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Green Building News

GBCSA adopts green-product certification scheme

By: David Oliveira 2nd April 2015 Sustainable product certification provider Global GreenTag’s green-product rating and certification system, Green Tag, which is used internationally to assess the environmental attributes of products, has been acknowledged by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) as a valuable... →

Green building on Africa city development agenda

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 18th March 2015 With cities contributing about 70% of the world’s energy-related greenhouse-gas emissions, but only occupying 2% of land, sustainability has become one of the most significant drivers for growth, and would become entrenched in building design and occupier requirements. This was one of the... →

An artist's impression of One Airport Square, Ghana

Renewable-energy solutions could help households beat power crisis

By: Donna Slater 6th March 2015 If a third of all South African households implemented renewable-energy power solutions, such as photovoltaic (PV) panels and wind turbines, State-owned power utility Eskom’s current capacity issues could be alleviated, says Port Elizabeth-based alternative power solutions company Kestrel... →

RENEWABLE ENERGY BENEFIT A significant benefit of the grid-connected system is its ability to feed excess electricity back into the national grid

Water professionals agree: South African cities can achieve water excellence

By: Dylan Stewart 6th March 2015 South Africa and many other developing nations had an opportunity to leapfrog conventional inefficient water systems and lead the way in achieving water-sensitive urban areas, announced Monash University water engineering professor Ana Deletic at the launch of the Water Research Commission’s... →

Dhesigan Naidoo discusses water sensitive design.

Shipping containers converted into student housing

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 27th February 2015 Property management company Citiq has officially opened its Umhlanga Junction Extension, a 75-bed student apartment block, in Brixton, built entirely from shipping containers. Situated in Caroline Street, the striking building was erected within two months. “We believe Brixton has amazing... →

Compact housing launched onto national market

By: Donna Slater 27th February 2015 Grabouw-based timber homes company Rustic Homes last month launched a rustic modular-design luxury housing solution, the Eco Cabin, which uses locally available materials unique to the Western Cape, onto the national market. →

MODULAR DESIGN The small cabin is premade in Rustic Homes’s factory in Elgin, about 70 km south-east of Cape Town

Aveng seeking to navigate through weak infrastructure, commodities cycle

By: Irma Venter 27th February 2015 Construction and engineering group Aveng has been faced with weak markets almost everywhere it turned, says CEO Kobus Verster. Continued softness in the local construction sector has made it particularly difficult for the still-struggling Grinaker-LTA to regain its footing. →

Group Five pares back civils unit amid subdued outlook

By: Irma Venter 27th February 2015 Construction and engineering company Group Five plans to shed 250 jobs in its civil engineering division this financial year, says CEO Eric Vemer. The restructuring will come at a retrenchment cost of more than R25-million. →

WBHO reports 11% increase in H2 revenue

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 23rd February 2015 Moderate growth across all Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) business segments has resulted in an 11%, or R14.7-billion, increase in revenue from continuing operations in the six months ended December 31, the JSE-listed construction company reported on Monday. The group also noted a 4% increase in... →

Energy conservation key feature of Western Cape student residence

By: Sashnee Moodley 20th February 2015 Student accommodation group Stag African has started construction on a R43-million accommodation project for Stellenbosch University’s Tygerberg campus, in the Western Cape. →

JOHN SCHOOLING Good student accommodation results in a significant improvement in academic performance

Inside the giant Waterfall Estate property development

By: Anine Kilian 20th February 2015 The 2 200 ha, multi billion Rand Waterfall City development currently under construction could potentially become Gauteng’s new central business district, enabling large corporates to consolidate their Johannesburg base. The land is owned by the Waterfall Islamic Institute. The Attacq Waterfall... →

WEC Africa vice-chair calls for energy development for Africans, by Africans

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th February 2015 Africa had the potential to be one of the biggest providers of energy in the world, but was still seen as a “good for nothing” continent, particularly with regard to US investment, World Energy Council (WEC) Africa vice-chairperson Bonang Mohale said on Wednesday. Addressing delegates at the... →

Weak markets, problem contracts take toll on Aveng

By: Irma Venter 17th February 2015 Construction and engineering group Aveng was faced with weak markets almost everywhere it turned, said CEO Kobus Verster on Tuesday. Continued softness in the local construction sector made it particularly difficult for the still-struggling Grinaker-LTA to regain its footing. →

Kobus Verster

Creamer Media publishes Construction 2015: A review of South Africa’s construction sector research report

16th February 2015 Creamer Media’s Construction 2015 Report examines South Africa’s construction industry over the past 12 months. The report provides insight into the business environment; the key participants in the sector; local construction demand; geographic diversification; corporate activity; black economic... →

Renewable-energy projects necessitate careful planning – Birdlife SA

By: Donna Slater 13th February 2015 Establishing electricity generation facilities, including renewable-energy facilities, necessitates careful planning to mitigate the risk to birds, other wildlife, the natural ecosystems and area-specific habitats, says bird conservation organisation Birdlife South Africa (SA). →

COLLISION RISK
Birds can be killed or injured if they collide with wind turbines or associated infrastructure such as power lines

Photo by Reuters
COLLISION RISK Birds can be killed or injured if they collide with wind turbines or associated infrastructure such as power lines

Massive commercial industry potential for solar energy

By: Donna Slater 13th February 2015 The renewable energy sector should focus on commercial ventures in its drive to increase the uptake of solar energy through photovoltaic (PV) panels, rather than the current industry focus on the residential sector, says renewable-energy company Green Habitat. →

COMMERCIAL FOCUS Large shopping centres have lots of unused rooftop space where photovoltaic panels can be installed

Group Five to shed 250 jobs as SA civils market cools

By: Irma Venter 11th February 2015 Construction and engineering company Group Five planned to shed 250 jobs in its civil engineering division this financial year, said CEO Eric Vemer on Wednesday. The restructuring would come at a retrenchment cost of more than R25-million. →

Photo by Duane Daws
Eric Vemer

Tower Property increases revenue to R118m

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 6th February 2015 JSE-listed Tower Property Fund’s revenue increased by 38% to R118-million for the six months ended November 30, 2014, owing to active asset portfolio management that continued to reduce operating costs. Despite “an increasingly difficult trading environment”, the fund also increased its operating... →

Energy-saving unit ideal for SA energy needs

By: Jonathan Rodin 6th February 2015 South Africa is implementing stricter electricity- and water-saving regulations, which will automatically create opportunity for those operating in the green solutions industry, as companies and individuals will be forced to consider alternative heating and cooling solutions, says green building... →

SOPHISTICATION The system is supported by a sophisticated automation system that enables the user to save money without compromising comfort

Heat transfer specialist commits to sustainability

By: Jonathan Rodin 6th February 2015 With industrial processes placing an ever-increasing demand on the environment, it is imperative for equipment manufacturers to streamline product development processes with energy conservation, energy management and the preservation of natural resources to ensure a sustainable future, says... →

SUSTAINABLITY
The design of the coolers and condensers offers improved system efficiency and environmental responsibility by reducing water and electricity use

Photo by reuters
SUSTAINABLITY The design of the coolers and condensers offers improved system efficiency and environmental responsibility by reducing water and electricity use

DoE reveals plans for revitalising SWH rebate programme

By: Natasha Odendaal 5th February 2015 Shortly after having taken the reins of the national solar water heater (SWH) programme from State-owned power utility Eskom, the Department of Energy (DoE) on Thursday announced its plans to revitalise the stalled industry. Eskom exited the SWH rebate programme, which had been under way since... →

ACSA invests in solar energy for regional airports

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 2nd February 2015 Airports Company South Arica (ACSA) has called on interested parties to bid for the design of two 500 KWp photovoltaic (PV) solar plants, for installation at its Upington International and its Kimberley airports respectively. ACSA regional airports GM Yvette Schoeman told Engineering News Online... →

DTI, Sessa hit impasse over view of SWH industry status

By: Natasha Odendaal 26th January 2015 A debate over the impact on the industry of the local content regulations governing solar water heaters (SWHs) has heated up as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and industry body, the Sustainable Energy Society Southern Africa (Sessa) stand firm on their views. The DTI this week... →

Beverage manufacturer opens R70m plant near Joburg airport

23rd January 2015 US-based beverage producer Pepsi this month set up operations, with about 300 employees, at a new R70-million high-tech, custom-built headquarters at OR Tambo International Airport’s Aerotropolis precinct in Johannesburg. Pepsi, through its South African company Simba, will be headquartered at... →

INCREASED DEMAND While some developers are cutting down on expenditures, Krisp Properties has been registering increased demand for its OR Tambo-based office park

Photo by Bloomberg
INCREASED DEMAND While some developers are cutting down on expenditures, Krisp Properties has been registering increased demand for its OR Tambo-based office park

Aurecon expands to second building, eyes another Green Star rating

By: Natasha Odendaal 19th January 2015 Aurecon was targeting a Green Star South Africa (SA) rating for a new R88-million green office building that will be built next to its existing Century City office building, in Cape Town, by November. Aurecon, which built the first five-star Green Star SA Office Design v1-rated office in 2011,... →

New Sasol building to embody logo – architects

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 14th January 2015 South African chemicals group Sasol’s new corporate office at 2 Katherine street, Sandton, has been designed to resemble the company’s logo, architecture firm Paragon Architects noted on Wednesday. The ten-storey office building, which would span almost 70 000 m2, would consolidate the company’s... →

N4 road construction delay cost Esor ‘dearly’

By: Irma Venter 12th December 2014 A roads project on the N4 that took 42 months to complete instead of 30, had cost Esor dearly, said CEO Wessel van Zyl in November as he unveiled the construction group’s financial results for the six months ended August 31 in Johannesburg. The total loss over the life of the project, which... →

Group Five looking beyond Africa for growth prospects

By: Irma Venter 5th December 2014 Construction company Group Five says its strategy is strongly focused on expansion in Africa, with selected projects in Russia and Northern America also possibly on the horizon. Outgoing CEO Mike Upton says the South African construction industry saw what appears to be “a false dawn” a year ago,... →

Esor loss deepens, but problem contracts completed, says CEO

By: Irma Venter 27th November 2014 A roads project on the N4 that took 42 months to complete instead of 30, had cost Esor dearly, said CEO Wessel van Zyl on Thursday as he unveiled the construction group’s financial results for the six months ended August 31 in Johannesburg. The total loss over the life of the project, which... →

Group Five looks at Africa, Russia, North America as SA market cools

By: Irma Venter 21st November 2014 Construction company Group Five says its strategy is strongly focused on expansion in Africa, with selected projects in Russia and Northern America also possibly on the horizon. Outgoing CEO Mike Upton says the South African construction industry saw what appears to be “a false dawn” a year ago,... →

Going green hampered by cost implications

By: Mia Breytenbach 31st October 2014 The South African market tends to be indifferent towards the green industry trend, with the current market seemingly not valuing buildings that practise green management or that have been designed with green principles, says integrated facilities management solutions provider Servest. “As the... →

GREEN INDIFFERENCE Companies are focusing more on short-term investments and returns to reduce upfront investment costs, which negates the “green impact”

Industry increasing mass-balance approach – consulting firm

By: Mia Breytenbach 31st October 2014 The local engineering industry is increasingly undertaking a mass-balance approach for its production and environmental impacts, where it analyses resources at source or input level, calculates the outputs and weighs the difference against the impact reduction costs, states consulting engineering... →

NEW IMPERATIVE
The environmental legislations and practices are to assist and enhance the opportunities of development in the economy

Photo by Duane Daws
NEW IMPERATIVE The environmental legislations and practices are to assist and enhance the opportunities of development in the economy

Trigeneration attractive option for alternative energy in greening industry

By: Mia Breytenbach 31st October 2014 Trigeneration technology as a green technology is receiving more interest locally, resulting in its increased implementation. Trigeneration technology has the same components as a cogeneration plant – a gas engine, electricity generator and a heat exchanger – but also includes an absorption... →

GENERATION CAPACITY
Trigeneration can be up to 40% more energy efficient, and helps to reducing operating costs, fuel expenses and environmental pollutants

Photo by Bloomberg
GENERATION CAPACITY Trigeneration can be up to 40% more energy efficient, and helps to reducing operating costs, fuel expenses and environmental pollutants

Green buildings showcase energy-efficiency trends

By: Creamer Media Reporter 30th October 2014 The need to mitigate the impact of climate change to the environment continues to be a global initiative. This has since seen more and more companies shifting into green buildings as a means to decrease the impact of climate change on the environment. →

Green buildings showcase energy-efficiency trends

New HQ improves company’s energy efficiency, after-sales service

By: Sashnee Moodley 24th October 2014 Forklift and lift-truck distributor Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC) launched its new head office, in Chloorkop, in Johannesburg, earlier this month and highlighted its efforts to ensure the building’s energy and water efficiency. →

Zuma officially opens DEA’s R8bn green HQ

By: Natalie Greve 17th October 2014 President Jacob Zuma has officially opened the Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA’s) new green head office, in Pretoria, describing it as an event that would usher in a new green-focused era for the South African construction industry. “[This building] will now lead by example and, with... →

Regulation and procurement biggest issues facing consulting engineers – Cesa survey

By: Creamer Media Reporter 14th October 2014 Regulation issues, including the procurement of consulting engineering services, remain one of the biggest challenges faced by the consulting engineering industry, indicates Consulting Engineers South Africa’s (Cesa’s) latest Bi-Annual Economic and Capacity Survey (BECS) for January to June 2014.... →

Cesa CEO Lefadi Makibinyane

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