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The strata energy guideFor Canberra strata committeesFree · 5 minute read

Is your building paying to light empty car parks and corridors all night?

Car parks, corridors and stairwells may need light around the clock, but not every fitting at full output. Start with the electricity the building is already paying for but may not need.

  1. Start with run timeStop paying for light nobody is using.
  2. Read the billSee what the problem is actually costing.
  3. Then the bigger decisionsSolar or a battery, only where the data says so.
Book a free building review Questions? Call Kieran direct0415 343 050
A long building corridor with every wall light on and nobody in it
2:00amThe 2am testDo the common areas look the same at 2am as at the busiest part of the evening?Illustrative photo

The problem

Four places a strata building pays for light nobody needs.

None of this means turning off lights people need. It means not paying for full output when nobody is there.

  1. Car parks and stairwells

    They need light at any hour, but not every fitting at full output when nobody is there.

  2. Corridors and foyers overnight

    Busy in the evening and quiet overnight. Lights without sensors can’t tell the difference.

  3. Old fittings, no controls

    Older fittings draw more power, and with no sensors or timers they stay at full output.

  4. Reports a committee can’t act on

    A long technical report is hard to vote on. You get a short summary of what to do first.

Kieran and a team member from LED Solutions fitting a large wall light in a building corridor

Canberra example · IRT Kangara Waters

The LED fitting reduces how much electricity the light uses. The controls reduce how long you pay for it.

When an area is empty, 43% of the lights switch off and the rest dim to 30%. When someone walks in they return to full output, then step back down after 30 minutes.

  • 5apartment buildings
  • 74common area lights each
  • 43%switch off when vacant
  • 30%output for the rest

IRT Kangara Waters, Belconnen

Start with run time

Stop paying for light nobody is using.

Car parks, corridors, stairwells, foyers, storage areas and outdoor spaces may need lighting available around the clock. That doesn’t mean every fitting needs to run at full output the whole time.

What you pay for
Watts

What each light draws. Efficient LED fittings reduce it.

Hours

How long and how hard lights run. Controls reduce it.

  1. 01

    Sensors

    Return to full output when movement is detected and reduce again after a set period.

  2. 02

    Dimming

    Keep background light where it’s needed without paying for 100% output all the time.

  3. 03

    Schedules + timers

    Match when the lights run to how the building is actually used, rather than a fixed 24/7 pattern.

Read the bill

The bill shows which problem is actually costing money.

Once the obvious run time waste is understood, look at time of use rates, operating periods, peak demand and the load profile before committing to larger capital projects.

  1. 01

    Time of use rates

    How the building is charged for electricity, and when.

  2. 02

    Operating periods

    When the common property loads actually run.

  3. 03

    Peak demand

    Whether short peaks are driving part of the cost.

  4. 04

    Load profile

    The shape of daily use behind the total on the bill.

Then the bigger decisions

Solar or a battery, only where the data says so.

  1. 01

    Solar

    Most useful where the common property uses a meaningful amount of power during the day.

  2. 02

    Battery

    Most useful where the tariff and load profile show a measured opportunity to shift energy use or reduce peak demand.

  3. 03

    Simple rule

    Don’t buy a battery to solve a problem a timer could fix.

How the review works

What happens in the review.

Feature wall lights along a building corridor, with Kieran fitting one at the far end
On siteCommon area lighting on a Canberra job

  1. Step 1: Send a recent bill and building details

    A recent common property electricity bill and a few details about the building are enough to start.

  2. Step 2: We look for run time waste first

    Common area lighting, sensors, timers and operating hours: the straightforward opportunities.

  3. Step 3: Get a clear next step

    The run time opportunities we found, set out so the committee can act on them before any bigger spending decision.

We respond within 1 business day.

Questions

Questions strata committees ask.

Still have a question?

Call Kieran direct on 0415 343 050
Should we get solar or a battery first?

Start with run time and stop paying for light nobody is using. Then read the bill to see which problem is actually costing money. Don’t buy a battery to solve a problem a timer could fix.

What is the 2am test?

If the common areas look almost the same at 2:00am as they do at the busiest part of the evening, there may be an unnecessary run time problem.

Will solar or a battery always save money?

Not always. Solar is most useful where the common property uses a meaningful amount of power during the day, and a battery where the tariff and load profile show a measured opportunity. It depends on the building’s own data.

Do we need to replace all the common area lights?

Not necessarily. Often the first opportunity is controls (sensors, dimming and schedules) rather than new fittings.

Can the committee approve work in stages?

Yes. We break larger building quotes into stages so committees can approve and budget for one section at a time.

What do you need from us?

A recent common property electricity bill and a few details about the building.

How quickly will we hear back?

We reply within 1 business day.

Free initial review

Start with the obvious waste.

Send a recent common property electricity bill and a few details about the building. We’ll look for straightforward lighting and run time opportunities first.

  • We respond within 1 business day
  • We check run time and the bill
  • Based in Canberra: 14 years and 57,000+ lights installed
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