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February 2016
Energy Efficiency, Green building & IBTs
E
xecutiveMayor, Patricia de Lille
says that city plans include a
37% reduction in carbon emis-
sions, with 22% coming from energy
efficiency alone.
The Energy 2040 Goal models
a more resilient, lower carbon, re-
source-efficient and equitable future
for Cape Town, which grows the
administration’s stature as a leading
and innovative city.
The targets for 2040 will also
result in:
• the installation of over 500 000
residential solar water heaters and
heat pumps
• lessdependencyoncoal,withexten-
sive embedded renewable genera-
tioninthecommercialandresidential
sectors as well as diversified large-
scale energy supply with photovol-
taics, wind, storage and possibly
natural gas
• a modal shift from private to public
transport, with increased access to
public transport andmotorised pas-
sengertravelinefficientvehicleswith
higher occupancy levels
• a remodelled city with increased
densification andmixed use in areas
of economic activity
• increased energy savings from ef-
ficiency and cheaper energy
De Lille adds that given rising electric-
ity tariffs and the serious constraints
on South Africa’s electricity supply,
energy efficiency is critical to eco-
nomic growth and stability. The com-
mercial sector uses an estimated 44%
of the electricity supply in the Cape
Town area.
“It is therefore imperative that
we increase our efforts to promote a
responsible commercial sector will
initiate energy efficient initiatives
to reduce its energy costs,” she says.
In2009, theCity, inpartnershipwith
Eskomand the SouthAfricanProperty
Owners Association, launched Cape
Town’s Energy Efficiency Forum (EE
Forum) which has been assisting
commercial buildings and operations
with practical know-how to improve
energy efficiency. In 2012, the forum
introduced the Energy Efficiency
Forum Awards to recognise leader-
ship in the commercial sector, and to
motivate the continued reduction in
energy consumption.
Bayside Mall and the Cape Town
French School were named as the
winners of the 2015 Energy Efficiency
Forum Awards. The mall’s energy
efficiency interventions include up-
grading to LED lighting, and improve-
ments in the heating, ventilation and
air conditioning system. The flagship
project is a 500 kWp pilot rooftop
solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, with
2 108 panels covering 3 300 m² and
supplies 5%of their electricity needs.
The annual average daily ener-
gy production of the PV panels is
2100 kWh, which equates to the aver-
age daily use of 105 middle-income
households in Cape Town (using
600 kWh per month).
The interventions have yielded
consistent monthly energy savings
averaging at 11% so far, with the hot
summer months still to come where
savings reach about 17%.
The winner of the Small Building
Retrofit Category is the Cape Town
French School. Over the past three
years, the school has been working
on energy efficiency and adding
renewable energy to its operations,
with the help of Energy Intelligence.
It has replaced all fluorescent lights
with LED technology, and installed a
heat pump for hot water.
De Lille emphasises: “We need
to use the opportunity to get more
companies and households to be-
come energy generators so that we
can become more energy secure.”
■
500 000 solar water heaters
The City of Cape Town recognises that resource efficiency is critical
to building economic activity and increasing a city’s competitiveness
and resilience. This is reflected in the city’s recently approved Energy
2040 Goal, which includes the installation of over 500 000 solar water
heaters and heat pumps.