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All Electric Homes helps Owners Corporations and strata committees replace shared gas systems, add solar, plan EV charging and unlock available rebates — with one coordinated pathway from assessment to handover.
Apartment electrification is different to electrifying a detached home. The best result rarely comes from swapping one appliance at a time. It comes from understanding the whole building: shared services, common-area loads, private apartment loads, roof space, metering, switchboards and the Owners Corporation approval pathway.
For many older apartment buildings, the biggest win is not where people first look. A shared gas hot water plant, central pump, common-area meter or ageing electrical board can be the highest-impact place to start — especially when solar can be used during the day to run efficient electric systems.
That is why our apartment electrification work starts with a building-level assessment. We map the current energy use, identify the fastest payback opportunities, check rebate eligibility, and create an OC-ready plan that can be staged over time.
"We're now running the hot water system on solar — saving thousands a year while slashing our carbon footprint. The upgrade pays for itself in under 2 years."
— Apartment resident, 76 Edward Street, BrunswickThe Brunswick project proves the point: a targeted electrification project can remove gas, cut bills and reduce emissions without over-complicating the building.
Victorian apartment electrification can involve several programs. Solar, hot water and VEU incentives have different rules, so the right approach is to assess the building first, then line up every eligible discount before the OC votes.
At 76 Edward Street in Brunswick, an 18-unit apartment block electrified the building by focusing on the highest-impact shared service: an ageing communal gas hot water system that was costing close to $19,300 a year to run.
Working with All Electric Homes, the Owners Corporation installed a solar-supported heat pump hot water system: 11.88 kW of solar, 25 × 475W Jinko panels, a 10kW GoodWe inverter, 2 × 400L Reclaim Energy CO₂ heat pumps and a 50L finishing tank, plus the required electrical, plumbing and metering works.
The result was a simple, targeted apartment electrification project that eliminated gas dependency for hot water, cut annual energy bills by more than $17,000 and reduced emissions by 86%.
Many strata buildings assume electrification means every lot has to make every decision at once. The Brunswick project shows a more practical route: start with the shared system that consumes the most energy, then use that success to build confidence for the next stage.
For buildings with central hot water, that first stage can be a heat pump hot water plant supported by solar. For other buildings, the first stage may be solar sharing, common-area solar, switchboard planning, or EV-ready infrastructure.
The common thread is whole-of-system thinking: understand the energy profile first, then choose the upgrade sequence that gives the building the strongest technical and financial outcome.
| Upgrade | Best Fit | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Shared heat pump hot water | Buildings with central gas hot water | Often the fastest gas reduction |
| Solar sharing | Shared roof, multiple apartment meters | Fairer solar access for residents |
| Common-area solar | High common loads or central plant | Lower OC operating costs |
| EV charging plan | Car parks and resident demand emerging | Avoids ad-hoc electrical upgrades |
| Apartment appliance upgrades | Lots moving from gas cooking/heating | Better comfort and lower fossil gas reliance |
The right mix depends on roof access, metering, existing services, OC governance, electrical capacity, resident appetite and available rebates.
Before recommending solar, hot water, EV charging or apartment-level upgrades, we check both technical readiness and program eligibility. This avoids surprises later in the OC process.
| Check | What We Look For | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Owners Corporation structure | ✓ Formal OC, decision-makers identified, committee or strata manager engaged | Electrification needs a clear approval pathway and documentation for owners |
| Building and lot eligibility | ✓ Class 2 apartments or eligible attached townhouses/row units, usually up to 50 occupiable lots | Important for Solar for Apartments and funding caps |
| Roof and solar access | ✓ Common-property roof area, shading, structure and access reviewed | Determines whether solar is best used for common loads, hot water or shared apartment supply |
| Metering arrangement | ✓ Individual meters, common-area meters and any embedded network checked | Solar Victoria excludes embedded networks for the apartment solar program, and metering affects design |
| Existing gas assets | ✓ Hot water, heating, cooking and central plant mapped | Shows where electrification will deliver the biggest saving and emissions cut |
| Electrical capacity | ✓ Main switchboard, sub-boards, supply capacity and load management assessed | Prevents future problems with heat pumps, EV charging and apartment appliance upgrades |
| Existing solar | ✗ Lots with solar installed in the last 10 years may not be eligible for some apartment solar rebates | We check which lots can participate and how benefits can be shared fairly |
| Payback and fairness | ✓ Costs, savings and benefits modelled by lot and common area where relevant | Owners need a clear business case before voting |
| Installation disruption | ✓ Access, risers, roof works, plumbing runs and shutdown windows planned | Good planning makes apartment upgrades easier for residents and strata managers |
Sources: Solar Victoria — Solar for Apartments and Victorian Energy Upgrades. Eligibility details change over time — verify current requirements before applying.
We make the process easier for strata committees by turning a complex technical decision into a clear sequence of options, costs, benefits and next steps.
Apartment electrification involves more moving parts than a typical house upgrade. These are the questions we hear most often from committees, owners, renters and strata managers.
Not sure where to start? Call us for a free, no-obligation conversation with one of our strata energy specialists.
1800 719 873Bring us your bills, your strata questions and your building constraints. We’ll help you find the right first step and the incentives that can support it.
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