SA Affordable Housing March / April 2018 // Issue: 69 | Page 23

FEATURES
The Belhar project showing the heat pump installation on the roof of each building.
Council of South Africa (GBSA) is the go-to source for EDGE
certification and can help you to certify your project and
quickly increase its marketability. GBSA is leading the
transformation of the South African property industry to
ensure that buildings are designed, built and operated in
an environmentally sustainable way. GBCSA is the
exclusive provider of EDGE certification in South Africa.
“Improving energy efficiency in the affordable housing
market has several energy and environmental benefits. For
example, it contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions, helps reduce energy costs for the
building’s occupants, improves indoor air quality, increases
living comfort and can add to the overall value of a
property,” says Mark Gillott, business development
director at Knauf Insulation (UK).
Taking this into account, we consider some of the major
components that play a role in efficiency in the affordable
housing market. They include things such as water heating
solutions, water conservation, lighting, insulation and
alternative energy sources. This not only ties into the
strategy of the National Development Plan (NDP), it also
holds value for the developer as well as uplifting the user
by offering transferred savings of consumption.
A FORETHOUGHT OR AN AFTERTHOUGHT?
“It is of course advisable to plan ahead and design a
comprehensive, whole-unit approach to energy efficiency,
and while it’s easier to install insulation as an example
during the build phase, there are many methods to retrofit
to existing or older buildings to improve energy efficiency,
save money on energy costs and enhance acoustic
benefits,” says Gillott, which is the afterthought.
SANS 10400-XA: the application of the national building
regulations — XA2: Energy usage in buildings –stipulates
that at least 50% of volume of the annual average hot
water heating requirement shall be provided by means
other than electrical resistance heating including, but not
limited to, solar heating, heat pumps and heat recovery
from other systems or processes.
According to Christie Schröder, managing director of
Heinlo Heating and Cooling Solutions, “As a forethought
we have seen an increase in the number of developers or
clients proactively incorporating energy and water
efficient systems into their developments as from the
planning phase, driven by the advantages for the owner
and consumer.” This allows for the best system to be
designed for a specific project, and client requirements can
be met.
“As an afterthought we have also installed, for example,
many alternative energy retrofit hot water installations
with great success, but this definitely has design and cost
implications,” Schröder adds.
MULTI-STOREY PROJECTS AND STAND-ALONE UNITS
Multi-story projects allow for the use of bulk centralised
systems (heat pumps, solar and so on) which have financial
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
MARCH - APRIL 2018
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