Project Snapshot
| Location | St Kilda, VIC |
| Postcode | 3182 |
| Service Type | Commercial LED Lighting Upgrade (Strata Common Areas) |
| Timeline | 5 Days |
| Key Challenge | Replacing 200+ fluorescent fittings with LED across all common areas while minimising disruption to residents |
The Situation
A 48-unit apartment building on a busy street near the St Kilda foreshore had a problem that was costing the body corporate thousands of dollars a year in maintenance and energy bills. The common areas, including hallways on six floors, two stairwells, the lobby, the underground car park, and the laundry, were lit by a combination of old T8 fluorescent battens and compact fluorescent downlights. Many of the fittings were original to the building, installed when it was built in the early 1990s.
The fluorescent fittings were failing regularly. The strata manager told us they were replacing two or three tubes a month, and the cost of having an electrician come out each time was adding up fast. Some tubes had started flickering badly, and residents on the upper floors had complained about the buzzing noise from ageing magnetic ballasts in the corridor fittings. The car park was particularly bad. Several fittings had failed completely, leaving dark patches between the remaining working lights. Residents felt unsafe walking to their cars at night.
The body corporate committee had been discussing an LED upgrade for over a year but had been put off by the upfront cost. We were asked to provide a detailed proposal that included the expected energy savings, so the committee could make an informed decision at their next AGM.
What We Found
We conducted a full lighting audit of every common area in the building. We counted every fitting, noted its type, wattage, and condition, and measured the existing light levels in each area using a lux meter. This audit took most of a day but gave us the data we needed to design a replacement scheme that would actually improve the lighting quality, not just swap like for like.
The audit revealed 217 fittings across the common areas. The breakdown was 84 twin T8 fluorescent battens (36W per tube, so 72W per fitting plus ballast losses), 67 compact fluorescent downlights (18W each), 42 single T8 battens in the car park (36W each), and 24 older circular fluorescent fittings in the stairwells (32W each). Including ballast losses, the total connected lighting load for the common areas was approximately 19.8kW.
The average daily operating hours varied by location. The lobby and car park lights ran 24 hours a day. The corridor lights ran on timers but were set to 18 hours per day, which was longer than necessary given the building had some natural light during the day. The stairwell lights were on occupancy sensors but the sensors on three floors had failed and the lights had been bypassed to run continuously.
Based on these figures, we calculated the annual energy consumption for common area lighting at approximately 57,000 kWh. At the building’s commercial electricity rate, that was costing the body corporate around $17,100 per year in energy alone, before maintenance costs.
The Solution
We designed a replacement scheme using high-quality commercial-grade LED fittings selected for longevity, light quality, and efficiency. The specification for each area was tailored to its use.
For the corridors, we replaced the twin T8 battens with slim LED panels producing the same light output at 28W per fitting, a 61 per cent reduction in power consumption. We chose a warm white colour temperature (3000K) to create a welcoming feel in the residential hallways, rather than the harsh cool white that many budget LED upgrades use.
In the car park, we installed weatherproof LED battens rated for damp environments, with a cool white colour temperature (4000K) for better visibility and safety. We also installed new occupancy sensors in each section of the car park so that lights would dim to 20 per cent when no movement was detected and ramp up to full brightness when someone entered the area. This alone cut the car park’s lighting energy consumption by more than 60 per cent.
The lobby received new LED downlights and a feature LED panel above the entrance, giving it a cleaner, more modern look that the committee was particularly pleased with. The stairwells were fitted with new LED bulkhead fittings and replacement occupancy sensors to replace the three that had failed.
We scheduled the work across five days, completing one to two floors per day during business hours. We worked floor by floor so that residents always had a clear, well-lit path through the building. The car park was done on the final day over a single long shift to minimise the time that any section was in reduced lighting.
All old fluorescent tubes, fittings, and ballasts were removed from site and disposed of through a licensed waste contractor. Fluorescent tubes contain small amounts of mercury and cannot go into general waste. We handled the disposal and provided the body corporate with a waste transfer certificate for their records.
The Result
The total connected lighting load for the common areas dropped from 19.8kW to 6.4kW, a reduction of 68 per cent. With the addition of the car park occupancy sensors and corrected timer settings in the corridors, the projected annual energy consumption fell from 57,000 kWh to approximately 15,800 kWh. At the building’s electricity rate, that translates to an annual saving of roughly $12,400 on the energy bill alone.
When you factor in the elimination of ongoing fluorescent tube replacements and the associated callout fees, which had been running at about $2,800 per year, the total annual saving comes to approximately $15,200. The LED fittings we installed carry a five-year manufacturer warranty and have a rated lifespan of 50,000 hours. At the building’s average operating hours, that means the body corporate should not need to replace a single fitting for at least eight to ten years.
The payback period on the investment was under two years. The committee approved the project at the AGM with a strong majority once they saw those numbers.
Residents noticed the improvement immediately. The corridors were brighter and more evenly lit, with no more flickering or buzzing. The car park, which had felt gloomy and unsafe, was transformed. Several residents emailed the strata manager to say how much better the building felt.
“The LED upgrade has made a real difference to how the building looks and feels. The car park especially. And the savings on our energy bill have been exactly what Carlin Co projected. The committee is very happy.”
– Margaret L., Body Corporate Committee, St Kilda
Key Takeaways for Body Corporates and Strata Managers
Common area lighting is one of the largest controllable expenses in a strata building. If your building still uses fluorescent fittings, an LED upgrade will almost certainly pay for itself within two to three years through reduced energy consumption and near-zero maintenance costs. After the payback period, every year of savings goes straight back into the owners’ corporation fund.
When evaluating quotes for an LED upgrade, look beyond the upfront price. Ask about the quality and warranty of the fittings being proposed. Budget LED products may be cheaper up front but often fail within two to three years, wiping out the savings. Commercial-grade fittings from reputable manufacturers cost more initially but last significantly longer and come with meaningful warranties.
Occupancy sensors in car parks and stairwells can reduce lighting energy consumption by 50 to 70 per cent in those areas without any reduction in safety. If your building does not have them, they should be part of any lighting upgrade.
Ask your strata electrician to provide projected energy savings as part of their proposal. A good contractor will do the maths for you and stand behind the numbers.
Areas We Service Near St Kilda
We completed this strata lighting upgrade in St Kilda (3182) and regularly service the surrounding suburbs including Elwood (3184), Balaclava (3183), East St Kilda (3183), Windsor (3181), Prahran (3181), and Albert Park (3206). See our full Melbourne service area and postcodes.
Strata Lighting Upgrade? Get a Free Energy Savings Quote.
Call Carlin Co on 0432 632 346 or email [email protected].
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