SA Affordable Housing March / April 2018 // Issue: 69 | Page 24

FEATURES
External wall insulation - an example of a retrofit solution.
benefits for the developer, whereas smaller stand-alone
units tend to use solar or gas installations for hot
water heating.
Generally, water saving devices are installed at point of
use, so the application doesn’t necessarily differ between
multi-storey and stand-alone units. What is available on
the market are items such as aerators, flow regulators and
control valves which can be installed at each point whether
a basin tap, shower or bath. More advanced water saving
technologies include valves fitted to hot water supply that
divert any cold water back into the system to minimise the
waste of potable (drinkable) water. Other innovations
address toilet flush systems, reducing flushes to as little as
four to six litres of water rather than the standard average
of 13ℓ; they can also address the correct treatment and use
of greywater.
SPECIFICATIONS AND SUPPLIER CRITERIA
The requirements are gathered from the client, with
assistance of a consultant. “It is of the utmost importance
that the specification of the system is done by a person
with thorough knowledge of the design and of the
particular product,” Schröder stresses. Under or over
design will cause various problems. “It is therefore
important to choose a supplier with a proven track record
and experience in the field of, for example, hot water
heating and on the related products,” adds Schröder.
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MARCH - APRIL 2018
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
Building standards SANS10252 specify the different
water usage criteria for different types of buildings
and applications.
TECHNOLOGY MOVING AT RAPID PACE
Technology and innovation are ever changing, in fact
changing at such a rate that creating standards and
consequently regulation becomes a real challenge. By the
time for example, technical committees have been
established, technology has already changed and therefore
needs constant research and inputs. This was one of the
key points addressed at the South African Bureau of
Standards (SABS) Standards and Competition Law Indaba
held at the end of 2017.
Schröder notes, “We strive to stay on the forefront of
technological advances, and have partnered with various
experts in specific fields, which enables us to stay on top of
changes in the markets which will lead to increased
efficiency. The cost and client requirements however have
an influence on the design and selection of the most
efficient system for each particular development.”
“Also, putting the customer at the heart of everything
we do, means we are constantly revising our approach to
energy efficiency and other such critical areas, so that
when it comes to other aspects such as fire safety, our non-
combustible products have an unbeatable A1 Euroclass
(reaction to fire),” Gillott adds.