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Green Building News

Discovery headquarters nears completion

By: Marleny Arnoldi 16th February 2018 With the construction of health insurance and financial services provider Discovery’s head office set for completion at the end of this month, construction consultancy Aurecon believes that the building is set to become a pioneering green precinct concept, owing to its size and the way in which... →

Drones offer inspection and maintenance benefits for built environment

By: Donna Slater 16th February 2018 Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASes) offer a cost-effective and safe mechanism, with significant benefits, for the built environment sector, especially in terms of inspection and maintenance, according to enterprise applications company Softworx MD Jane Thomson. →

JANE THOMSON Remotely piloted aircraft systems can lower costs, enhance general visibility and improve personnel safety

Companies urged to ‘proactively’ reduce their carbon footprint as second Draft Carbon Tax Bill is released for comment

By: Nadine James 9th February 2018 In light of National Treasury’s publishing the second Draft Carbon Tax Bill for public comment in December, systems integration specialists Jasco Group’s CEO Pete da Silva suggests that companies proactively determine their carbon footprint and implement measures to mitigate the eventual effects... →

World-class speakers confirmed for exhibition

2nd February 2018 Africa’s only dedicated heating, energy, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration trade exhibition FRIGAIR expo will fly in three world-class American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) speakers to present topical short courses during the show. The... →

KNOWLEDGE CORNER Courses at FRIGAIR expo can benefit engineers, architects, contractors and designers

Conference to focus on innovation

2nd February 2018 Information and communication technology (ICT) experts and decision-makers from both the public and private sectors and from academia are gathering at the Technology Innovation Conference hosted by the Gauteng provincial government (GPG) to analyse the wave of digital and technological innovation... →

Photo by Bloomberg
TECHNOLOGY TAKEOVER The Technology Innovation Conference is reflecting on progress made in creating connectedness among government entities, citizens and businesses

Need for more energy increases demand for solar power

By: Victor Moolman 26th January 2018 With electricity demand in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region increasing, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Engineering’s Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies senior researcher Karin Kritzinger believes that solar water heaters can be one of the major... →

Photo by Duane Daws
WIDESPREAD POWER There are several solar farms across the member countries of the Southern African Development Community

Solar energy can reduce tariff hike strain on consumers

26th January 2018 With the ruling of the Constitutional Court having allowed power utility Eskom to retrospectively ask the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to claw back additional tariffs from consumers, solar energy equipment supplier Energy Partners Home Solutions believes that this could lead to... →

Three-year project reaches completion

By: Victor Moolman 26th January 2018 Technology solutions provider Jasco has completed its three-year solar farm project, which has reduced its maximum electricity demand by 27% and its reliance on State-owned power utility Eskom by 33%. “Phase 1 of the project – which started in April 2015 – resulted in the installation of 53 kWp... →

School installs solar system at boarding house

26th January 2018 The South African College High School (SACS), in Cape Town, made a commitment to clean energy by installing a solar system at its Rosedale Boarding House. The solar system was installed in November by Energy Partners Home Solutions, part of the PSG group of companies. SACS deputy headmaster Barry... →

Balancing rules, safety and certification will be key to drone industry success

By: Donna Slater 15th December 2017 The regulations and laws governing access to South African air space for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) are sound and among the “best in the world”, according to Edenvale-based commercial drone operator Visual Air Productions director Stephen Verheul. →

Green building improvements needed to meet Paris agreement

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 15th December 2017 The energy intensity per square metre of buildings need to improve by 30% by 2030 to keep the Paris Agreement on track, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction’s ‘Global Status Report 2017’ has revealed. The report, released on Monday, found that total floor area reached an estimated... →

KZN education department awarded green building certification

By: Donna Slater 13th December 2017 The Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has awarded the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education a 4 Star Green Star SA Office Design v1.1 certification for its Ugu district office. →

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education

Focus on environmental services boosts project sustainability

By: Simone Liedtke 1st December 2017 Applying focused environmental services at every phase of any project ensures that opportunities to incorporate social and environmental aspects into the engineering design are flagged, which boosts the overall sustainability of the project, explains consulting engineering and project... →

SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS Sustainability requires the optimisation of environmental, social and economic outcomes

Green consciousness continues to drive green building trends

By: Simone Liedtke 1st December 2017 Increasing pressure on the built environment to address inadequate energy resources, carbon reduction targets and tightening building energy efficiency standards, continues to drive green building trends in South Africa, states multidisciplinary engineering consultancy WSP Africa sustainability... →

GREG RICE Businesses and citizens have recently become more conscious of the importance of resilience and resource scarcity

Waterfall City development for Deloitte Africa HQ kicks off

By: Natasha Odendaal 27th November 2017 Construction has started on Deloitte Africa’s new headquarters, which will consolidate the current Woodmead and Pretoria offices into a single central location at Waterfall City. Developers Atterbury Property and Attacq expect to complete the 42 500 m2 ultra‐modern offices in the first quarter of... →

Steel Awards 2017 confirms LSFB growth

24th November 2017 This year’s annual Steel Awards, hosted by the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction, showed excellent growth for the South African light steel frame building (LSFB) industry, with more than 25 000 m2 represented in category entries. The awards, which took place on September 13, saw 19... →

SUMMIT PLACE The Assupol Building, the 11-storey winning office block in the Summit Place development

Monitoring energy consumption fosters efficiency

By: Nica Schreuder 10th November 2017 Being aware of how much energy one consumes is key in energy efficiency and management, and has the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption in businesses and residential households, says industrial switchgear, automation and energy efficiency product distributor ElectroMechanica (EM)... →

SMART SOLUTIONS ElectroMechanica’s smart home solutions enable users to control and monitor their energy consumption from their smartphone

New council announced by architectural body

By: Donna Slater 10th November 2017 The South African Council for the Landscape Architectural Profession (Saclap) recently annouced its new four-year council, as appointed by Department of Public Works Minister Nathi Nhleko. Council members will serve a four year term of office from September 1, 2017, to August 31, 2021. →

Organisation assists business in becoming energy efficient

By: Nica Schreuder 10th November 2017 Lack of energy supply security, economic costs associated with energy, and environmental costs, such as depleting resources, contributing to climate change are just some of the factors that can be mitigated if South Africa embraces energy efficiency and reliable renewable energy alternatives,... →

MONITORED CONSUMPTION NCPC-SA is trying to find ways to optimise South Africa’s energy consumption

Newly inaugurated PV microgrid to supply almost 50% of Robben Island’s electricity

By: Mia Breytenbach 3rd November 2017 Robben Island, a World Heritage Site has gone green with the installation of a R25-million solar energy, lithium-ion battery storage microgrid that will supply almost half of the island’s yearly electricity requirement. The Department of Tourism, together with the appointed engineering,... →

Photo by Duane Daws
LEON VILJOEN This system makes it the ideal solution, not only for the environment, but also from a business perspective

Reforms, business models key to unlocking private sector investment for climate change – IFC

By: Natasha Odendaal 2nd November 2017 Smart policy reforms and innovative business models can unlock the trillions of dollars in private investment that is needed to ensure Africa meets its climate targets as agreed to in the landmark Paris Agreement. The private sector, boasting innovation, the financing and resources, is considered... →

Report outlines vision for a million South African ‘climate jobs’

By: Terence Creamer 2nd November 2017 A new report has been released in an effort to mobilise South Africans behind the vision of creating a million ‘climate jobs’ as part of the country’s response to the threat posed by climate change. Published by the Alternative Information and Development Centre, the 60-page report has been... →

CSIR is looking to transform how infrastructure is built in South Africa

By: Keith Campbell 20th October 2017 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) continues to research innovations and initiatives to transform the local construction industry. This was reported by CSIR Principal Researcher Llewellyn van Wyk at the recent 6th CSIR Conference in Pretoria. →

Property developer launches SA’s first dual-certified property portfolio

By: Mia Breytenbach 20th October 2017 Real estate investment trust (Reit) Growthpoint Properties has launched the first and only property portfolio in South Africa to be highly rated by the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) and the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA). The Thrive Portfolio combines quality and... →

WRAPPING UP Growthpoint Properties is nearing completion on the 112 000 m2 office development for Discovery, in Sandton

PPC, NUM make headway on wage impasse

By: Creamer Media Reporter 19th October 2017 Cement producer PPC and trade union National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have reached an agreement on wage negotiations at the company’s Slurry plant, in the North West. This followed a protected strike by the union on Monday after the parties were unable to reach an agreement through a Commission... →

GBCSA launches Net Zero pilot certification scheme

By: Schalk Burger 13th October 2017 The certification of the first four projects under the Green Building Council South Africa’s (GBCSA’s) Net Zero pilot certification scheme was announced this week. Net zero carbon buildings are defined as highly energy efficient buildings, with remaining energy demand supplied by on-site and/or... →

Construction starts on new R500m office tower development

By: Mia Breytenbach 13th October 2017 Local property developer Abland and joint venture partners Ellerine Brothers have started development of the 35 Lower Long office tower in Cape Town, in the Western Cape. The four-star green building will be situated on Lower Long Street, in the City Bowl. The 24-storey office tower will replace... →

ENVISAGED DESIGN The building will have a modern look, characterised by dynamic glazed façades of floor–to-ceiling heights

Abland going green on precinct developments

By: Anine Kilian 12th October 2017 Property developer Abland has two precincts enrolled in the Green Building Council South Africa’s (GBCSA’s) sustainable precint pilot study. The properties are Sandton Gate, on William Nicol drive, in Sandton, and Loftus Park, which is adjacent to Loftus Versfeld sport stadium, in Pretoria. “At... →

Integrated heat pumps provide cost-effective energy efficiency

By: Nica Schreuder 6th October 2017 With the South African heat pumps market experiencing a high-growth phase, driven by the cost of energy, energy efficiency requirements for buildings, and overall cost and performance efficiency of the technology used, water heating solutions company HydraTherm has responded to the trend of wider... →

BIG PLANS HydraTherm has upcoming ranges of energy efficient water heating solutions in the gas and solar water sectors for 2018

Acquisition to enable large-scale cannabis production

29th September 2017 International investment company LGC Capital, with its joint venture global logistics solutions company AfriAg, signed an agreement to acquire a 60% interest in South African cannabis product manufacturing company House of Hemp. →

WEED FOR PURPOSE Since its establishment, House of Hemp has been targeting research on all cannabis-related markets such as textiles, fibres, oil, nutrition and medicinal

LED best fit for energy-hungry smart cities

By: Schalk Burger 29th September 2017 Energy efficiency is critical to sustaining smart cities, especially as the levels of urbanisation are expected to increase, and light-emitting diode- (LED-) technologies will be a key component, says electronic multinational Philips Lighting Southern Africa GM Reggie Nxumalo. “As much as 78% of... →

REGGIE NXUMALO The well-established use of energy-efficiency systems supports industrial development in Africa

Growthpoint launches South Africa’s first dual-certified property portfolio

By: Mia Breytenbach 28th September 2017 JSE-listed real estate investment trust (Reit) Growthpoint Properties has launched the first and only property portfolio in South Africa to be highly rated by the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) and the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA). This premier portfolio, named... →

Growthpoint Properties office division director Rudolf Pienaar

Anticipated tariffs hike makes energy efficiency wise choice

22nd September 2017 A ruling by the Constitutional Court last month which allows State-owned power utility Eskom to retrospectively ask the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to permit Eskom to claw back additional tariffs from consumers, could lead to further hikes in the price of electricity for South... →

Photo by Duane Daws
SOLAR READY Before home owners install solar panels, they have to ensure that the buildings is suitable

LSFB expands into student accommodation

By: Victor Moolman 18th August 2017 Student accommodation requires fast, efficient and sustainable building solutions, prompting the increased use of light steel frame building (LSFB) for its construction, explains Southern African Light Steel Frame Building Association (Sasfa) director John Barnard →

Diverse assets for infrastructure in demand

By: Marleny Arnoldi 18th August 2017 In the commercial and industrial property development space, as well as its supporting infrastructure, there is demand for high-quality, diverse assets with strategic locations and offering optimal planning and design, says consultancy firm WSP. →

WSP property team and structures regional director William Johnston discusses the demand for diverse assets in the infrastructure industry.

Act revised to apply tariffs on imported products

By: Victor Moolman 18th August 2017 Earlier this year, the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) was adapted to include designation of domestic steel, wire and other industry products, and although it came into effect in April, the South African Wire Association (SAWA) says it is too soon for the steel construction... →

SAWA director Keith Campbell explains what the effect of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act will be on the industry. Video and Editing: Nicholas Boyd.

EDGE certification system to boost residential green building investment

By: Natasha Odendaal 11th August 2017 The innovation that has been working quietly in the background for some years aiding the cost-effective, simple and fast certification of the residential green building sector was profiled at Drivelines Studios, on Friday. In a breakthrough in the South African market, Edge, an International... →

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Expert webinar arms engineers, designers and architects with expert knowledge on continuous galvanized sheeting and its practical applications

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