Case Study: Kingston Tower

About Kingston Tower Kingston Tower is a prestige residential complex designed by noted Canberra architect Bryan Dowling and completed in 1985. The building comprises 27 apartments across two per floor. Parking is a mix of individual lock-up garages on the ground floor and allocated open car spaces in the building’s shared undercover car park. No Wi-Fi connection was available in the parking area. As one of Kingston’s most established addresses, the building’s owners were determined that any electrical work would preserve the same standard of quality residents expect from the rest of the property. The Challenge All individual lock-up garages had a general power outlets (GPOs), with others in the shared undercover area. All were connected to common power. Historically, they were used for low-consumption appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, which the Owners Corporation (OC) did not identify as a concern due to the minimal energy usage. Over time, more residents began using these GPOs to trickle-charge their petrol cars and other appliances—unmetered and unbilled. The OC was concerned that as people purchase EVs, more of those outlets would be used with no way for the OC to see who was using them, or how much, to recoup the cost. Beyond that, given that EV’s have a significantly higher load than other appliances, the building required a level of load management to protect the building infrastructure. With every GPO on the same shared supply, this electricity was paid for by all — including owners not using their GPOs at all. The OC needed a fix that closed off unmetered access fairly, without penalising residents who weren’t part of the problem. Until now, the only solution considered was to disconnect all GPOs. Did You Know? The average Australian drives approximately 15,000 km annually, which translates to roughly 2,000 kWh of EV charging energy per year (depending on vehicle efficiency). At an electricity rate of $0.30/kWh, that’s around $600 per EV per year in energy costs. For an Owners Corporation, even with multiple EVs charging on-site, the annual electricity exposure is typically $500–$700 per EV per year, depending on usage patterns, tariffs, and charging behaviour. The NOX Energy Approach NOX Energy proposed a full replacement solution. Every existing garage and car space outlet is swapped for a 15A/3.4kW Intelligent Power Socket (IPS), installed using the existing circuits — no switchboard upgrade and no new cabling required. Every session now runs through the NOX Energy App, so every user can pay for 100% of the electricity they use, and the OC is not out of pocket. Additionally, the NOX load management system protects the building infrastructure Because the rollout covered every existing outlet at once, there was no gap for unmetered use to continue — and the OC gained full visibility through the NOX Management System from day one. Residents still continue to have access to power, with no GPOs disconnected. How Residents Use it With every existing GPO now individually metered, unpaid use of common power has been eliminated immediately — ensuring transparent usage and fair access for all residents. Many residents continue to rely on their garage power for other purposes, including running fridges, freezers, tools, and other equipment. Others who travel frequently use trickle charging to maintain their petrol vehicles while away. Currently, only one resident is using the IPS for EV charging. However, by making dedicated charging access available to all residents, the building has removed a key barrier to EV adoption — allowing residents to confidently consider purchasing an EV without concerns around access restrictions by the OC. Power Access Beyond EV Charging By default, the IPS has a minimum power draw threshold set for safety. In specific cases, such as Kingston Tower, NOX Energy can adjust this setting to accommodate lower-power devices. This ensures residents can continue to safely operate everyday appliances such as fridges, freezers, and tools — demonstrating that the IPS is not only an EV charging solution, but a flexible, multifunctional access to power. Results Kingston Tower converted every existing GPO to IPS. Wi-Fi access points were installed to ensure sufficient coverage in the car park area. The installation took 4 days in total. Approximate Project Costs: Total: $18,000

Case Study: Inkerman & Nelson

About Inkerman & Nelson Inkerman and Nelson is a contemporary residential precinct in Balaclava comprising 26 two and three-storey townhouses arranged around central courts and walkways.  The development was recognised with a Commendation for Residential Architecture in the Multiple Housing category, praised for delivering a medium-density typology that responds thoughtfully to its context and the demands of modern living.  As the community matured, the need for practical, future-ready infrastructure became a natural next step for residents. The Challenge When the building approached NOX Energy in February, it had no existing EV charging infrastructure and no building-wide Wi-Fi network to support a centralised charging solution. A traditional Owners Corporation-funded model was not the right fit for this community. The building needed an approach that gave residents individual choice and control without requiring the entire strata to commit to a single upfront investment. The NOX Energy Approach NOX Energy proposed an individual opt-in model that placed the decision and the cost directly in the hands of each resident.  A Wi-Fi network was installed across the building and paid for by the Owners Corporation. This was installed as a wide building amenity to support not only the charging infrastructure, but future upgrades to security systems.  A survey was conducted across all 26 apartments to gauge interest, and residents were offered the opportunity to install a NOX Energy IPS unit in their own car space for $1,100. Those who wanted to charge could move forward immediately, while those who were not yet ready faced no obligation. Resident Response The level of interest exceeded expectations. With only two EVs in the building, out of the 26 apartments surveyed, 17 accepted the offer, representing approximately 65% participation.  15 apartments installed one device each, while 2 apartments installed two devices, bringing the total to 19 NOX devices across the building.  For a community with no prior EV infrastructure, the result was a clear signal that demand was already there.  Results Inkerman and Nelson went from zero EV infrastructure to 19 installed devices across 17 apartments in a single, well-coordinated rollout. From initial enquiry to installation, including surveys, it took just under 16 weeks.  The opt-in model proved that resident-funded installations can achieve strong uptake when the process is simple, the cost is transparent, and the solution is designed around how the building actually works. Approximate Project Costs:  19 IPS’ installed – $23,000 Wi-Fi Network – $9,000 Total: $32,000

Case Study: Canberra Build-To-Rent Apartments

About The Build-To-Rent Apartments A 156-apartment build-to-rent development in Canberra sought to offer EV charging in resonse to resident demand and as a market differentiator — without the capital risk of expensive infrastructure upgrades. The BTR operator wanted a solution that could generate revenue from day one, scale as EV adoption grew across the building, and require zero ongoing operational burden on the property management team. Barriers to EV Charging For a BTR operator, the traditional EV charging model creates an immediate problem: high upfront capital cost with no guaranteed return. Conventional Level 2 charger installations — requiring dedicated circuits, switchboard upgrades, and individual billing systems — can cost $5,000–$10,000 per bay. Across even a modest portion of a 156apartment building, this represents a significant capital outlay with uncertain uptake. The operator needed a solution that could be installed without disruption, scale bay-by-bay as EV ownership grew, and generate a net-positive return from the first resident sign-up. The NOX Energy Solution NOX Energy deployed 8 IPS units across selected car spaces — installed using existing infrastructure, no switchboard upgrades required. Operational in under a week. Each resident pays only for the electricity they use, with automated billing and operator reimbursement handled entirely by the NOX platform. The BTR operator charges an additional a $10/week parking premium per EVenabled bay, and applied a custom energy tariff on top of NOX’s $0.05/kWh service fee — creating two independent revenue streams from day one. NOX handles all billing, load management, maintenance, and resident support. Zero admin burden on the operator. Results The Canberra BTR now generates revenue from its car park — not just costs. With 100% resident uptake within two weeks of installation, every EV-enabled bay is active. The combined parking premium and energy tariff place payback at under 16 months. Key Project Findings:

Case Study: Sierra Hawthorn

Sierra is a large-scale residential and commercial development comprising 241 apartments, five commercial lots, and an extensive carpark, presenting a scale and structural complexity that few EV charging providers…

Case Study: Oaks Harmony

Oaks Harmony is a residential strata community with a dedicated bike parking area used by many delivery e-bikes. Despite this, there was no infrastructure for convenient, safe charging. The challenge…

Case Study: Boxshall Residences

Boxshall is a residential strata building that has already invested in early EV infrastructure, including a dedicated EV distribution board and Ethernet cabling to every car park bay. The groundwork…

Case Study: The Anchorage

Originally built as the Swallow and Ariell (now famously known as Arnott’s) biscuit factory, Anchorage is a heritage-listed residential building with over 160 years of history. Its protected status reflects…