Inside WA’s Leading Sustainable Build-to-Rent at Tuohy Gardens
- Aug 3
- 9 min read
Apartment buildings are becoming small energy systems. They no longer just consume electricity from the grid. The best new developments can generate power, store it, share it across the site, shift demand, and even interact with electric vehicles.
Tuohy Gardens in Midland is a strong example of that shift in Western Australia. Positioned as WA’s leading sustainable build-to-rent development, it brings together three features that property owners, strata communities, engineers and developers are watching closely:
WA’s largest apartment battery
An embedded microgrid
Vehicle-to-grid, or V2G, electric vehicle charging
Together, these systems show what the next generation of medium and high-density housing can look like in Perth. They also point to a practical question for the property industry: how can buildings reduce operating costs, improve resilience, and offer better outcomes for residents without making the asset harder to manage?
Why Tuohy Gardens matters for Perth property
Perth has strong solar conditions, rising interest in apartment living, and growing pressure on buildings to perform better over their full life. At the same time, many apartment owners and strata councils face familiar barriers:
Common area energy bills keep increasing
Solar is harder to share fairly across apartments
EV charging can overload existing electrical infrastructure
Battery storage often looks too complex for multi-residential sites
Residents want lower costs, but owners need systems that are simple to operate
Tuohy Gardens matters because it treats these issues as part of one connected system, rather than separate upgrades.
A battery on its own can help. Solar panels on their own can help. EV chargers on their own can help. The more powerful model is to coordinate them through site-wide energy management, so the building can make better decisions about when to use, store, share, or import electricity.
That is where the development becomes relevant beyond one project. For strata communities, it shows how shared infrastructure can work in a residential setting. For developers, it shows how energy systems can become part of the asset strategy, not just a sustainability feature added late in design.
The largest apartment battery changes how the building uses energy
Battery storage is one of the most important parts of the Tuohy Gardens energy model. The development uses what has been described as WA’s largest apartment battery, designed to support the energy needs of a multi-residential site.
In a typical apartment building, solar generation can be difficult to use well. A lot of solar energy is produced during the middle of the day, while many residents use more electricity in the morning and evening. Common areas also have their own load profile, including lifts, lighting, pumps, access systems, ventilation and shared amenities.
A large battery helps close that timing gap.
When solar generation is high, the battery can store surplus electricity instead of exporting it straight away. Later, when demand rises or grid energy is more expensive, the building can use stored power. This can reduce peak demand, lower grid reliance, and improve the value of onsite solar.
For apartment assets, that changes the business case.
The value is not only in kilowatt-hours stored. It is also in how the battery supports:
Peak demand reduction
The building can draw on stored energy during high-load periods.
Better solar self-consumption
More onsite solar can be used within the development.
Lower exposure to energy price swings
Stored energy gives the site more control over when it imports from the grid.
Future flexibility
Batteries can support changing loads as EV ownership and electrification increase.
For strata buildings, the lesson is clear. Battery storage is no longer only a detached-home product. When designed properly, shared battery systems can support common property, resident loads, and broader embedded energy arrangements.
An embedded microgrid turns the site into a coordinated energy system
The second major feature at Tuohy Gardens is its embedded microgrid. This is what allows multiple energy assets to work as one system.
A microgrid can include solar PV, battery storage, EV charging, grid connection, metering, control systems and resident supply arrangements. In an apartment setting, the value comes from coordination. The system can monitor demand across the site and decide how energy should flow.
That matters because multi-residential buildings have many competing loads. Resident apartments, common areas, EV chargers and plant equipment can all call for power at the same time. Without good control, the building may need larger grid capacity, face higher demand charges, or create constraints as more residents adopt electric vehicles.
An embedded microgrid can help manage that load intelligently.
For developers and building owners, this is where embedded networks become part of the discussion. An embedded network can allow energy to be supplied and managed within a multi-tenanted site, subject to the right technical, commercial and regulatory settings. Done well, it can support fair billing, better energy visibility, and a clearer pathway for shared infrastructure.
The key phrase is done well.
Poorly designed embedded networks can frustrate residents and create governance issues. Strong models need transparent pricing, compliant metering, clear customer protections, and simple processes for move-ins, move-outs and billing enquiries.
For architects, engineers and consultants, this means energy strategy needs to begin early. The microgrid affects electrical design, switchboard capacity, riser space, metering, communications, fire safety coordination, car park layouts and plant room planning. It cannot be treated as a late-stage add-on.
V2G EV charging brings vehicles into the energy equation
Vehicle-to-grid charging is one of the most interesting parts of the Tuohy Gardens model. Standard EV charging sends electricity from the building or grid into a vehicle. V2G can allow energy to flow the other way as well, from a compatible EV battery back into the building or grid.
That creates a major opportunity for apartments.
EVs have large batteries. Most cars spend more time parked than driving. In a managed environment, those parked vehicles can become flexible energy assets, provided the chargers, vehicles, software, network rules and resident agreements support it.
For a build-to-rent setting, V2G has several possible uses:
Charging vehicles when solar output is high
Reducing charging speeds during site peak demand
Supplying energy back to the building at selected times
Supporting the grid during periods of stress, where programs allow it
Giving residents access to smarter charging options
The technical details matter. Not every EV supports V2G. Not every charger can deliver it. Not every electricity market arrangement makes it simple. Battery warranty, resident consent, tariffs and control settings all need careful treatment.
Even so, the direction is clear. EV charging in apartment buildings is moving away from a simple “install a charger in each bay” model. The smarter path is managed charging, load sharing and future-ready infrastructure.
For strata communities, this is a practical warning. If EV charging is handled one request at a time, buildings can quickly run into capacity problems and fairness issues. A site-wide plan gives the community better options.
What strata communities can learn from the Tuohy Gardens model
Most strata buildings will not copy Tuohy Gardens exactly. Existing sites have different wiring, ownership structures, budgets and physical constraints. The real value is in the principles.
Start with the load profile
Before choosing solar, batteries or EV chargers, a strata community needs to understand how the building uses electricity. This includes common area loads, resident demand, peak periods, spare capacity, tariff structure and future EV uptake.
Good data prevents overbuilding and underbuilding. It also helps owners compare options on more than capital cost.
Treat EV charging as shared infrastructure
EV charging affects the whole building, even when chargers sit in private bays. Without a plan, early adopters may use capacity that later residents also need.
A better approach looks at:
Electrical capacity
Charger types
Billing arrangements
Fire safety and access
Cable pathways
Visitor charging
Rules for future installations
Make governance part of the design
Shared energy systems require clear rules. Who owns the battery? Who receives solar benefits? How are residents billed? Who maintains the system? What happens when someone sells or moves out?
These questions are not barriers. They are design requirements.
Plan for staged upgrades
Many existing strata buildings cannot complete a full microgrid upgrade at once. A staged plan can still make sense. For example, a building might begin with energy monitoring, then common area solar, then EV readiness, then battery storage when the business case improves.
The main point is to avoid stranded decisions. Each step should support the next one.
Why build-to-rent is well suited to shared energy systems
Build-to-rent has a different economic model from conventional build-to-sell apartment development. In a build-to-sell project, the developer usually aims to sell individual lots and recover capital as quickly as possible. That can make it harder to justify systems that pay back over many years.
Build-to-rent is different because the owner often holds the asset long term and earns income through rent. That changes the way energy, comfort, durability and operating costs are valued.
A sustainable build-to-rent model can benefit from:
Build-to-rent advantage | Why it matters for energy systems |
Long-term ownership | The asset owner can capture operating savings over time. |
Professional management | Systems can be monitored, maintained and improved consistently. |
Resident retention | Lower running costs and better amenities can support tenant satisfaction. |
Portfolio thinking | Lessons from one building can inform future projects. |
Better control of common assets | The owner can coordinate solar, batteries, EV charging and metering across the site. |
This does not mean every energy upgrade automatically pays for itself. The economics depend on capital cost, tariffs, demand charges, solar yield, resident behaviour, maintenance, finance and regulation.
The point is that build-to-rent gives owners more reasons to consider whole-of-life value. A lower-energy building can be cheaper to operate, more resilient to policy and tariff changes, and more attractive to residents who want comfort and lower emissions.
For developers, this can support a stronger investment case. Energy infrastructure can become part of the building’s operating platform, not only a sustainability claim in the sales brochure.
The development case is getting stronger
The property sector is facing higher expectations from residents, investors and regulators. Energy performance, electrification and climate resilience are moving into mainstream design conversations. NCC 2025 will keep attention on building performance, and many asset owners are already preparing for tighter expectations over time.
Tuohy Gardens shows how developers can respond with integrated systems rather than isolated features.
The development case often includes four main benefits.
Lower operating cost risk
Energy costs can affect common area budgets and resident satisfaction. Sites that generate, store and manage more of their own electricity can reduce some exposure to future price changes.
Stronger market appeal
Residents increasingly compare buildings on comfort, running costs, EV charging access and sustainability. A well-managed energy system can help a project stand out in the rental market.
Better asset performance
Investors are paying closer attention to operational performance, not only design intent. Energy monitoring, batteries and microgrids can provide clearer data on how a building performs in use.
Future readiness
Electrification is changing building loads. Gas replacement, heat pumps, induction cooking, EVs and smarter appliances all influence electrical design. Buildings that plan early are less likely to face expensive retrofits later.
What to watch as more projects follow
Tuohy Gardens is a useful reference point, but the next challenge is repeatability. The industry needs models that can be adapted to different sites, budgets and ownership structures.
Several issues will shape how quickly this approach spreads.
Regulation and customer protection
Embedded energy models need clear rules and fair outcomes. Residents should understand tariffs, billing and their choices.
Interoperability
Batteries, chargers, meters and control systems should work together. Poor integration can increase cost and reduce performance.
Maintenance skills
Smart buildings still need practical maintenance. Facility managers and contractors need the right training and documentation.
Resident communication
People need simple explanations of how the system affects bills, EV charging and day-to-day living. Good technology can still fail if the user experience is confusing.
Design coordination
Energy systems cut across architecture, electrical engineering, fire engineering, hydraulics, sustainability consulting, legal structuring and operations. Early coordination reduces expensive redesign later.
The takeaway for strata, developers and consultants
Tuohy Gardens is more than a sustainable apartment project. It is a working example of where multi-residential energy is heading in Western Australia.
The largest apartment battery helps shift and store onsite energy. The embedded microgrid coordinates supply, demand and shared infrastructure. V2G EV charging points to a future where parked vehicles can support the building, not just draw power from it.
For strata communities, the lesson is to plan energy upgrades as a system. For developers, the message is that build-to-rent can make long-term energy investment more commercially attractive. For engineers, architects and contractors, the opportunity is to design buildings that are ready for electrification from the start.
To see the project in person, view the event details and tickets for the tour of WA’s leading sustainable build-to-rent development.
The next generation of Perth apartments will not be judged only by how they look at handover. They will be judged by how well they perform, how easily they adapt, and how much control they give residents and owners over energy. Tuohy Gardens offers a clear look at that future.
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