https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

USAID building gets green star rating

18th May 2016

By: Anine Kilian

Contributing Editor Online

  

Font size: - +

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has awarded the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) new office building, in Pretoria, with a five-star rating, after improvements were made to the building.

These included the installation of a solar panel grid system, soundproofing of technical rooms and the installation of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting throughout the building and compound.
 
“USAID is committed to creating an environmentally and socially responsible workplace without taxing local resources. We continue to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and energy use, while pursuing solutions to development challenges around the world,” said USAID Southern Africa mission director Cheryl L Anderson.
 
The building’s design supported US President Barack Obama’s Power Africa Initiative, which partnered with more than 120 government, donor and private sector entities to improve access to cleaner energy in sub-Saharan Africa.
 
Environmental awareness was reflected in the design and construction of the new building, as well as the landscaping.

The four-storey building featured 1 400 solar panels that generate clean electricity, and a building management system controlled the lighting and air conditioning by zones, thereby reducing electricity consumption.

A grey water system captured 50 000 ℓ of rainwater for flushing toilets and urinals, thereby reducing water consumption and discharge on-site by 50%.

The landscaping included 20 000 low-water-tolerant ground cover plants and 110 new trees, watered with a drip irrigation system that delivered water slowly and efficiently to the roots of plants.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Showroom

Magni SA
Magni SA

Magni SA is committed to developing the safest Telehandlers available to our customers for underground and surface mining, construction, forestry,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.068 0.119s - 157pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now