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The Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) noted, with pleasure, the publication on 11th June 2010, of a notice by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to amend the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 2008 (Act No. 103 of 1977) by introducing new requirements to be met by new buildings to make them more energy efficient than similar buildings built in the past.
We are particularly happy that the amendment would apply to all new buildings: “residential and commercial buildings, places of learning and worship, certain medical clinics and other categories of buildings” as per your statement.
We also note that, among the targets set is a requirement that “at least 50% by volume of the annual average hot water heating requirement shall be provided by means other than electrical resistance heating, including but not limited to solar heating, heat pumps, heat recovery from other systems or processes and renewable combustible fuel”.
SESSA’s largest division is the Solar Water Heating Division (SWHD), which has close to 400 members, many of which are black SMME’s. This amendment is in line with government’s national solar water heating strategy launched in November last year, which envisages the rollout of 1 million solar water heaters by 2014 and another 4 million by 2020.
Our said SWHD members are eagerly awaiting the passing of this amendment as it will certainly stimulate the SWH market (which is currently quite sluggish). It will enable them to create thousands of jobs in South Africa and also stimulate local manufacturing of solar water heaters, all of which are among your and our common objectives.
The amendments that the DTI are proposing will also stimulate the further training, development and employment of the envisaged “competent persons” that would be required to certify that new buildings do meet the new standards in energy efficiency.
We support and applaud you, the DTI, for taking this bold step. It represents a major milestone as the building sector seeks to contribute to greater energy efficiencies required in the country, and thus reduce the amount of carbon emissions associated with the country’s dominant method of generating electricity: burning coal.
We owe our children and all future generations a more environmentally sustainable legacy. We thank you for this opportunity to comment on the proposed amendments and hope that the final version will not depart significantly from this draft. We look forward to your confirmation of this correspondence and positive response in this regard.
Yours sincerely
Justice Marabwa
Vice Chairman, SESSA |
