/ The Result
65% reduction in utilities costs, for a $9k premium per apartment.
Through the use of a centralised PV array, battery and heat pump hot water system, energy and lines costs are materially reduced. Residents will benefit from a 65% reduction in utilities bills for a cost premium of $9,000/apartment.
By sharing infrastructure the scale and cost of PV and batteries is a fraction of what an individual household would need. The community will benefit from scale when purchasing electricity, allowing for more detailed analysis of options and better buying power.
95%
Lower lines charges
75%
Grid connection cost saving
85%
Net energy from solar
/ Challenge
The lowest lifetime costs for residents
Cohausing Projects develop enduring housing communities, with a shared commitment to a more connected and resilient way of living. Residents live in private homes but also have extensive shared common spaces and resources.
Following the success of the orignal Cohaus development, Cohausing Projects wanted to build on the exceptional outcomes.
Residents will benefit from a solution designed to reduce the total lifetime cost of utilities. The solution is to be built into the fabric of the building and leverage the scale of the community.
Cohausing Projects needed progressive advice on how to leverage new technologies, including solar, batteries, and centralised heat pumps, to ensure both a cost-effective build and low ongoing utilities bills and maintenance.
/ Our approach
Reinventing apartment utilities with shared solar
The Developer needed an expert team who understood the latest technologies and understood how to integrate them into a cohesive solution for the benefit of the community.
/01
Feasibility
Revolve completed a detailed assessment of the building loads to establish the site requirements. We assessed the connection capacity options and costs. We were able to demonstrate that onsite solar and batteries were a more cost-effective solution to a larger grid connection. Our solution also provides long-term energy cost savings and increases resilience.
/02
Design
Revolve worked collaboratively with the building services engineer and architect to design and document the solar, battery, EV charging, and metering solutions. These are to be tendered as part of the building's construction.
/03
Implementation and operation
We will continue to work with Cohausing Projects to ensure the solutions are installed correctly. We will implement our automated billing and metering solution, which will enable the community to continue running their own energy system.
Innovating in community energy
Revolve was instrumental in delivering a similar system for the original Cohaus project, which has seen utility savings of 50%. We are actively involved in the delivery of other community energy projects from 10 up to 1,000’s of homes.
/ Results
Real projects. Real outcomes.
We help businesses and community groups realise their renewable energy goals. Take a look at our projects to find out how.
