Wattblock wins Environmental, Social and Community Impact Award

At the Strata Community Association (SCA) awards 2026, the "Solar for Strata Audit of an entire Local Government Area (LGA)" developed by Wattblock was recognised by the strata industry as a catalyst for change...

For 15 years, local councils have been doing sustainability education for strata buildings and sponsoring sustainability reports for individual strata schemes.

Over a period of 12 years, Wattblock has had over 30 staff and student interns work on how to scale up the creation of solar estimates for residential strata schemes. The amount of R&D work which Wattblock has done, and continues to do in this area represents an enormous effort.

2026 was the first time that Wattblock delivered a Solar for Strata Audit for a large portfolio of strata buildings in the Canada Bay LGA.

Wattblock scanned over 1,300 rooftops of strata buildings throughout the Canada Bay LGA and identified 159 strata schemes which already had solar installed. For every strata scheme which didn't have solar installed and was a viable candidate for solar, Wattblock estimated the best type of solar to install, the size of the solar system, the cost of the solar system, the payback of the solar system and the CO2 emissions reduction of the solar system.

Wattblock also identified the top 100 potential strata schemes for solar out of the 1,300 strata schemes in the LGA. This can be used to target the "low hanging fruit" solar on strata opportunities through community outreach and engagement programs by the local council and local not-for-profits. 

More information on Wattblock's solar for strata audit is here.

This service to scale up renewable energy on existing strata buildings was recognised by the independent judges as being in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of:
- Affordable and Clean Energy
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Climate Action

Wattblock with award sponsors Havencab (left), with MC Deborah Knight (middle), award collected by Brent Clark (right)

Thanks to Natalie Fitzgerald from Genesis Strata for providing this recording of the acceptance speech.

Since submitting the award application, Wattblock has done a second Solar for Strata Audit for 2,500 strata schemes in the North Sydney LGA. Wattblock did over 1,700 solar estimates for strata schemes which don't have solar installed in the North Sydney LGA. Wattblock also did a third Solar for Strata Audit for Lane Cove LGA scanning over 500 more strata schemes and developing over 400 solar estimates.

Solar for Strata Audit for Canada Bay LGA. 'Single click' on each drop-pin for a solar estimate.

​If you think that regional areas of NSW are missing out on Solar for Strata Audits think twice. In conjunction with two not-for-profits and a local council, the next Solar for Strata Audit will be scanning 2,500 strata buildings in regional NSW. This will help drive renewable energy onto rooftops which may be eligible for 80% grant funding from the NSW Government under the Solar Boost program.

The team at Wattblock is humbled to accept the honour of this award. We also recognise the efforts of many past "giants" who worked at Wattblock to help us to develop the techniques needed to provide mass solar estimates for residential strata. We also recognize the current Wattblock team members who have all worked to improve the operational efficiency of delivering a solar for strata audit and bring this product to market for the very first time.

If you are a grid provider, local council sustainability team member or a progressive strata management company that wants to promote renewable energy across your portfolio, reach out to Wattblock today by emailing [email protected] for more information on a solar for strata audit.