Green building is making strides in South Africa
October 5, 2015
Considering how quickly South Africa built up its profile of renewable energy deployment and green building construction, it's no surprise that the nation is now recognized as one of the emerging centers of sustainable architecture in the world. In an interview with CNBC Africa, Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) manager Jarrod Lewin emphasized that the community has grown exponentially from less than a handful of green buildings in the late 2000s to over 60 sustainable structures today.
A big part of this shift was driven by greater awareness among consumers and corporate decision-makers. The numerous benefits associated with green building, renewable energy and supplementary technologies like thermal energy storage are more common knowledge among South African citizens now more than they have been for the past few years. The country's unique climate plays a role as well. For instance, Intelligence Utility pointed out that buildings in South Africa will have to deal with extra strain on their HVAC systems due to the country's severe seasonal temperature changes. Green buildings are better equipped to account for these types of challenges while still moving the country toward a low-carbon future.
South Africa among the new green building hotspots
In terms of sheer volume, South Africa still lags far behind green building markets like the European Union, Brazil, Australia, Singapore and the U.S. What the Sub-Saharan nation has over its green building rivals is an unparalleled growth trajectory.
McGraw-Hill Construction's World Green Building Trends survey revealed that South Africa's adoption of green building projects has surged. Respondents noted that while 12 percent of new construction incorporated green techniques in 2012, over 50 percent of projects incorporate sustainability planning in 2015. Considering that the total number of green buildings has tripled in the past three years, there's reason to believe that South Africa will continue to host plenty of new green construction projects over the course of the decade.
Green certifications are on the rise
Another reliable measure of the growing popularity of green building in South Africa is recent activity by the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), said South African Commercial Property News. The organization began identifying standards for and certifying green building projects back in 2009. By April 2014, the council had certified 50 buildings with the Green Star rating. The new year saw 25 certifications added to the total in the first quarter, and the GBCSA reported that the number of Green Star certification recipients had reached a grand total of 100.
The overall growth of green building projects in the nation over the past few years, along with the concurrent rise of an independent body to administer local green certifications, reflect South Africa's status as a welcome home for sustainable construction.
Renewable adoption likely to grow storage markets
Much of the future green building growth in South Africa may revolve around energy storage innovation, as the country's decision-makers search for a means to limit dependence on coal. According to The Guardian, experts see renewable energy and energy storage technologies coming together to address South Africa's biggest power gaps.
The South African government is in full support of this technological shift, as shown through the South African Department of Energy's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. The initiative calls for the nation to meet over 3,700 MW of renewable capacity prior to 2030, a benchmark toward the country's long-term goal of making 10,000 GWh of renewable energy available.
