Electricity + Control October 2015

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'Park Inn by Radisson CapeTown Foreshore Hotel' achieves Green leaf Standard
The Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Foreshore Hotel through its
partnership with Green Leaf Sustainability Services and theirThink
Planet and Living Responsible Business initiatives has achieved
the coveted Green Leaf Eco Standard Core Certification. Driven
for sustainable change and environmental impact, the leadership
at Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Foreshore embarked on the
sustainability journey with the Green Leaf project to ensure that a
lasting legacy remains in the region and that locals will be proud
of the impact made by the group.The standard was accomplished
through various initiatives such as:
• Introducing low flow water showerheads in the guest rooms
• A lighting retrofit which included swopping out thousands of
high energy consuming Halogen Down lights with the signifi-
cantly more efficient LED versions
• The building uses heat pumps to heat water which are up to ten
times more efficient than boilers
• Key card systems are used in all rooms which switch off all lights
and air conditioners when the room is unoccupied
• Responsible purchasing practices such as buying over 80% of
its products from local suppliers were introduced
• Waste recycling project which reduces the amount of waste
entering landfill
Park Inn Foreshore recognises the importance of getting the staff
involved in reducing its impact on the environment by actively pro-
moting sustainable business practices through theirThink Planet and
Responsible Business programs as well as ensuring all employees
receive Responsible Business training to ensure full compliance
and participation.
The Green Leaf Eco Standard is a global standard for measuring,
managing and verifying sustainable business performance in an
impartial manner. The Standard is designed to meet and exceed
compliance with South African and international Codes of Good
Practice and integrated reporting and is a blueprint for achieving a
sustainable, profitable future that is ‘impact-neutral’ and draws on
the philosophy and 50-year track record in environmental leadership
of its co-founder, theWilderness Foundation.
Enquiries:Visit
Saving R9 000 per month with solar energy installation
Master Power Technologies (MPT) has taken its first step into the
world of sustainable energy production with a R475 000 solar panel
installation at its head office in Randburg. MPT has been research-
ing the efficacy of solar power for some time. “Having done our
homework, we decided that implementing a solar solution at our
own office would be the best way to demonstrate to clients that we
were capable of recommending and installing solar solutions for
them,” says Master Power chief executive officer, Menno Parsons.
The solution Master Power designed was installed on top of the
car ports in the parking lot. Each of the two parking bays has 80 x 250
watt PV panels coupled to a 20 kW inverter, totalling 40 kW potential
power in ideal solar conditions.The solar panels occupy a total area
of 600 m^2 and are perfectly suited for a rooftop installation.
The total cost of the system including all the necessary cabling
and mounting equipment was R475 000. Therefore, producing an
average of 150 kWh per day, the system has an expected payback
period of four years and four months in terms of savings from
reduced electricity costs. Clarifying the savings MPT will achieve,
Parsons says that an average of 150 kWh per day
translates into an average saving of R9 000 per
month with current electricity tariffs.
With Eskom asking for another 25% increase in its
fees, the payback period will actually be far less. “In
addition, we haven’t even included the cost benefits
of having our own green power supply that does not
depend on diesel or petrol and allows employees to
remain productive during periods of load shedding.”
The solar PV system is a once-off cost with a main-
tenance life of 25 years, which in the long run will
provide significant savings. Not only is it economi-
cally beneficial, but it is an environmentally friendly
means of obtaining an alternative energy source.
The solar project took approximately two months
to install. As this was a first for the MPT team, de-
pending on the site, future installations should be
conducted in a shorter period.
Enquiries: Rory Reid.Tel. 011 792 7230
or email
ENERGY + ENVIROFICIENCY ROUND UP
Electricity+Control October ‘15 44