TUNE UP YOUR BUILDING MAKE YOUR BUILDING A SMART BLOCK! On average, residents of high-rise buildings use 25 per cent more energy per person than those living in detached dwellings1. Up to half of this energy use comes from common property (e.g. pools, car parks, hallway lights). The opportunity to reduce emissions and save energy is significant! Smart Blocks is a free online service with information and tools to help you get energy efficiency projects approved in your block. Here is an overview of the service to get you started!
Pool Insulation
FIND SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES Find out the best changes you can make to your building. Our expert guides help owners and managers choose the smartest ways to save energy in your common areas.
Shades & awnings Lis Hot water
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Heating and cooling
This content was developed with subject matter experts and based on information from 60 audits undertaken in buildings of different shapes and sizes.
Glazing windows
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Solar & wind power
Curtains & blinds
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TUNE UP YOUR BUILDING
There are many ways to go about getting a project approved in your block! This is a flexible tool and can be used as a guide to help you make successful changes in your building.
Indoor & outdoor lighting
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Visit our News and Events page for interesting and relevant news and upcoming Smart Blocks events: www.smartblocks.com.au
Clothesline Laundry Metering
DID YOU KNOW? You could save as much as 80 per cent of the energy used by lighting on common property by adapting light bulbs or fittings, while still maintaining a well-lit environment for residents2.
Ventilation
START A PROFILE Join the program by creating a building profile and invite other people from your block to join! The online tool provides a secure, collaborative space to start, learn and monitor energy efficiency projects in your block.
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Visit the Smart Blocks website to discover other ways your block can stop losing money and start saving energy!
START A PROJECT These are the key steps to getting a project up and running in a building. Each step is described in more detail over the following pages.
1. Multi-unit Residential Buildings Energy & Peak Demand Study, Energy Australia, 2005. 2. Energy Saver; Energy efficient lighting technology report, Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Government.
1 Engage people
2 Get details
3 Choose options
4 Make the case
5 Record outcomes
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1 Engage people
This stage is about understanding how decisions are made in your block, who the main players are and about introducing the idea of reducing energy costs to your block.
Understand roles and how decisions are made Decisions in apartment buildings are made by the owners corporation and/or the executive committee. A strata manager or facilities manager can offer advice or organise the work to be carried out, but they cannot approve decisions. Any action by the strata or building manager is made by direction of the executive committee.
How decisions are approved
As any changes in shared property require a shared decision it is important to introduce your project as early as possible.
Establish contact with executive committee
If the decision is a minor or inexpensive one then it is probably something that the executive committee can make a decision on without needing to engage every owner. If your project is expensive or has an impact on many people living in the building then you will probably need to table a ‘motion’ to be voted on in a meeting.
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Before the project can be approved and implemented, engage with your executive committee to submit a request. Using the statement of intent template provided on the Smart Blocks website you will be able to introduce your project to the committee.
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The best-case scenario is that you attend a meeting of the executive committee and they support your project.
Who is involved?
This approach allows you to gain permission from the committee to research and explore options.
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Owners corporation A group consisting of all owners.
Strata manager
Executive committee Elected group who makes decisions on behalf of the owners.
Manages repairs and maintenance.
invite your team to smart blocks If you've gained support from the executive committee, it's a great idea to invite them and your strata manager and facilities manager into this project space.
Facilities manager
Did you know?
Helps manage the building’s strata scheme.
If the committee does not grant permission, ask for some helpful feedback and perhaps reconsider the project idea.
Different states in Australia use different names for these titles. More information can be found on the Smart Blocks website.
Creating relationships with other members in your block fosters a positive community within your building.
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Blocks WHAT CAN I DO?
WORKING WITH STRATA
BUILDING OVERVIEW
NEWS AND EVENTS
ABOUT SMART BLOCKS
MY BUILDING
PEOPLE Executive Commiee EDWARD TOWNSEND AUDREY WHITE MARIO BRANCO Owner (non commiee) STEPHANIE SMITH
2 Get details
This stage is all about collecting and sourcing the information you need to create a greater understanding of your building.
Creating a rich building profile on Smart Blocks allows you to make informed decisions and retain your assets in a secure and collaborative space online.
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Consider context, energy use and maintenance plan Hi Mia, could I please get a copy of the maintenance plan?
Hello Edward, centainly!
UPDATE YOUR BUILDING PROFILE
Review the energy consumption of common property and establish the baseline energy usage and benchmarks. For details on how to understand your energy bills and collect data, visit the Smart Blocks website.
If you have filled in all the details of your building profile on the Smart Blocks project tool, the form in this section will indicate the assets you have on your common property that are relevant to this project.
All assets have a life span and need to be replaced at some point. If your building has a long term maintenance plan (5-10 years) then you’ll have a good idea about when assets are scheduled to be replaced. Ask your strata manager for your building’s maintenance plan and energy bills, and take into account replacements or maintenance that is being scheduled. This will make it much easier to get your project approved. Also, it’s often more economical to undertake a set of similar projects at the same time. Think about the context of your project, and determine whether there are complementary activities that make sense.
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Smart
Blocks WHAT CAN I DO?
WORKING WITH STRATA
YOUR BUILDING
NEWS AND EVENTS
ABOUT SMART BLOCKS
MY BUILDING
ENERGY TRACKING
Type:
General
audit your building
Floors
Units
Lis
How many floors in your block?
How many units in your block?
How many li s in your block?
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Ask your executive committee whether the building has undergone an audit. If so, add the information from this energy audit to your building profile online.
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Internal lighting Foyer ligthing
Hall ligthing (inc.internal stairs)
Fire exit ligthing
What type of lights are in your foyer?
What type of lights are in your halls?
What type of lights are in your fire exits?
If not, Smart Blocks has provided a self audit guide so that you can do a basic audit yourself. Your strata manager might be able to provide a ‘facilities register’.
Did you know? Did you know? If you are interested in bringing in an independent energy consultant to audit your building, the Smart Blocks project tool can help you get this project off the ground!
If your building has a facilities manager, they will be able to help you consolidate all the assets in your block.
The Smart Blocks project tool provides a sufficient overview of the building assets on the right-hand side of the tool. As you move through the stages in the tool, this overview collates the information so that you are able to see it at all times.
3 Choose options
Consider the options available
Now that you have collected information about your building and added it to your building profile, it is time to scope the project.
GET QUOTES AND ADVICE
The Smart Blocks project tool will provide you with more detailed information based on the information in your building profile and the project you have chosen to commence. Having a better understanding of your options allows you to be more informed when speaking with contractors and suppliers and asking for quotes.
This stage is focused on helping you understand what options are available to you in the project you’ve chosen and how best to go about getting the help that you’ll need.
COMPARE APPLES WITH APPLES! The Smart Blocks project tool provides you with a quote request template so that you can take a proactive approach in sourcing quotes from suppliers or contractors.
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TO BE COMPLETED BY THE STRATA REPRESENTATIVE
Contractor / company name Contact name
Speak to your strata or facilities managers about getting in touch with existing contractors and suppliers.
Contact phone number
Address of apartnment building where work will be done
Using the template will allow you to more easily compare proposals between contractors and supplies to make an informed decision.
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Work out the payback period The Smart Blocks project tool has an in-built, instant pay-back calculator that will help you work out how long it will take for the savings to offset the upfront costs of the investment of your project. As this decision will be made by the executive committee on behalf of the owners in the block, these figures can form a very convincing argument to get the project going.
WORK OUT THE PAYBACK PERIOD WORK OUT THE PAYBACK PERIOD
Calculate payback period Installation Costs ($)
Electricity cost (c/kWh)
15000
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Calculate payback period Label
Installation Costs ($)
15000
Electricity cost (c/kWh) Calculate / Add More
21 Annual Savings
98112 kWhr or $20603.52
Payback Period
8 months, 3 weeks
Label
Calculate / Add More
Annual Savings
98112 kWhr or $20603.52
Payback Period
8 months, 3 weeks
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This stage is about compiling the information you have gathered into a compelling business case and determining what type of meeting the decision will be made in.
4 Make the case
Determine meeting & resolution types How a decision is made in this context is determined by a range of things, the most relevant normally being the cost of the project or the number of people who are impacted by the project. You’ll need to talk to your strata manager and work out what type of meeting is required to approve your project.
• What type of motion to draft for your project.
The business case should sell your project by providing enough detail that people will feel confident about approving the project if it gets put to a vote. We've provided a business case template for you to use as a guide.
[email protected] Business Case for AGM
• What kind of resolution would be required in that meeting.
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build a business case
Ask your strata manager or executive committee to help you work out: • Which type of meeting your project could be approved.
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Having a well prepared and sufficient business case will put you in a better position to get your project approved at the meeting.
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Refer to the information from your quotation and payback calculator to help fill out the business case template.
Project description
Ping! Business Case from Edward
Summary of capital expenditure required
common meetings EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
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draft a motion for consideration You will need to draft a motion if your project is being taken to a meeting for owners to vote on it. Make sure you attach your motion to the front of your business case before the meeting, Owners in any apartment building are required to have at least one AGM meeting per year. Ask your strata manager or the secretary of your executive committee when the next meeting is due and ensure that you submit your motion to be put on the agenda about six weeks earlier.
You may be able to make a decision about smaller projects, or projects that sit within an established maintenance plan at an executive committee meeting.
Did you know? Did you know? More information about different types of resolutions is available on the Smart Blocks website.
Buildings also have extraordinary general meetings (EGM) or special general meetings (SGM) from time to time. They are called to resolve large and important issues by the owners corporation outside of the AGM , and are not taken lightly.
get on the agenda For your motion to be included on the agenda of a meeting you must send it to your strata manager or the secretary of your executive committee. Remember to attach your business case; including quotes, suggestions for funding and other supporting documentation. We will drop you a line prior to the meeting to ensure that you remember to send off your motion and business case.
Did you know? The Smart Blocks project tool provides guidelines and examples of motions to help you write your own!
Did you know? Smart Blocks will send you a reminder 6 weeks prior to your meeting if you choose to enter your meeting date into the form in the project tool. This allows you time to check your quotes and get on the agenda!
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5 Record outcomes
This section is to help you record the decisions made in the meeting and subsequent project activities. This will support you in implementing your project and keeping track of its impact.
Share your experience
record the decision and Track your progress Keep recording your energy usage statistics in your building profile so that you can track the impact of your project and report back to all the apartment owners in your building. Keeping track of the impact of the changes you make might seem like hard work but your strata manager can help you. You’ll be thankful for the effort in your next AGM when the executive committee can show the reduction of costs as a result of the project.
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For other people who are interested in making energy efficiency changes in their block, being able to draw on the success of someone else is very powerful in getting a project off the ground.
2013 2014 2015
What a great idea! We can do this in my building too!
This can also help you gain momentum in your building to embark on other improvements. We’ve provided a case study template to help your share your experience with others. If you would like to help others even further, register with Smart Blocks to become a Smart Blocks champion. Smart Blocks champions help by giving others advice and tips to help them with their projects.
TELL US YOUR STORY JOIN THE CONVERSATION AND MEET THE TEAM Keep an eye on our website for events near you! www.smartblocks.com.au
We are interested in hearing from you about the changes you are making to your building. Email us at:
[email protected] so we can share celebrate your success and share your story with others.
start your profile today: www.smartblocks.com.au
This Activity received funding from the Department of Industry as part of the Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.