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October 2015
I
n his presentation ‘Inspiring
Better Buildings’, at the Inter-
national Housing Solutions 7
th
annual Affordable Housing Confer-
ence, Cruikshanks says that the
EDGE Residential Green Building Tool
has the potential to effect positive
change. The EDGE tool is used glob-
ally to measure energy, water and
embodied energy in materials.
A 20% reduction of energy and
water over a seven year period of
1,3 million green homes represents
an annual power savings equivalent
to 3 300 acres of solar farms, water
savings of 38 million cubic metres
and savings of millions of tons of CO
2
per year.
Qualifying criteria for projects to
register depends of the number of
units, number of housing typologies
and unit price. The EDGE Residential
Green Building Tool is a globally
recognised certification compliance
system.
Whether a developer, equity
funder or industry stakeholder with
rental units, the on-line tool can be
used to assess the project for com-
pliance and not as a design aid or
building modelling tool. Currently,
only new build residential projects
are eligible for certification. Housing
developments across the spectrum
can register but it does not apply to
fully subsidised housing projects.
The Green Building Council of
South Africa, has partnered with the
International Finance Corporation
(World Bank Group) to operate and
administer EDGE in South Africa. This
includes training and certification of
EDGE accredited professionals.
On that note speaker Abrie Botma
fromEPCMGlobal management con-
sulting services firm, specialising in
development and project life cycle
models as well as project readiness
and capabilities assessment in the
energy sector, explained the impact
of Eskom load shedding on busi-
nesses.
In his presentation Botma quanti-
fied the cost of load shedding quoting
economist, Chris Yelland, the cost of
stage one of load shedding (800 MW
– 1300 MW) – 10 hours of blackouts
per day for 20 days costs the economy
R20 billion per month.
In stage two, the cost to the econo-
my increases to R40 billion permonth
and in stage three, this doubles to
R80 billion per month.
Standard Bank’s Chief Economist
Goolam Ballim says that energy is
oxygen to the economy. It is likely that
structurally South Africa cannot grow
at better than 2% - since energy is a
significant factor.
■
Shedding light on building and energy
Grahame Cruikshanks, Manager Climate Change and Sustainability
Services GreenBuildings at Ernst and Young says that newbuildmulti-
unit residential projects must achieve a 20% reduction in energy,
water and embodied energy in materials.
S
isulu says, “Government wants
to advance contractors, de-
velopers and builders from
Construction Industry Development
Board Level 1 to a Level 4.”
She says that the selling of ten-
ders does not help government to
empower small and medium sized
contractors.
Sisulu and Executive Mayor of Nel-
son Mandela Bay Metro Municipality,
Danny Jordaan met with developers
to present a package to develop a
credible and fair database of sup-
pliers and training, developing and
mentoring of contractors, in order to
deliver and fast track quality human
settlements.
“All spheres of Government, Na-
tional, Provincial and Metro are
committed to developing small
contractors to become big players in
the construction industry. We have
developed a package of support
programmes to be implemented
by Human Settlements agencies,
National Home Builders Regulatory
Council (NHBRC), Housing Develop-
ment Agency (HDA) and all layers of
Government to help with finances
and skills development, we are here
to help small contractors” Sisulu said.
Jordaanadded that theMetrowill pay
all contractors within the stipulated
30 days.
“The Metro will work hard to pay
on time, contractorsmust ensure that
theyalsodotheirpart, theymustmeet
all our regulations to ensure quality.”
More than 400 contractors are reg-
istered on the Nelson Mandela Bay
Metro database.
■
Stop selling tenders
Housing