Owners corporation managers are seeing increasing demand for retrofitting electric vehicle (EV) charging into apartment buildings. The Knight recently spoke with David Hamilton, an OC committee member at Triptych and EV charging solutions consultant. He graciously agreed to share with us his experiences with EV charging in strata.
The Knight: Starting with your Owners Corporation, Triptych, could you explain what drives your sustainability ethos?
David: Triptych was designed to be a building with extensive sustainability features incorporated into it from its conception in 2007, so it was ahead of the curve as far as Melbourne high-rise apartment developments back then, and even today.
Sustainability has been a key attraction for many owners and renters over its history but more so today with greater awareness of climate change and the need to transition to a low carbon economy. In a building where the ethos is sustainability, it is an easy step for people to understand the benefits of becoming EV ready. In fact, some of us started thinking about what would be needed as far back as 2016.
The Knight: What common pitfalls do you see other buildings fall into when looking into EV charging?
David: My experience talking with a number of owners and Owners Corporation Committees is that retrofitting can be divisive because some owners and committee members do not subscribe to sustainability. This goes to deeper issues in society; we have not recognised the need to use resources efficiently and preserve the environment. But in strata, it is not a personal choice you can make like in a house. You need consensus leadership from the Committee that recognises people are living in a community which needs to embrace divergent views and constantly change and evolve.
Unfortunately, there are lots of myths and disinformation about EV charging and strata that confuse people. I am attempting to assist OC Committees on the journey to make their building EV ready by understanding just what is required and how it can be delivered in a low risk and simple fashion. Read More…