Focus on Energy Efficiency: briefing by South South North Africa, Green Building Council of South Africa, PEER Africa, Council for Built Environment & Council for Scientific & Industrial Research

Meeting report

The Chairperson welcomed all the participating organisations. He said that it was important to broadly look at the issue of renewable energy and the Committee’s visit to the project in Atlantis, Cape Town had shown that.

Green Building Council of South Africa Presentation
Mr Manfred Braune, Technical Executive, Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) presented the Council’s brief on the built environment. The GBCSA sought to lead the transformation of the South African property industry to ensure that all buildings were designed, built and operated in an environmentally sustainable way.

The GBCSA had a board which was constituted by several different stakeholder organisations. In the field of commercial property development, Old Mutual Investment Group was represented. In the field of utilities and financial, Nedbank was represented and in the field of government there was representation from the Department of Public Works, the South African Local Government Association and the Department of Environmental Affairs.

The GBCSA outlined that South Africa was the thirteenth registered country under the World Green Building Council. Buildings were the main focus for the GBCSA as they accounted for 40% of end-use energy, 12% fresh water consumption and 40% solid waste generation. Buildings accounted for more carbon dioxide emission than the energy supply sector, the transport sector, the agriculture sector, the forestry sector and the waste sector. Challenges in addressing the problem of creating energy efficient buildings could be addressed by monitoring and controlling electric appliances and lighting systems in a building along with other issues that increased energy consumption.

The GBCSA highlighted the rating tools which were used to assess the energy efficiency levels of a building. Each rating tool used certain criteria  to assess energy efficiency including identifying different categories in which a building’s environmental could be improved, identifying specific initiatives that would improve performance, awarding points for incorporating initiatives, total the points awarded and then give a rating on the basis of the score attained by a particular building. The Green Star rating tool was the most used rating tool thus far in South Africa to assess building energy efficiency. The Green Star rating tool used nine categories to assess energy efficiency. The categories were:
•Building management
•Indoor environment quality
•Energy
•Transport
•Water
•Building materials
•Land use and ecology
•Emissions
•Innovation

Energy management represented the biggest opportunity for scoring points in the tool. The GBCSA highlighted other rating tools still under development. They were the public assembly and education building tool as well as the energy and water benchmarking tool. The GBCSA had educational courses which it offered. Among those courses was the Green Star South Africa Accredited Professional Course which had had over 2000 people trained. The GBCSA offered other specialist courses and conference education day courses.

The GBCSA highlighted its links with government. Government had sponsored the public building tool and had approved the use of the 4 Star Green Star South Africa as a best practice standard requirement for all new and refurbished government office buildings. The Department of Energy had been involved with the development of the GBCSA Energy benchmarking tool. The GBCSA was using benchmarking to develop further tools to lower energy and water consumption. Benchmarking would be beneficial in order to establish best practices with a local focus and would assist in achieving recognition for energy-efficient buildings amongst other things. The GBCSA hoped that with the introduction of these tools and other approaches it would be able to bring down energy consumption and help create energy efficient buildings.

Discussion
Mr K Moloto (ANC) expressed his appreciation for the presentation. He commented that a lot of work had been done in the built environment area. The presentation had lacked detail on what sort of status quo the GBCSA existed in South Africa with regard to the built environment. In addition, he asked what the GBCSA considered to be optimum for a completely energy efficient building and what sort of initiatives had been planned to address energy efficiency in the built environment in South Africa. Finally, he said that he had not benefited from the presentation as it solely focused on institutional arrangements rather than what regulations and initiatives existed to address energy efficiency.

Mr Braune replied that the GBCSA could only attempt to influence regulations but did not have the authority to issue regulations or enforce energy efficient/green buildings. There had been some success in exerting influence as shown by the imminent promulgation of South African National Standard 204 (SANS 204) which would be used as a rating tool for energy efficiency. SANS 204 had become the entry level rating tool for buildings to become compliant with other GBCSA rating tools for energy efficiency. The GBCSA would not certify any building under the Green Star rating without it having been compliant with SANS 204. The GBCSA continued to try to integrate national rating tools in the conduct of its work. Five buildings had thus far been certified by the GBCSA with another thirty registered for certification.

Mr S Radebe (ANC) sought clarity on regulations in existence around energy efficiency. The Committee needed to get an idea of what approach to take with respect to energy efficient buildings and the presentation did not clearly outline that.

Mr Braune reiterated that the GBCSA could only attempt to influence regulations but did not have the authority to issue regulations or enforce energy efficient/green buildings. There had been some success in exerting influence as shown by the imminent promulgation of South African National Standard 204 (SANS 204) which would be used as a rating tool for energy efficiency.

Mr J Selau (ANC) said that the Green Star rating system needed to be simplified for the general public. He asked when the pilot tools addressed in the presentation would be realised and in operation so that buildings in the country could be held to energy efficiency standards. He commented that he had spoken out for Parliament to adopt energy efficient standards and he felt strongly that the Union Buildings in Pretoria had to do the same thing. Politicians and national leaders should take the lead in the introduction of energy efficiency. He commented that civil servants should undergo the impressive educational training on energy efficiency offered by the GBCSA; it seemed to a very impressive system. He asked why there was no energy representation on the Council’s board. He said that it was unwise to use the USA as a benchmark for energy efficiency as that country did not exercise best practice.

Mr Braune responded that the Green Star tool was targeted at industry professionals but that there needed to be understanding at a general level and improvements in doing that were being made. He agreed that the GBCSA board should have energy representation and it would be an issue that would be addressed. The current Green Star tools were for new buildings and did not address existing buildings but work was being done to fix that. Parliament and the Union buildings could be certified with tools for existing buildings. The GBCSA would support educating civil servants on energy efficiency. Local technical working groups had been established so as to avoid copying international benchmarks with no consideration for the local situation. Tools were released in pilot version initially and then after stakeholder involvement was garnered they were finalised and implemented.

South South North Africa Presentation
Mr Steve Thorne, Director: South South North Africa briefed the Committee on the Kuyasa pilot project and the organisation’s focus on sustainable development. South South North Africa was an organisation which was focused on sustainable development. The organisation dealt with the mitigating energy efficiency issues and adapting to evolving energy consumption patterns. The organisation carried out its work through projects which required a hands-on and learning-by-doing approach rather than a purely academic approach. The organisation would then work to publish knowledge it gleaned in public domain.

Mr Thorne briefed the Committee on the Kuyasa project which was being coordinated by South South North Africa. The Kuyasa Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project was the first Gold Standard and African CDM project registered. It was being implemented in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. The project consisted of 2309 Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses, solar water heaters, insulated ceilings and energy efficient lighting.

The first steps in design in a project such as the Kuyasa project consisted of several processes. There had to be the selection of retrofit of technologies such as lighting, water heating and thermal performance improvements. There had to be the selection of a study sample for testing which had consisted of 10 houses. There had to be the retrofitting and monitoring of the housing through winter.  There had to be 15 community based meetings, project design drafting (using small scale CDM methods), project design registration, fund raising for implementation, and the eventual business plan and transfer to implementers. The project had to take account of poverty by including suppressed demand for energy service and develop real and measurable emissions reductions with a focus on rigour versus simplicity.

The Kuyasa project had seen implementation completed. There were many small sources of emissions which made transaction costs high. The total cost had been R30 million for full implementation of the project. R200 000 had been used for verification which was still awaiting completion. The suppressed demand needed to be included in methodological approach for replication. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions would be more appropriate for Kuyasa.

South South North Africa had played a role in establishing the National Sustainable Settlements Facility (NSSF). Among the NSSFs goals was the need to administer a CDM programme, and leverage and manage access to the additional upfront financing required for the incremental capital costs of sustainable energy interventions in low income housing. The NSSF had been the foundation upon which the Kuyasa project had been piloted and would serve as the vehicle for a national approach to low cost energy efficient housing.

The NSSF was led through a drafting Group established to provide guidance and legitimacy. It faced a number of challenges in the conduct of its work including gathering the income from carbon, demand side management, renewable energy certificates, and other externality interests. There was a loss of earnings for the utilities which needed to be recovered. The NSSF proposed two new large scale methods, namely solar water heating and thermal performance improvements. There would be several benefits through the implementation of projects such as Kuyasa including:
•Respiratory health burden reduced
•Provision of hot water – health / comfort
•Household cost savings due to energy efficiency
•Employment opportunities (EPWP)
•Peak demand reduced – defers new installed capacity
•Leadership for low cost housing / energy industry
•Entrepreneurial opportunities
•Implementing global commitments
•Local participation and decision-making

In the conduct of its research, the NSSF found that carbon finance for low income housing required a long term investment view. The returns to a programme were highly significant, both carbon revenues and co-benefits and risks were manageable. The main issue was around availability of upfront financing for capital interventions and identifying an entity to drive the programme. There was strong interest from the international community, especially in the Gold Standard programme. The NSSF model was replicable for other sub-sectoral mitigation approaches using projects to head to programmes to sub-sectors to future developing country commitments.

Discussion
Mr Radebe sought a progress report on Kuyasa with focus on skills transfer and the importation of solar panels for that project.

Mr Thorne replied that locally manufactured tanks and local wiring was being used since the initiation of the Kuyasa project, however the solar panels were imported from China.

Mr Selau expressed concern about the fact that Kuyasa was the only project of its kind and had been initiated in Cape Town. Projects such as Kuyasa should exist in other parts of the country as the focus on energy efficiency should not be exclusive to Cape Town. Secondly, he asked whether the Kuyasa project offered the best heat control for residents of energy efficient houses. Thirdly, he sought a financial breakdown of the Kuyasa project over seven years and whether the project would solely be focused in Cape Town or in the rest of the country.

Mr Thorne replied that the Kuyasa project was providing education upon which energy efficient housing could be built across the country and potentially across Southern Africa. The focus was on developing a national model. The heating of water in energy efficient houses was being looked at and required a balance in the mixing of different temperature water and water pressure. There was always a potential for overheating of water as the tanks were located on the roofs of the houses. The organisation had prepared a financial report in conjunction with the Development Bank outlining the breakdown for the project. The report could be distributed to the Committee upon request.

Mr S Motau (DA) said that the problem with the heating of water via solar panel energy and the problem of controlling the heat led people to use electricity to heat their water. He asked how that issue could be best addressed so as to stop the use of electricity which led to hiked electricity bills.

Mr Thorne replied that it was clear that there may be an increase in water usage in energy efficient housing. The issue needed to be looked into so as to slow down water consumption and manage water consumption in energy efficient houses. This could be done via low flow showerheads and the implementation of diverse water saving methods.

PEER Africa Presentation
Dr Douglas Guy, Co-Founder: PEER Africa, briefed the Committee on the bottom up approach to address the challenges that linked poverty and climate change highlighting the need for South Africa to promote the community driven (self-help) components of the climate change agenda.

PEER Africa had established the IEEECO™™ sustainable development methodology (based on 13 years on the ground experience) to provide a way to help government and communities design and implement new communities and new human settlements that offered a higher level of basic services on a national basis. The sustainable basic services model linked the project design and targets performance monitoring and delivery for the people that dwelt in the target areas and the municipality/provincial government that managed the infrastructure and the life cycle services. It was an integrated approach and plan to focus on eradicating the basic service issues and challenges facing communities as a priority, while at the same time looking for ways and means to enhance the delivery of these basic services via sustainable development, energy and environmentally conscious innovations that empowered the community themselves.

Dr Guy highlighted developments which had taken place at the Witsand IEECO village. He noted that because of the site design and layout which incorporated north facing orientation of the site which optimised the suns energy. The sun reduced the need for day lighting and removed the need for space heating. As long as the sun rose in the east and set in the west the families (indeed the entire village) would benefit from the project. Various housing types were semidetached and standalone IEEECO™™™ units. The site layout and design: outlined the integrated business and social economic development. The community was fully involved in the project and the town planning department challenged the orientation. PEER Africa had changed the business as usual town plan and street design for passive solar design and a life-time of benefits (Energy Related Health and Safety Benefits).

IEEECO™™ was a self help development methodology that enabled community driven components to be integrated into every facet of the development model. Special focus was on women development and management of various aspects of the process. Training and learning by doing were critical aspects of the project. Small and Medium Enterprise development and support were also key aspects. The community had been incorporated as an equal partner in development.

PEER Africa had successfully launched integrated IEEECO™ awareness within normal Government procedures without any significant outside funding. PEER Africa had developed a partnership with Eskom Demand Side Management to prove lower energy and water consumption. It had created a link to Demand Side Energy Management projects in the region during Cape Energy Crisis and had created jobs and additional training.

PEER Africa had integrated energy and environmental conditions with a view to conscious human settlement design/modified site plan as opposed to the business as usual in the Witsand project. The organisation had embedded monitoring evaluation reporting verification and certification. It had focused on women empowerment and community training. There had been an integration of government inspection and reporting. There had been Green pre-finance support for the Witsand project. The project had sought to develop the community with 2289 units set for construction. The project had targeted a mixed racial and economic demographic. It had sought to provide full facility construction.

The Witsand IEEECO™ project had faced its share of challenges, including:
•Community Factions Taking Advantage of Delays in construction
•Illegal wire connections
•Shack Influx Controls and Limited Police Support
•Coordination of Various Government Spheres and Departments to Obtain Social Economic •Amenities that Complete the Vision
•Certification of Service Levels
•Bankability
•Link with research and other stakeholders

Discussion
The Chairperson said that the presentation had been very interesting and added that the newly adopted weather stations would be a good initiative.

Mr Motau commented that the presentation had been very insightful.

Mr Selau suggested that the Committee should revisit the site where the houses were being built. 

The Chairperson said that the Committee should keep the presentation in mind for when it interacted with the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements as some of the issues raised pertained to that area.

Dr Guy thanked the Committee for the kind remarks and said that he knew that the Committee was working to find real solutions to energy efficiency. The problem of when to electrify which was being fought out between Eskom and municipalities could possibly be addressed through wind turbines which IEEECO™™™ was looking into. Wind turbines were being prototyped to assess viability.

Council for the Built Environment Presentation
Mr Zola Skosana, Researcher, Council for the Built Environment (CBE), briefed the Committee on energy efficiency in the built environment and the role of the CBE. The CBE was established in terms of the CBE Act No 43 of 2000 and had been mandated to promote and maintain a sustainable built environment and natural environment. The CBE was further required to facilitate participation by the built environment professions in integrated development in the context of national goals and also ensure the sustainable growth of the built environment professions.

The CBE supported the Cabinet decision on Long-Term Mitigation Scenarios (LTMS) to adopt the ‘start now’ strategic option to mitigate Greenhouse gas emissions. The ‘start now’ strategic option was based on accelerated energy efficiency and conservation across all sectors (industry, commerce, transport, residential – incl. more stringent building standards). The Council further supported the SANS 204 standard on energy efficiency in buildings. The CBE was mandated to provide regulation for several areas which related to energy efficiency. The CBE sought a holistic approach that addressed supply-side and demand-side issues, together with cross-cutting issues in the public sector in relation to energy efficiency.

On the supply side, the CBE would look to finalise the Recognition of New Professions policy framework which amongst others will institute mechanism and processes to recognise new knowledge areas, an important component being greenhouse gases mitigation and energy efficiency amongst other steps. On the demand side the CBE would work together with Professional Councils and Voluntary Associations to develop awareness raising campaigns targeting built environment professionals, employers and students with the purpose of explaining and communicating the rationale of national policies in support of greenhouse gases mitigation and sustainable development.

The CBE had proposed to develop a Public Sector Engineer Qualification to bolster the technical skill base of the public sector with one of the objectives being to address GREENHOUSE GASES mitigation in the public sector. It had also submitted to the National Climate Change Response Green Paper 2010 that the construction system was adopted as one of the key mitigation sectors to supplement the “Green” and energy saving industries sector development strategy.

In the 2009/10 financial year, the CBE undertook research that looked at an appropriate building rating tool for the public sector and the implications of requiring that a certain portion of public sector budgets are earmarked for energy efficiency measures. In the 2010/11 financial year the CBE completed policy position papers on Standards Generating Bodies (SGBs) and CPD. In the 2010/11 financial year, the CBE completed a policy position paper on the Recognition of New Professions with the recognition of new areas on greenhouse gases mitigation being one of the policy priority areas. Since the 2009/10 financial year, the CBE has been a member of the UNEP-SBCI which will enable the CBE to understand trends on energy efficiency as they evolve at a global level, while also contributing knowledge from the country’s experiences.

The mandate of the CBE compelled it to ensure that built environment professionals contributed to sustainable development and had responded by using its Human Resource Development policy instruments as one of the primary policy instruments to be used for greenhouse gases mitigation. The CBE had made the decision to undertake a holistic approach to greenhouse gases mitigation and energy efficiency by ensuring that it addressed demand-side, supply-side and  transversal approach that approach that addresses cross-cutting issues specifically in the public sector.

Discussion
Mr Selau sought clarity on what the CBEs role was in energy. It seemed that the CBE played a research role. He commented the presentation had been too general and lacked specificity. There was a lack of coordination across government departments on key issues and the CBE should have a role to intervene on that issue. It seemed that there was duplication going on in government when trying to address specific issues, with several institutions established to manage the same problem.  

Mr Skosana replied that the CBE should be invited more regularly to meetings with the Committee so that there was a better understanding of the Council and its work. The CBE regulated who practiced in the industry and who was permitted to construct in the built environment. The CBE worked in conjunction with stakeholders in the built environment industry and set the standards which they used to build. Sustainable development required designing buildings which were consistent with the socio economic climate of the country and the CBE ensured that those principles were upheld. The Council gave input on key issues in the industry prior to major decisions being taken. There was a fragmented policy space within the industry thus there were challenges in coordination. There was the same problem in government. Most coordination issues arose in the three spheres of government and it needed to be addressed.

The Chairperson said that he would have liked to have heard more information from the CBE. He asked why the CBE had a sole focus on mitigation rather than prevention.

Mr Skosana replied that the CBE was looking into adaptation with respect to having more of a preventative role in addressing challenges in the energy efficiency industry but that the adaptation needed to be underpinned by research.

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Presentation
Dr Llewellyn van Wyk, Research Group Leader, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), briefed the Committee on energy and the built environment.

The CSIR highlighted that global energy demand was expected to increase by 36% to 2035 with an annual increase of 1.2% until that year. Two-thirds of energy consumption occurred in non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries with 30% of world energy being consumed by China. World demand for electricity was also expected to grow with most rapid growth occurring in buildings. Non-residential areas showed the most rapid growth, due to growth in service activities, especially in non-OECD countries, increases in the demand for office space, hospitals, hotels, and other institutions and organisations. Fossil fuels accounted for one half of the increases with oil being dominant. 40% of world energy was used in the built environment and buildings accounted for the highest energy consumption when compared to other sectors such as transport and waste.

The manufacturing of base materials (steel, aluminium, cement, clay) required temperatures ranging from 1500° C to 3000° C to convert in products which added to excess use of energy. Excess energy was also expended in the various modes of transport used by the world populace. The use of pumps pumping water to far away destinations such as the Lesotho Highlands Water project further added to excess energy usage. Wastewater treatment and landfills also led to excess uses of energy. A lot of energy was wasted before it was used effectively, with 90% of energy extracted from the ground being wasted before it was effectively used.

The CSIR proposed 10 solutions to wasteful energy usage:
•Contain Urban Sprawl
•Invest in compact cities
•Extend public transport
•Develop integrated urban development
•Invest in passive housing with low energy usage
•Invest in small scale solutions
•Create zero service buildings which require minimal energy usage
•Invest in innovative and biocomposite materials
•Design out construction waste
•Invest in alternative energy

The CSIR informed the Committee of its work on the Kleinmond Housing Project which incorporated energy efficient practices. The Committee was invited to visit the site.

Discussion
Mr Moloto commented that the presentation had been quite comprehensive and agreed with most of the views in it. He commented that the densification of buildings was not as challenging as land management as there were spatial challenges in the country. He asked how pumps could be reengineered to ensure that they were energy efficient. He asked whether the CSIR had done any research into the mining industry. He asked how to address energy consumption by office equipment.   

Dr van Wyk replied that the compact cities idea was an uncomfortable one. The global populace continued to rise and compact cities offered a solution to address spatial constraints and the rise in the populace. Solutions to energy efficiency were complex but they needed to be addressed, making clever use of space would go a long way in conserving energy. As technology evolved, so did the manner in which pumps would be produced. Legislation would have to increasingly fall in line with energy efficiency principles so as to address issues such as the pumps. The CSIR did a lot of work within the mining industry but the main problem with respect to energy efficiency arose from several other sources and the energy it took to manufacture them. In order to make a brick, it had to bake in 3000 degrees Celsius, and to melt steel, you needed to melt it at 1000 degrees Centigrade. It would be difficult to address energy consumption in buildings but buildings needed to become less supported by energy draining equipment and more needed to be done to cut down on building’s power consumption.

Mr Radebe commented that there were several areas in which energy could be used more wisely. Transport was an area where energy output could be managed. Also, he asked whether natural resources could not be used to circumvent overuse of energy.

Dr van Wyk said that bicycles could offer a good transport alternative which could save energy. Natural resources should be used to address energy efficiency, especially in places in the country where there was a wealth of natural resources. There needed to be smarter decision making around energy usage as there were many ways in which those issues could be addressed.

Mr Selau commented that the challenges for energy efficiency were great. He asked whether the CSIR would be present at the Climate Change Conference to be hosted in the country.

Dr van Wyk responded that the CSIR would attend the Climate Change Conference.

The Chairperson accepted the invitation to visit Kleinmond Housing Project on behalf of the Committee.

Adoption of Committee’s Strategic Plan
The Chairperson tabled the report for consideration.

The Committee adopted the strategic plan without amendments.

Adoption of Oversight Visit to Atlantis Report
The Chairperson tabled the report for consideration.

The Committee adopted the report with minor amendments.

Adoption of Committee Budget
The Chairperson tabled the report for consideration.

The Committee adopted the budget without amendments.

The meeting was adjourned.