Financial services provider Absa is the first bank to achieve compliance with the country’s new building energy performance regulations, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) reports.

In December 2020, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) gazetted ‘Regulations for the Mandatory Display and Submission of Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings’.

Under these regulations, buildings in South Africa must have their energy performance assessed by an accredited party, which rates the building from A to G for energy efficiency.

At least a D-rating must be achieved, to be compliant with the minimum energy efficiency requirements contained in the national Building Regulations.

SANEDI has been tasked with developing, hosting and maintaining the National Energy Performance Building Register.

The Absa Oude Bloemhof Building, in Stellenbosch, has received an energy performance certificate (EPC) after a comprehensive building energy performance assessment. With a C-rating, the building performs above average and complies with the new government regulations.

“We will be looking to improve on this rating in the future, in line with our Road to Green strategy,” Absa energy and systems VP Edwin Mavhungu says. 

SANEDI energy efficiency and corporate communications GM Barry Bredenkamp notes that building owners have until December 2022 to comply with the new building energy efficiency regulations.

Once issued, an EPC must be displayed at the building’s entrance and needs to be renewed every five years, giving building owners the opportunity to improve their energy performance during that period.

The EPC regulations apply to nonresidential buildings with a net floor area of at least 2 000 m² in the private sector and 1 000 m² for government buildings.

For the purposes of the EPC, a building’s energy performance is measured in terms of kilowatt-hours per square metre a year of net floor area.