Pressure is mounting on corporates, particularly multinational companies operating in South Africa, to adhere to a certain level of expectation with regard to the environment and sustainability, says Michael Aldous, green building initiative head at PD Naidoo & Associates (PDNA), a consulting engineering company.

And these pressures, Aldous believes, will continue to rise as new standards and regulations are promulgated.

He refers to the Green Star rating tool launched this month, which will rate buildings according to predetermined metrics and will encourage all South African companies to achieve a quantifiable measure for green building certification; the South African National Standard 204 for energy efficiency; and the ISO 50001, an international standard on energy management that will establish a framework for industrial plants, commercial facilities and organisations to manage energy.

While the historical mindset of organisations will take time to change and the typical project duration may not allow for immediate action, Aldous says that green development is a growing trend complemented by advancing technologies and solutions that organisations will begin to embrace for their potential benefits.

However, he adds that there is an increase in the installation of more efficient light fittings, and other interventions, but that the scope for energy savings and sustainability is much greater, and that efficiencies can be achieved with a paradigm shift in the way buildings are managed with respect to water, waste and energy.

PDNA is proactively searching for opportunities to introduce green technology and sustainability in all its projects and buildings.

Currently, the company is applying several green engineering and design techniques in its projects.

Aldous explains that an effective way to save energy is to target direct energy consumers such as heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting, and that saving, can be enhanced through passive design considerations, including building orientation, insulation and shading.

“The energy-saving scope exists across the built environment spectrum, from new construction through to existing retrofits. Techniques applied to energy conservation range from the use of simple low-wattage light fittings through to complex electrical, thermal and mechanical optimisation. PDNA is also currently investigating the use of solar-powered air conditioners on a commercial scale,” says Aldous.

A green technique used by PDNA is rainwater harvesting, through which rain water is collected, stored and used for irrigation purposes. Consideration is given to more suitable building materials where alternatives exist through evaluating durability, recyclability and cost.

On the civil engineering side, PDNA have begun promoting the control and minimisation of erosion during construction with techniques that include cut off trenches, silt fences and temporary ponds, as well as establishing permanent stormwater attenuation ponds. “The flows caught in these ponds are slowly released back into the municipal system, reducing peak storm loads on rivers and stormwater systems,” says Aldous.

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