Green Building Certification in
the South African Residential
Sector: Challenges for
Affordable Housing
J Mahachi, Pr.Eng, Pr.CPM
National Home Builders Registration Council
Email: [email protected]
Sunninghill, South Africa
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Content

Objective
Background
Energy Efficiency Regulations
Methods of Compliance
Green Star Rating
Principles behind the Tool
GBCSA Star Rating Key
Challenges in Compliance
Benefits
Conclusion
Objective

This in an informative presentation on what is planned
for the residential sector regarding Green Building
Certification in South Africa.
Relevant principles are discussed on items to be
assessed for certification, its regulation and hence
continued compliance.
Challenges are highlighted faced by affordable
homeowners who do not presently comply with the
National Building Regulations to get the performance
of energy- and water usage verified through a
certification.
Energy will encompass urging issues of electricity
consumption of homes, embodied energy of
materials and water usage.
Background & Context

In 2006 South Africa had the 42nd highest
GDP, but was ranked the 21st largest
consumer of energy and 13th in CO
emissions.
After experiencing widespread rolling
electricity blackouts in 2007 as supply fell
behind demand, mitigation of energy
demand became more critical.
Electricity Consumption
Electricity Consumption, Eskom 2006
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Sector
TJ
%
Commercial
68 543
10%
Residential
116 522
17%
Transport
13 709
2%
Manufacturing
335 859
49%
Mining
123 377
18%
Other
27 417
4%
Water Usage

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As South African population
increases, water resources
face greater pressure.
The biggest threat to
sustainable water supply is
not the lack of storage, but
contamination of available
water resources through
pollution.
Water use in the country is
dominated by irrigation, which
accounts for around 62% of all
water used, with domestic and
urban usage following with
27%.
The effects of effluent discharges from urban and industrial areas, as
well as seepage and discharges from areas that support mining and
intensive agriculture
Embodied Energy

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Is taken as the energy involved in the
acquisition of raw materials, processing and
manufacture of the building materials and
components.
A breakdown of CO emissions per sector
for manufacturing of materials, residential
and commercial buildings constitutes 28% of
emissions of all sectors.
CO₂ Emissions per Sector
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Energy Efficiency Regulations

The following building standards came into
operation in 2011:

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Energy Efficiency Regulations XA and SANS 10400 XA:
Energy Usage in Buildings – minimum deemed-tosatisfy-rules.
SANS 204: Energy Efficiency in Buildings – more
stringent voluntary standard according to which
minimum standards (SANS 10400 XA) will be upgraded.
SANS 50010: Measurement and Verification of
Energy Saving – provides the assurance that actual
savings should always be more or equal to the reported
savings.
Methods of Compliance

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Method 1:

Calculating relevant R-values according to benchmarks
provided in the SANS 10400 XA for walls, roofs and
floors.

Demonstrating compliance with total areas of
fenestration, shading projections, lighting and power
(demand and consumption) and hot water usage.
Method 2:

Using certified software (Agrèment South Africa)
demonstrating a theoretical energy performance less
than or equal to (improved performance) to that of a
reference building in accordance with SANS 10400 XA.

Calculating the heating and cooling loads of an
integrated design and temperatures using software.
Green Star Rating

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Green Star SA is a voluntary environmental rating system
by GBCSA that evaluates the environmental design and
construction of buildings.
Tools were developed to provide an objective
measurement for green buildings and to recognise and
reward environmental leadership in the property industry.
Besides the certification provided for the commercial and
retail sector initiated in 2009, only the Green Star SA –
Multi Unit Residential developments exists as well as
certification for major refurbishments of existing multi-unit
residential developments or conversions.
A gap exists for rating new and existing dwellings, including
affordable homes.
NHBRC Partnering with GBCSA
National Home
Builders
Registration
Council
Provide infrastructure,
resources & assessment
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Green
Energy
Certification
for Homes
Green Building
Council South
Africa
Develop rating system
Principles behind the Tool

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Typically 8 separate environmental impact
categories are under key criteria such as
management, indoor environmental quality,
energy, transport, water, materials, land-use
and ecology.
Only 3 critical categories would apply for phase 1
such as energy, water and embodied energy.
Once all the credits in each category are
assessed, a % score for the category is calculated
– based on the Australian Green Building
Council tools.
Items Scored for Certification
Energy
Water
Embodied Energy
1. Heating and cooling loads
1. Occupant amenity water (fixtures &
1. Recycling waste storage
recycling)
2. Sub-metering
2. Water sub-metering
2. Building re-use
3. Lighting energy use
3. Landscape irrigation
3. Recycling content & re-use materials
4. Electrical demand
4. Fire system water consumption
4. Concrete (reduced embodied energy)
5. Hot water usage
5. Potable water efficient appliances
5. Steel (reduce embodied energy)
6. Common property
6. Swimming pools
6. Sustainable timber
7. Low emission energy generation
7. Dematerialisation
8. Energy efficiency appliances
8. Local sourcing
9. Efficient dwelling size
10. Masonry (reduce embodied energy)
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GBCSA Star Rating Key
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Multi-Unit Residential Pilot

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First Multi-Unit Residential Pilot
planned for Port Elizabeth – by
Fusion Properties consisting of 5
individual units sloping into the
Baakens Valley.
Targeting a 4 Star rating, the
homes will incorporate various
‘green building’ principles
including green roofs, sustainable
building materials and passive
design.
Challenges in Compliance and Monitoring

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A major challenge is the uptake of purchasing green rating
certificates.
Affordable homes account for almost 50% of households in
South Africa and are currently the only sector not having to
comply with minimum SANS 10400 XA standards.
Although over three million homes have been built between
1994 and June 2011, a backlog of 2.2 million units must
still be constructed.
Only recently has the motivation been accepted to increase
to the subsidy amount for a typically 40m2 (dwelling on own
site).
No. of Homes Enrolled with the NHBRC
In 2013/14 the NHBRC enrolled about 50,000 new subsidised homes and about 68,000 non-subsidised homes.
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Framework for Challenges
Three pillars in which challenges can be addressed :
1. Limiting Demand through Legislation and Regulation
• Measures in Housing Code outdated
• Town planning schemes do not include north orientated sites
• Policies do not include adequate subsidy increases
Responsibility: Pubic and Private Sector
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↓
↓
2. Promoting Alternatives
3. Providing Information and Advice
• Introducing more incentive programmes
• Providing funding for green investments
• More public relations
• More pilot projects
• Create awareness and introduce market instruments
• Provide skills
Challenges for Affordable Homes
1. Pillar 1 – Legislation:
1.1 Non-compliance with SANS 10400 XA.
Change the Housing Code for affordable homes for
homeowners to participate in green rating certification
1.2 Inappropriate orientation of sites.
Amend Town Planning requirements to ensure north
orientated sites to reduce costs.
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Challenges for Affordable Homes
1.3 Insufficient increase of the subsidy quantum
(increased from R85k to R110k, as from the 1st of
April 2014):
a proper cost analysis needs to be completed.
Other funding mechanisms or models must be
introduced.
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Challenges for Affordable Homes
ACTUAL REQUIRED MINIMUM: MATERIAL AND LABOUR COST IMPLICATIONS
1. Ceiling and Insulation
2. Int. and Ext. Plaster
3. Pigment/Paint
4. Low-Pressure SWH
$8500
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$4000
$12 500
Example of Improved Affordable Home: Typical vs EE
Typical 40m² Home:
No Energy Efficiency (EE)
Innovative Building Technology
Home in Freestate:
•
•
•
Wall and roof insulation
Fenestration EE solution
SWH
ENERGY EFFICIENCY SCHEDULE
ENERGY EFFICIENCY SCHEDULE
DESCRIPTION
SPECIFICATION
DESCRIPTION
SPECIFICATION
HOT WATER
HOT WATER
None or geyser
Collector panels of 4.2m2 for 252litres= 1 x 300litre solar
geyser
FENESTRATION
FENESTRATION
Window area > 15% of floor area
Single low-e glazing e.g. solar E Smart Glass lowemissivity glass
130 Isotherm roof insulation= R-value 3.2 (SANS
10400XA)
9 fibre cement board ext. + 90 polystyrene core + 15
gypsum board = R-value 3.66 >2.2 (SANS 10400XA for
climate zone 1)
ROOF ASSEMBLY No insulation nor ceiling
EXTERNAL WALL 140 hollow concrete blocks= R-value 0.35
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ROOF ASSEMBLY
EXTERNAL WALL
Challenges for Affordable Homes
2. Pillar 2 – Incentive Programmes:
2.1 Unaffordability of additional energy
efficiency interventions.

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Develop incentive programmes to entice existing
subsidised homeowners with title deeds to obtain
energy rating certificates e.g. loan reductions.
Introduce other incentives from which homeowners
owning a rating certificate can benefit e.g. tax credits.
Challenges for Affordable Homes
3. Pillar 3 - Providing Information and
Advice:
3.1 Uninformed homeowners who do not know
what a green rating certificate is.
Implement a vigorous communication strategy
to create awareness and entice the interested
homeowners.
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Challenges for Affordable Homes
3.2 Poor selection of quality green products.
Ensure suppliers have to meet SABS
standards.
Provide a proper maintenance plan for each
homeowner.
3.3 Being unaware of how to find more
innovative solutions.
e.g. housing typologies that have shared
walls reduce the volume of energy efficient
products and the costs.
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Challenges for Affordable Homes
3.4 Disregarding long-term cost benefits.
Introduce life cycle costing calculations or cost benefit
analysis to determine profitability.
3.5 Few green material options exist and accessibility
thereof poor.
Public and private sector must invest more in green
initiatives e.g. production plants for green products.
This in turn will create jobs.
3.6 Durability of houses with green interventions are
inadequate.
Provide an efficient maintenance plan.
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Benefits

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Benefits of implementing a new green rating certificate
are:
save costs in the long-term;
improve market values;
reduce energy poverty;
improve health and safety;
improve productivity;
create jobs;
mitigated climate change; and
improve quality of the home and life.
Conclusion
South Africa is still in its early stages of
implementing measures to mitigate the use of
energy and water, but taking necessary steps
to prevent the depletion of two of the most
valuable resources in the country.
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