Western Australia continues to lead in the development of new residential buildings and estates with built-in renewable energy supplies, with the installation of a 180kW solar system on the roof of a soon to be completed apartment complex in Perth.

The developers of the Rivervale “Flo” project, local property group Psaros, say the rooftop PV array – billed as the largest of its kind in the state – will effectively provide 2kW of solar PV capacity to each of the complex’s 86 apartments, and cut the average energy consumption of a single-bedroom unit in half, in combination with other efficiency measures.

The five-level, “boutique” development will also feature an outdoor solar-heated swimming pool, and smart technology that allows the apartment’s lighting, heating/cooling and entertainment systems to be controlled through the owner’s personal electronic device, such as an iPad.

“Flo is really representative of the future direction of residential developments in Perth,” said Chiara Pacifici, the head of sustainability at Psaros.

“When you consider that more than two million Australian households are already fitted with solar panels, it won’t be long before the installation of renewable energy technology is standard across all new residential developments in WA,” she said.

Indeed, RenewEconomy has recently reported on two such developments in the state: the Alkimos Beach project, that is trialling rooftop solar plus storage (a centralised 1.1MHh battery system) at a 100-residence estate in the northern suburbs of Perth; and Landcorp’s White Gum Valley estate, which will include solar PV on all of its mostly north-facing homes, coupled with domestic battery storage technology and embedded efficiency measures.

There is no mention of battery storage for the Flo project, but in addition to the 640-panel PV array, residents will be able to monitor their real-time energy use, and take advantage of solar passive design for optimal thermal comfort.

“There’s overwhelming buyer support for projects incorporating renewable energy technologies, not only because of the cost-saving benefits, but also because people recognise this is the way of the future,” Pacifici said.

For Psaros CEO, Danny Psaros, ensuring each apartment is “future-proofed” is of key importance to developers.

“By emphasising ecologically sustainable design, we’re reducing the carbon footprint of each Psaros development while simultaneously ensuring that our apartments are technologically superior now and into the future.

“The end result for the resident is a quality apartment which benefits them both in the short-term and in the long-term by enhancing the resale value.”