Another question is whether it is viable to install solar power for the common areas of the building. In a body corporate context, lighting is often the main driver of power costs, particularly at night. This may make it uneconomical to install solar power without also installing a battery, which can be quite expensive.

To determine whether installing solar for common areas is viable, the committee can conduct a viability study on solar power. Solar companies can provide advice to bodies corporate about the number of kilowatts they would need to install. Also, whether they would need a battery, and how long the payback time would be based on their power consumption.

It’s important to note that the viability of solar power for common areas may change over time. This is because the cost of solar panels, inverters, and batteries decreases. Therefore, if a body corporate looked at this a few years ago and it was not viable, it may become viable either now or in the future.