Forum encourages cost-saving solar power

I ATTENDED the 21st Energy Efficiency Forum at the Old Mutual head office in Pinelands, under the auspices of the city council’s Energy and Climate Change directorate.

A record number of attendees networked with service providers and learned more about sustainable and renewable energy resources, namely, solar energy photovoltaic installations.

Updates in respect of progress by Eskom, South Africa’s Green Building Council and Green Cape were discussed and the keynote address, “Progress towards a sustainable energy future”, was delivered by the executive mayor, Patricia de Lille.

The mayor outlined the council’s concerted efforts to reduce our collective carbon footprint by 37 percent, and appealed to all citizens to collectively “save planet Earth”.

In her speech, she stated that between 1995 and 2004, the new government had built 40 000 RDP houses without ceilings or insulation, resulting in dwellings being warm during the day and cold at night. The council, as a matter of urgency, embarked on retrofitting the houses with ceilings and insulation to alleviate the aforesaid, and restoring dignity to homeowners.

The Energy and Climate Change portfolio committee visit to Vrygrond, Kalkfontein and Wesbank revealed ecstatic and proud homeowners.

The council also replaced some fluorescent, traffic and street lights with the LED type.

The forum provided a platform to launch the council’s requirements for safe and legal solar photovoltaic (PV) systems including information for what to look for in solar PV installers and service providers. The question and answer sessions elicited much discussion and interesting debates with private and public organisations sharing vital lessons on procurement, installations, panel orientation and maintenance, and cost savings subsequent to installation.

The Blackriver Parkway commercial office block, the V&A Waterfront, the Bayside Centre, and the Spire Property group were commended for switching to solar energy with their PV installations.

They reported that the long-term cost-saving measure was a valuable investment.

Thank you Sarah Rushmere, Andrew Janisch, Busiswe Galada and the interns from the Energy and Climate Change directorate, for packaging a most stimulating and informative forum, and encouraging all to “go solar”.

MARK R H KLEINSCHMIDT Kenwyn