In the midst of South Africa’s current power and possible water crisis, green building technologies and methodologies are perceived as a critical element in improving the sustainability of residential, commercial, and government buildings. This energy-saving mindset will contribute towards saving 3,000 MW every day for the foreseeable future. Green building will not only save energy, but also put South Africa on the map as an environment-friendly nation, premised on economic growth and development.
The recent creation of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) looks to provide a forum for the property industry, scientists, consultants, and government to work in promoting sustainable energy-saving building practices. A newly developed “voluntary” rating tool will be a guide for the establishment of green buildings and will include legislation on insulation levels, solar water heaters, and energy-efficient lighting.
Green buildings have been known to reduce consumption of electricity by up to 50%, while maintaining the least expensive and most cost-effective solution for an ailing economy. In 2007 Engineering News reported that the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) and the Department of Public Works (DPW) were gearing up to retrofit 106,000 government buildings with energy-efficient lighting. The DPW will implement an energy-efficient program in all government-owned and leased buildings, which would include energy-efficient light bulbs, card-control devices, and motion detectors. Clicks, a South African retailer, has halted the sale of incandescent light bulbs, and is likely to restock its inventory with energy-saving bulbs.
Saint-Gobain Construction Products technical and specification division GM Lisa Reynolds, states that “South Africa is set in its ways and has been building the same way for the past 80 years, and change required from the construction industry is not as huge or not as expensive as people make it out to be.” The question of whether the concept of green building will be accepted in