funding.

Solar install of the year on a strata building goes to the 99kW solar system installed on Parkway SAN clinic (a commercial strata with medical consultation offices and clinics) on top of an embedded network. This project has been 3 years in the making and the installation was completed in December 2025 by Solahart. This is the largest solar on strata install in the Kur ring gai local council area. This one install will result in 480 kWh per day being produced in summer, 69.8 tonnes of CO₂ emissions reduced annually and $40,000 in yearly savings.

​Wattblock returned to Climate Action Week Sydney in 2025 (CAW25), interviewing Mike Whitby from the Galleria on their 6 year sustainability journey which saw them increase their NABERS energy rating from 0 stars to 4.5 stars.

In April 2025, Wattblock helped kickstart the electrification of apartment buildings in New Zealand with a presentation to the Auckland City Centre Residents group called "Power Up Your Apartment Building". New Zealand apartment buildings have not had any support from any tier of government to match what has been provided by local, state and federal governments in Australia. In this sense, Australian strata schemes can consider themselves very fortunate.

Back in NSW, the state government mandated sustainability had to be considered at every strata AGM from 1st July 2025. Our article on these changes is here and our FREE consideration of sustainability compliance form for strata committee members is here. A webinar which we did for Waverley council which covers the Federal Cheaper Home Batteries incentive (although this was tweaked on 15th December to reduce the incentives as the batteries get larger and add an extra $5bn into the scheme), the NSW Peak Demand Virtual Power Plant incentive for connecting a battery and all the strata law changes is here. We also had changes to embedded network regulation and our 1 minute summary of these changes is here.

In July, Wattblock became a data supplier to the NSW governments department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment & Water for their NSW Residential Apartment Energy Performance Baseline and Modelling program. This was after the NSW government conducted an assessment of datasets from CSIRO, NABERS and Corelogic (Cotality) and assessed that Wattblock had created a unique dataset on residential strata common area consumption. We are looking forward to seeing this important work by NSW "DCCEEW" set future policy frameworks for residential apartment buildings. Wattblock continues to use this same dataset in its local council program sustainability work including reports and solar strata audits which help local councils proactively target the strata buildings with the best solar opportunities for inclusion into their sustainability programs.

In the EV charging in strata world, Wattblock worked with companies such as Glenco (Locarno apartments in Forest Lodge), Karchargers (Presidio apartments in Erskineville, The Gantry in Camperdown, Paddington Green), Jetcharge (Gardenhouse apartments in Waterloo), EV Lobster (Mornington apartments in Breakfast Point), Sydney Electrical and Data / ElectrifyEV (Vantage North in Rhodes, Emerant Lane in Lane Cove, Aurora in Lane Cove), SEVC (44 Bent St Neutral Bay, Moore Park Gardens) and Future Charging Solutions (63 Reynold St Cremorne) for installation of full Level 2 EV charging backbones, allowing fast charging at each individual carparking space. We were also happy to see fast visitor charging installed by SydneyEVchargers​ at Marque Apartments in Waverton. A 'scalable' connection of an individual EV chargepoint to an individual apartment meter in Cremorne was completed by NES Electrical Service and the case study is here. It was great to see the NSW EV charging grants program recognising 2 Wattblock Customers who received grant funding (Aria in Waterloo and 12 Wallaroy Cres Woollahra) and the City of Sydney recognising 3 Wattblock customers (Verve in Erskineville, Zinc in Alexandria, Reflections in Pyrmont) who proceeded with EV charging on this video. The biggest NSW EV charging backbone installs are still in  progress and we'll tell you more about them in 2026.

Wattblock also supported the scale-up of low power QR code activated EV charging in residential strata buildings at the federal level. This saw the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) provide a $1.5m grant to Nox Energy. A case study of one of the first 10 strata schemes to get low power EV charging installed under this subsidized program is here and a video is here. There are a strong set of solutions in this 'Level 1 EV charging space' from Nox Energy, Alchemy Charge, Ready Steady Plug, Ohmie Go, Combined Energy & Powerlog. We think that more strata schemes which can't afford Level 2 EV charging backbones will investigate these slower charging speed (Level 1) charging options in 2026. Waverley/Woollahra/Randwick councils have additional local council funding to assist with installations into residential strata schemes in their local government area.

It is great to see both facilities management and strata management companies bringing more of a focus to strata sustainability. Wattblock did solar training for all the facilities managers at Sydney Building Management & Projects after assisting them with the Wharf Terraces (Woolloomooloo). Wattblock also did a webinar on All Things Energy with Netstrata for over 150 strata committee members in September. We also did sustainability CPD training with Bannerman's lawyers for over 100 strata managers,

Wattblock has continued to work with not-for-profit's in the residential strata space. This includes Solar Citizens who engaged us for a NABERS rating and an Energy Action Plan on "Shore" High Rise as part of Electrify Wolli Creek. With Renew, we were a guest at their Gold Coast Open Home weekend and trialled an electrify strata map in Burleigh Heads. With Inner West Community Energy we appeared on a panel with Jasper from Pingala and Lorenzo from Good Earth Group. We also participated in a Climate Action Week Sydney event at Parramatta library organised by Parents for Climate. Finally, we took Electrify Strata to the home of the electrification movement, doing a webinar with Rewiring Australia for the famous electrification postcode 2515. For those who missed it, the webinar slides are here. We also attended the Saul Griffith's book launch of Plug-In: The Electrification Handbook in Thirroul. Great to see Wattblock getting more than one mention in this book!

Wattblock is a member of the ClimateSalad ecosystem run by Mick Liubinskas and has collaborated with other ClimateSalad startups such as Allume Energy, Alchemy Charge, Ohmie Go and Ivygo. Wattblock did the initial solar feasibility study for the solar system on the revamped North Sydney council Olympic pool and it was great to see the innovative Coolsheet product, which takes heat from under the solar panels and transfers this to the pool heating system, getting its first commercial install.

Wattblock assisted the ACT government with their strategy for 'getting residential strata buildings' off gas, particularly in the difficult area of heat pump retrofits.

This year, the Jackson building in Abbotsford Cove is the electrified strata building of the year after previously participating in the Canada Bay Solar for Community program. In 2023 they installed common area solar and batteries. In 2025 they installed a common domestic heat pump system to replace their ageing gas storage hot water system. The strata committee champion, Robert Gill, has installed an induction cooktop and drives an electric vehicle which he charges from his private power outlet in his garage cage. Robert Gill is now one of the few NSW strata dwellers who is 'fully electrified'.

​We are looking forward to 2026 where the strata sustainability & electrification starts to move from early adopters into a scale up phase. Wattblock is now working on a solar strata audit of ~1,000 strata schemes in Canada Bay area to estimate the cost, savings, payback and carbon emissions reduction of each of the individual strata buildings. This leverages Wattblock's Electrify Strata mapping project and we have already identified that 146 strata schemes in the Canada Bay area have solar installed today. See the map of existing solar installs in Canada Bay area here.

Finally, we would like to again thank David Burt, Matt Macdonald and the UNSW Founders team. UNSW Founders has supported Wattblock through the good times and the tough times and being part of the UNSW ecosystem is something we continue to be thankful for.

To everyone who has been with us on this journey this year, we encourage you to light a candle and save some energy this festive season. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Chinese New Year!

A wish is that 2026 is the year that Balcony Solar takes off for Australian apartment buildings and provides renters as well as owner occupiers with a way to harness renewable energy.

The Wattblock Team

However, community projects live or die by the vote, and securing that majority can feel like a diplomatic mission. Resistance often stems from three core fears: the cost, the complexity, and the perceived unfairness.
Here are four essential strategies your committee can use to build consensus and get your sustainability project approved.

1. Shift the Narrative from "Cost" to "Asset”
The single biggest roadblock is the sticker price. To overcome this, stop talking about the expense and start focusing on the Return on Investment (ROI). Then add in property valuation uplift using the Domain Sustainability in Property Report.

Action Plan:

• Present a Cash Flow Analysis: Don’t just list the total project cost. Show a clear model that projects future savings (e.g., in common area electricity bills) versus the levy increase. Demonstrate the payback period—the moment the savings begin to exceed the investment.
• Highlight Property Value: Research shows green features significantly increase unit appeal and resale value. Frame the upgrade not as maintenance, but as a capital improvement that enhances property valuations for both Owner Investors and Owner Occupiers. Use the Domain Sustainability in Property report as evidence.
• Focus on Risk Mitigation: Heat pumps, for example, replace aging, expensive gas boilers. Frame the project as avoiding a massive, unbudgeted repair cost when the old system inevitably fails.

2. Demystify the Technology
Many residents resist what they don't understand. They worry about noise, fire safety (for batteries), complexity, and disruption. These are the concerns of Owners who need practical assurance.

Action Plan:

• Provide Simple Safety Fact Sheets: If installing batteries, clearly outline the safety certifications, location, and maintenance procedures.
• Address Disruption Head-On: Provide a detailed, realistic installation timeline. Explain how the contractors will manage noise, access, and clean-up. Be honest about the temporary inconvenience and highlight the long-term benefits.
• Confirm Warranties and Service: Show that the chosen system is robust, backed by a strong, long-term warranty (25-30 years for solar panels is common), and that a local service provider has been secured for maintenance. Reliability sells.

3. Ensure Equity and Fairness (The Community Buy-in Strategy)
The most common objection is: "Why should I, a non-EV owner, pay for EV chargers?" or "I don't use the pool, why pay for the heat pump?" Fair access and billing are non-negotiable for buy-in.

Action Plan:

• User-Pays System for EV Charging: Implement a smart solution with individual metering and billing. This ensures the capital cost is spread fairly among all owners, but the running cost is borne only by the users.
• Highlight Universal Benefit: Emphasize how solar reduces common area lighting and elevator power costs, lowering everyone’s quarterly levies. Heat pumps reduce gas costs for common hot water, again saving every owner money. Sustainability is collective finance.
• Future-Proofing for All: Point out that every unit owner, regardless of their current needs, benefits from having the EV infrastructure ready. This makes their unit far more marketable when they eventually sell.

4. Deploy Your Champion
Once you have a sound financial and practical plan, you need a champion to sell it. This is the "Sustainability Champion" who can translate the committee's hard work into community excitement through excellent communication and change management.

Action Plan:

• Host an Informal Q&A Session: Use a clear, simple presentation (with lots of pictures!) and invite an owner who already has an EV to speak. A resident success story is far more convincing than a committee report.
• Use Visuals: Show where the panels will go, what the EV stations will look like, and how quiet the new heat pump will be. Visualize the benefits.
• Create a Dedicated FAQ: Compile every question, objection, and myth you hear and post clear, simple, one-paragraph answers. Don't let rumors replace facts.

​By embracing these four strategies—focusing on finance, practicality, equity, and communication—you can systematically dismantle resistance and build the collaborative support needed to move your strata into a sustainable future.

Stratasphere is a great name for a new program to help strata buildings move forward with sustainability and electrification.

Wattblock is one of a number of vendors selected to assist the 'tri-councils' - Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick to help strata schemes move forward.

Here is a link to a recent Solar for Strata webinar conducted by Waverley council and featuring the NSW Government talking about the NSW Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) rebate, Wattblock talking about Federal battery rebates and NSW strata law changes, Allume Energy and a case study of "The Duke" apartment building which was a recipient of a NSW EV charging grant and a NSW SoAR grant. Read more about Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) grants here.

Wattblock is providing:
​- Whatsapp group with over 250 members providing peer support to Stratasphere participants here.
- education such as webinars. See full list of webinars here.
- tracking/progress maps of strata buildings in Waverley (see 42 solar on strata installs), Woollahra (see 31 solar on strata installs) and Randwick (see 75 solar on strata installs) 
- sustainability reports as allocated by Stratasphere program with reliable cost and payback estimates by qualified renewable energy engineers
- vendor quote evaluation as allocated by Stratasphere program by qualified renewable energy engineers
- solar training course for strata
- EV charging training course for strata
- installer lists for solar, EV charging and heat pumps to help strata committees research their best suppliers. Search over 300 installers geographically here.

However, there are many, many companies which are being engaged by these three councils. The other companies include:
Nox Energy - double dip on federal ARENA subsidy and get up to $10k rebate on low power QR code activated EV charging here
Alchemy Charge - get up to $10k rebate on low power QR code activated EV charging here
Ready Steady Plug - get up to $10k rebate on low power QR code activated EV charging here
Combined Energy - get up to $10k rebate on low power QR code activated EV charging here
Strata Answers - get help evaluating complete roof replacements as a precursor to solar
GSES - for reviews of existing solar systems to ensure that they are working optimally

It is fantastic to see 3 councils combining forces to increase the uptake of solar, low power ev charging, heat pumps into over 6,000 residential strata schemes and assembling all the teams to help accelerate adoption.

Brent Clark
​Wattblock

​1. Current Approaches
 
•               Waverley Council Example: Publishes a  list of consultants for strata sustainability (solar, energy efficiency, EV charging, NABERS ratings). This allows strata committees to perform self-directed research without the council favouring any provider.
•               Newcastle Council Example: A leading council in electrification efforts, hosting events like Saul Griffith’s for a town hall. However, they funnel local residents to a preferred solar installer after they ran a tender process to select a reputable one. This approach raises concerns as it favours one commercial entity and exposes councils to conflict-of-interest risks.
 
2. Risks in Current Council Sustainability Program Models
 
1.             Funnelling Work to Single Installers: Directly recommending or channelling residents to one installer undermines competition and may breach fair trading principles.
2.             Commission-Based Models: Previous arrangements with not-for-profits like the Australian Energy Foundation mirrored for-profit models (e.g., Solarquotes.com.au which is now owned by Origin Energy) where vetted installers paid commissions. This narrows market choice and may create hidden conflicts.
3.             Vetting Liability: Councils using third-party vetting must consider the exposure of their appointed partners to poor outcomes, as seen in costly failed strata solar installs exceeding $200,000 in repair costs, after the failed strata solar system was decommissioned and removed
4.             Consumer Protection: Section 47B of the NSW Fair Trading Act 1987 requires disclosure of commissions and referral fees—compliance in the solar market appears low.
 
3. Legal and Policy Considerations
 
•               Buy Local Policies: Councils can encourage supporting local businesses but must avoid tipping the playing field unfairly.
•               Business Activity Restrictions: Councils must steer clear of acting as commercial intermediaries, whether engaging for-profit or not-for-profit or social enterprises as certified by B Corp, People and Planet First, Social Traders (e.g. Solar Analytics is a B Corp which was favoured by some councils who used the product internally)
•               Disclaimer Practice: Councils should clearly state they are not involved in vetting and are not liable for outcomes. However, this is still not the ‘best practice’ method of operation. For best practices, we need to look to other sectors.
 
4. Lessons from Other Sectors
 
The financial planning industry shifted from commission-based advice to fee-for-service following the Banking Royal Commission. Councils can adopt a similar principle through empowering “self-directed research by strata committee members” rather than funnelling residents to vetted or preferred suppliers.
 
5. Recommended Best Practices
 
1.             Self-Directed Research Tools: Provide resources like directories, guides, and case studies that allow strata committees to compare installers and solutions independently. This is an extract of a list of strata solar install references by one particular solar installer:

Self directed research tools allow the strata schemes to ‘click through’ on a reference from a particular solar installer and see the actual install on the strata rooftop using a government aerial imaging system. In this case the solar installer, Atlas Renewables, installed a solar system on 3 Raymond Rd Neutral Bay which is a 3 lot building.

 
2.             Transparent Listing Policies: Maintain publicly available lists of providers, updated regularly, with neutral inclusion criteria.
3.             Avoid Commission or Referral Payments: Any program that creates a financial bias towards certain providers should be avoided.
4.             Awareness of Market Maturity: As markets evolve , councils should mention all competitors to avoid perceived favouritism. (e.g., Allume Energy Solshare vs. Zeco Energy MDU for solar sharing or if mentioning NOX Energy's 1.5m ARENA low power EV charging grant also mention Alchemy Charge, Ready Steady Plug, Combined Energy, Ohmie Go and Powerlog)
5.             Pilot Demonstrations Without Endorsement: Councils can install demo devices for educational purposes but should avoid implying preference.
 
6. Emerging Tools and Industry Examples
 
•               Electrify Strata Installer Directory: A free to use and commission/kickback free national directory with 300+ companies, supporting unbiased selection can be found here.

•               Integrated Self-Directed Lists: with strata references and links to completed projects:
                  Top Solar Installers List for Strata
                  Top EV Charging Installers for Strata
                  Top Heat Pump Installers for Strata
 
7. Key Takeaway
 
Scaling sustainability in the strata sector requires councils to:
• Focus on education and self-directed research.
• Avoid conflicts of interest, direct endorsements, or commission-based arrangements.
• Avoid ‘buy local’ schemes if the result of the buy local scheme actually results in introduction of less experienced installers and more expensive installers for the strata segment
• Continuously adapt to market developments, maintaining fair and transparent support for all suitable providers.
 
This approach protects councils from liability, supports consumer choice, and accelerates emissions reduction in the complex strata landscape which is still recovering from a lot of conflicts of interest which were exposed in 2024.
 
Brent Clark
Wattblock
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