Contents of February 2010

COMMENT
Problematic tendering

LETTER
Urban management lacking

UPFRONT
What is new and happening

GREEN BUILDINGS
Solar water-heater shoot-out
Urban Green File compares various options for solar water heating

GREEN BUILDINGS BRIEFS

CITY VISIT
Ekurhuleni overhauls its parks
Ekurhuleni has an ambitious plan to redevelop its inherited parks and conservation areas

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING & DESIGN
Chris Mulder – the “green” property developer
An iconic landscape architect celebrated

WASTE & POLLUTION MANAGEMENT
Nedbank embraces recycling
A lower carbon footprint is one of many benefits of this corporate recycling initiative

WASTE AND POLLUTION MANAGEMENT BRIEFS

INSPIRATION
Delightful pocket park: Ekhaya in Hillbrow

INSULT
Basic service delivery lacking: Port St Johns

VIEWPOINT
Bus Rapid Transit deliberated

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COMMENT

Problematic tendering

Why is government not making the most of skills within the built-environment professions?

Urban Green File is hearing more built-environment professionals lamenting the requirement to tender in order to offer consultancy services to government departments and agencies, particularly as tenders are most often awarded according to price alone. Many architects, urban designers, landscape architects, town planners and engineers argue that professional consultancy services should not be procured on the basis of price as this leads to fee cutting. The result is that government buys inferior, discounted services, which ultimately affect the quality of public-sector service delivery. While most professionals acknowledge that competition is essential, they argue that the measurable should not be price alone but rather the competency and skills on offer by the consultant while other factors such as BEE credentials should also be considered. Some professionals go a step further by pointing out that a professional consultant should, in fact, act as an agent for the client (government in this case) and have the client’s interests at heart in terms of service delivery. A consultant should, therefore, not be appointed as a contractor. However Urban Green File recently overheard an experienced public-sector official stating that government prefers turnkey contracts where a contractor is appointed to deliver a design-and-build service. This is because of the poor level of service received from built-environment professionals. Urban Green File believes that government should seriously consider this conundrum. “Saving” money on consultancy services (accepting the lowest bids) could be a case of penny wise and pound foolish. By eroding the ability of a consultant to find the best solution for any given project, government runs the risk of implementing ill-considered service-delivery projects; only to be redone in years to follow – at much greater expense. Also problematic is that design consultants are no longer given the opportunity to choose the best contractor to build a project. Government is choosing a contractor without referring to the consultant’s expertise. No wonder one hears about civil-engineering contractors appointed to undertake landscape contracting, including planting of trees and preparation of growth medium. The result is that scarce public funds are wasted! Government must either stop using consultants altogether, and procure these skills en masse in-house, or it should make proper use of the country’s built-environment professions skills base. Perhaps each consultant should sign a pledge of oath committing to a vision for South Africa’s built environment? Then government should trust these consultants, as its agents, to help facilitate service delivery. This would be more effective than trying to get the job done by ignoring the skills at hand!

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LETTERS

Urban-management failure

It was just a little discourteous of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to leave Gautengers with five weeks of non-operational traffic lights – it all started in mid-December 2009 but we forgave this – everyone needs a holiday after all. But, by mid-January 2010, JRA remained in its closet! As a result, I had to fork out close to R1 000 after my tyre was sucked into an urban black hole. Expect my claim, JRA! It was impossible not to hit one of the five little wretches that pit the 0,5 km stretch of Witkoppen Road, passing St Peter’s School, at night. JRA knew that we were in for our diarised afternoon storms – you’d think it would have a pothole brigade ready for action when the rain strikes. But, no, it just let the potholes proliferate; sucking the unsuspecting urbanite’s rubber goods into it. A new hobby I have taken up – instead of stargazing – is spot the pothole. I counted 12 potholes in 11 km! My wild imagination takes over and I wonder whether or not JRA is in collusion with the tyre dealers?   Witkoppen Road slalom driver

The ongoing saga of potholed city roads points to the wider urban-management crisis. As long as local authorities adopt a reactive approach – fixing faults as they occur – they will fight a losing battle. They should opt for preventative maintenance and proper planning instead. A properly built and maintained road should not be prone to pothole formation in the first place. Another factor to consider is that not all roads within Johannesburg fall under the jurisdiction of the JRA – some are managed and maintained by provincial and even national authorities. Add to this the disjointed planning that allows the city to continue its sprawl. As long as we develop unsustainable cities that rely on motorised transport on ever longer roads, city officials will find it costs too much to maintain the infrastructure. We need denser cities that rely heavily on public transport – Ed.

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UPFRONT

City saves electricity

The City of Cape Town is installing energy-saving street lights in an attempt to reduce electricity consumption within the municipality. The city hopes to reduce electricity demand by 10% in areas where lamps are being replaced, Brinley van der Schyff, City of Cape Town public-lighting operations manager, tells Urban Green File. Part of the initiative involves the replacement of 117 000 mercury vapour bulbs (80 W) in street lights with 70 W high-pressure sodium bulbs.

Guidelines for settlement planning

The Guidelines for Human Settlement Planning & Design, which is also known as the “Red Book”, is now available on the CSIR’s website. According to Tinus Kruger of CSIR Built Environment, the guidelines in this book indicate the qualities that should be sought in South African settlements, and provide practical advice on how these qualities can be achieved. “It is intended to be educational, providing ideas and useful information, and not as a substitute for innovative planning and engineering practice,” he says.

Glass-vaulted public space

The development of the Bellville Velodrome Precinct in Cape Town has been awarded to a consortium comprising Devmark Property Group, GRITprop Investments and the Mettle Property Group. Construction of the Galleria project – with retail, business, residential, hotel, sports and conference facilities – is scheduled to begin in 2011. The development will boast a 1 km-long vaulted glass structure that is being marketed as a cathedral-like public space of note – the envy of other South African cities. The design team includes BKS and Mitchell du Plessis Associates as project managers, L&R, Van der Merwe Miszewski and Comrie Wilkinson as architects and urban designers, and Urban Dynamics as town planner.

‘Green’ status of 2010 stadiums

As South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums are ready to host the main event, the time is right to reflect on the amazing feats of design and construction. It is not widely known that significant effort was exerted in ensuring the sustainability credentials of each stadium. While the stadiums were being designed, the Department of Environmental Affairs commissioned a team of sustainability consultants, including WSP Green by Design, PJ Carew Consulting and the CSIR to evaluate the performance of the stadiums in terms of environmental, economic and social criteria. This team relied on the CSIR’s Sustainable Building Assessment Tool (SBAT) and WSP’s “shades of green” system to measure just how “green” and sustainable each stadium was in terms of design and operation. The assessments included the modelling of water and energy consumption. Good news for South Africa’s built-environment sector is that the knowledge pool developed in the process of assessing the stadiums is being publicised. In an initiative of the Urban Environmental Management Programme of the Department of Environmental Affairs, funded by the Royal Danish Embassy, the publisher of Urban Green File has been tasked with the production of a series of eight booklets and CDs. The aim is to unpack the green credentials of 2010 match and training venues. This series includes booklets and CDs on five stadiums: Green Point, Moses Mabhida, Athlone, Royal Bafokeng and Peter Mokaba. An executive summary of the stadiums – a document detailing the lessons learned in South Africa’s attempt to develop sustainable stadiums – is also available. An electronic manual explains the use of SBAT to evaluate the sustainability performance of sports stadiums throughout the world.

Public art transforms Jo’burg

A major initiative, spearheaded by the Johannesburg Development Agency, includes significant public art works in prominent positions throughout the city centre. The impact is dramatic as many once-dreary public spaces have been transformed by the works of William Kentridge, Gerard Marx, Doung Anwar Jahangeer, Paul Molete, Marina Walsh, Guy du Toit and Egon Tania, among others.

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GREEN BUILDINGS

Solar water-heater shoot-out

Choosing solar water heating and energy-efficient space heating solutions is not an easy task. Three suppliers took up Urban Green File’s challenge to prepare proposals for a comparative case study.

In less than two years, 201 new solar water-heater suppliers have joined the ranks of the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) – membership has, effectively, burgeoned 13 times in only 20 months! Although this may bode well for competitiveness, it makes the selection of a supplier tougher, particularly as developers, architects and engineers in South Africa are, generally, not well-versed in solar water-heater installations. We’re just getting to grips with optimising overall energy efficiency in building design. How do solar water-heater suppliers pitch products and solutions to a rookie market? To answer this question, Urban Green File invited eight suppliers to submit proposals for a house to be refurbished in Craighall Park, Johannesburg. Only three suppliers accepted the invitation for a public solar shoot-out – African Emissions Trading, Home Comfort and Solar Heat Exchangers. Some proposals were expanded to include options for space heating. Urban Green File asked Eric Noir of WSP Green by Design for input while reviewing the proposals. Subsequently, Urban Green File arranged face-to-face meetings with all three suppliers to clarify points found misleading or confusing in written proposals.

Poor tender specifications

Urban Green File’s call for proposals was based on a design-supply format. However Dylan Tudor-Jones of Solar Heat Exchangers advises professionals to follow a tender process instead. He feels that engineers and architects need to build up a knowledge base of solar water heaters to serve their clients better and to leave suppliers to core business. “I hate the design-supply type of offerings you request,” he says. “The problem with our industry is that there is not enough knowledge – even in the professional sphere – to actually fill that gap. We need ‘green’ consultants to go to a site, establish the customer’s needs and then invite suppliers to tender for the installation.” Although mechanical or wet-service engineers, faced with solar hot-water requirements, do follow this route, Tudor-Jones states that tenders seldom contain proper specifications. Where tenders are drawn up, it is usually done by mechanical engineers. “However very few of our bids were drafted by engineers with a track record in following through from drafting the tender to drawing up specifications. Engineers understand the principles of solar water heating but very few have followed this through on a design-and-install basis because of the immaturity of the market.”

Eskom rebate: minor impact

Another point of contention is the Eskom rebate and each of the three suppliers participating in this article seems to have a different approach to the rebate (refer to the case studies on page 8). Although Solar Heat Exchangers mentions the rebate in its proposal, it does not reflect on the final price – rightly so as the onus is on the customer to claim the rebate from Eskom. In turn, to obviate the headache in dealing with the Eskom rebate system, Home Comfort offers an in-house discount on par with the Eskom rebate. This is deducted from the final price. African Emissions Trading does not refer to the Eskom rebate in its quotation. It is important to note that only some and not all of the suppliers’ systems are approved for the Eskom rebate, and that solar water heaters qualify for a rebate as a system which comprises a geyser, a set amount of collectors/tubes and a pump if not a thermo-siphon installation. Most of the suppliers interviewed were not overly keen to pursue the Eskom rebate. However that was before the susequent annoucement of a considerably increased rebate. All expressed willingness to assist customers in preparing documentation for the rebate. A contributing factor to some of the suppliers’ initial resistance to the rebate system is the cost of testing systems. According to Hendrik Roux of Home Comfort, for a single geyser – given the range of potential combinations with collectors and pumps or thermo siphons – companies could end up conducting as many as eight tests at about      R40 000/test, excluding the cost of equipment. “It really becomes a very expensive exercise,” he remarks. Systems which do not qualify for the Eskom rebate are not necessarily of an inferior quality. “The tests merely confirm the amount of energy a system produces and whether or not it is hail- or freeze-resistant,” comments Roux. “It does not necessarily test the quality of the system. The same tubes approved for the Eskom rebate on one system are used on our other systems. For example, we use the very same tubes on a 200 l geyser as those for the 150 l rebate-approved geyser. However, we do now have approval for our 150 l, 200 l and 300 l systems.” According to Roux, the geysers have to be SABS-approved in any case, independent of its qualification for the rebate, to meet legal requirements. One of the suppliers also contested the reliability and uniformity of the testing as some systems are tested in winter conditions and others in summer. This was evident when the SABS reported higher energy values for flat-plate collectors than vacuum-tube collectors. The cost of testing, inadvertently, seems to be a significant weakness in the rebate system. Venter Malan of African Emissions Trading puts the cost in an even higher bracket – between R45 000 to R50 000 per test. He points out that this cost is, ultimately, recovered from the customer. Regardless of how many units the supplier decides to stretch the cost recovery – be it the first 1 000, 500 or 10 units – the price escalates inevitably. The supplier is put in the position of peddling the approved system to customers whether or not it suits their requirements. In the case where the  system is approved without a thermo siphon, for example, the supplier would push for a more costly pump system.

Flat plate or vacuum tube?

Solar water heaters are differentiated by technology – either flat plate or vacuum tube. African Emissions Trading and Home Comfort supply flat-plate and vacuum-tube systems while Solar Heat Exchangers deals primarily in flat-plate collectors. Vacuum tubes are, generally, marketed under the banner of greater efficiency but Tudor-Jones contests the need for that degree of efficiency. He warns that many companies will sell a system by over-promising on performance and guarantees. “A system can, in fact, be ‘over-efficient’ for an application; leading to overheated systems,” he contests. “To boast that a vacuum-tube system is optimal because it reaches 90°C to 120°C is to misinform the consumer. Firstly, by law, water is not allowed to be stored above a certain temperature and, secondly, a good flat-plate system with selective coatings that reaches 60°C has the same efficiency. Extremely high temperatures lead to water blowing out of the system regularly and blending mechanisms are, therefore, essential in such systems. Roux qualifies that all Home Comfort geysers have a safety valve with a blending valve offered as a separate item. He counteracts that over-heating will only occur if the solar water heater is not used for several days. And vacuum-tube systems produce heat far quicker in overcast conditions of up to 35°C to 45°C with only four hours of sunshine. This means the back-up electrical element will be used less with a lower electricity bill than for flat-plate systems.

Shoot-out

A presentation of the three proposals, as well as comments garnered from each supplier in the follow-up interview, follow.

Case 1

Combined technology proposed

The solution proposed by African Emissions Trading entailed a combination of solar water heaters, gas geysers, photovoltaic panels and heat pumps.

Water heating split in two

African Emissions Trading proposed the supply of combined hot water for all the bathrooms and the cottage kitchen from one source while the normal and “industrial” kitchens in the main house would be supplied from a separate source – a 300 l solar water heater with three flat-plate collectors for the former and a 150 l solar water heater with one flat-plate collector for the latter. As an alternative, a 15 l/min gas geyser for the “industrial kitchen” rather than a 150 l solar water heater was also offered. In order to ensure the efficiency of the solar water heaters, Malan first determined their sizes based on predicted consumption. He explains that, while the heating process of an electric geyser is continuous, where heating starts the moment that you start to consume, solar water heaters follow a batch process. “You, therefore, need to know how much water will be used in a day. This will allow you to leave the geyser’s electricity off with a timer to switch the geyser on once a day to check if the sun was sufficient to heat the required volume of water during the day. The calculation is also important as it highlights where water would be consumed and could, therefore, help inform behavioural changes.” Malan expounds his calculations for sizing the geyser. “Decisions are based on the frequency of bath or shower usage. Is the shower used three times in two days? Is 70 l used per bath? Is there only one person in the cottage?” Malan has based his calculations on the assumption that 300 l should be enough for the four bathrooms and the cottage kitchen. He proposes a larger collector as the roof is not facing directly north. However he qualifies: “The occupants should know that they are close to the maximum output of hot-water production.” The gas geyser is proposed as an alternative to the 150 l solar water heater if hot-water consumption in the industrial kitchen is low. “The advantage of a gas geyser is that it does not consume energy when water is not drawn and delivers hot water immediately when needed,” says Malan. “The capital outlay is relatively low when compared to solar water heaters, especially if a gas stove helps to subsidise the installation cost.”

Saving offsets initial cost

African Emissions Trading quotes R23 370 (R20 500 excluding VAT) for a 300 l solar water heater and R18 810 (R16 500 excluding VAT) for a 150 l version – both flat-plate systems. The prices include installation and consumables. Compared to conventional geysers, the estimated additional purchase and installation costs are R15 370 and R14 810 respectively, including VAT. However Malan calculates that this would be offset by a projected saving on electricity use of R6 732/year – R4 719/year for the 300 l system with a payback period of 2,3 years, and R1 653/year for the 150 l model with a payback period of 4,1 years. Maintenance at R800/year/unit was included in the payback calculation. The savings were based on a business case drawn up by African Emissions Trading which, according to Malan, is “extremely conservative”. The annual payback is based on a 30% tariff increase over two years and a mere 6% increase for the following 10 years – far below Eskom’s predicted tariff hikes. Malan explains how he calculates the baseline for the payback period: “Our measurements have shown that a geyser in residential use consumes between 9 kWh/day to 15 kWh/day. For this case study, I will use 12 kWh and a tariff of R0,84/kWh. In a year, that amounts to an electricity bill of R7 385 for two geysers. If I install a timer to limit the geyser use to two hours per day, it will lead to a bill of R1 840 and a saving of R5 545/year.” Malan underscores that these figures are based on actual electricity billings of an existing house with two electrical geysers, over four to five months, then projected over one year.

Gas cheaper?

The cost of a gas geyser for the industrial kitchen would be R5 130; requiring additional expenditure of R1 130 compared to a conventional geyser but circa 60% cheaper than a 150 l solar water heater. The projected savings on electricity use would be R6 000/year with a payback period of 2,4 months (this is compared to a R1 653/year saving and a payback period of 4,1 years for the 150 l solar water heater. The gas geyser would be preferable if the industrial kitchen is used as a “hobby” kitchen rather than for full-scale business purposes. “A 19 kg gas cylinder can last for three months if used for an oven and hob, and for kitchen-water heating in a household where the water is not used frequently. The gas bill for the kitchen would only be about R100/month.”

Energy-efficient underfloor heating

African Emission Trading proposed a heat pump for underfloor heating which, Malan qualifies, provides far better efficiency and heating reliability than an electric underfloor heating system would. Assuming a floor area to be heated of 120 m2, he proposes a 2,4 kW heat pump to service the four bathrooms and two main kitchens.  “A heat pump would be five times more energy-efficient than an electric underfloor heating system,” says Malan. He calculates that the annual cost of underfloor heating, run on a heat pump, is R1 451,52/year compared to grid electricity at R7 257,60/year. The system is also fitted with a thermostat to measure ambient temperature to control the running of the heat pump. Malan divided the house into three zones for space heating: the upstairs living area, the open area downstairs and the cottage. “The system is designed so that the heating of each area can be controlled at the turn of a valve in the control box,” elaborates Malan. This is useful when an area is not being used often and does not need to be heated. The entire system can be disconnected by simply pulling the plug on the heat pump. African Emissions Trading proposes fire and gas heating for the kitchen, lounge and patio. “Energy-efficient units are available that have a huge impact on the running cost of the units. Prices for these units can be supplied.”

Costly ‘off-grid’ investment

Malan proposes a photovoltaic (PV) system at a total cost of R61 218, including VAT (R53 700 excluding VAT) that would “supply power for lighting and the TV 90% of the time.” The catch is obvious. Although PVs allow for independence from the grid, the capital outlay is exorbitant and does not pay for itself. “The installation would include an inverter that would automatically switch to mains power when the batteries are not being charged.” The PV system comprises five 210 W PV panels, four 105 AH batteries, an outback controller and an inverter. African Emissions Trading works on the assumption that all lights would be energy savers.

Sustainability extended

In addition to the proposals already mentioned, African Emissions Trading suggests a gas hob, water-saving shower heads and a kitchen waste-management system. Malan points out the advantage of a gas hob: heat transfer between the flame and pot is better than between an electric plate and pot. In addition, it ensures hot meals in case of load shedding. Two underground 5 000 l tanks are proposed: one for rainwater capture and one for greywater recycling. “The rainwater can be used for irrigation or emergencies in the house and the greywater for irrigation,” says Malan. “The cost of this is not huge if planned properly. I will not quote on this but equipment should not cost more than R10 000.” He advises that the kitchen design includes cupboard-layout space for the storage of bottles and paper close to the dustbin to make recycling easy.

Case 2

Many water- and space-heating alternatives

Home Comfort offers a wide array of options for water and space heating – varying from flat-plat and vacuum-tube solar water heaters to solar pumps.

3 water-heating options

Home Comfort offers three options for water heating: solar water-heater systems comprising either three flat plates, three vacuum tubes or two heat pumps. The latter is priced best at R36 855. The cost of the three flat-plate system is R49 112. The vacuum-tube option is more costly at R62 087. For the two solar water-heater options, Home Comfort divided the water-heating supply between three areas: the main house and bathrooms (300 l), the main kitchen (150 l) and the downstairs area, including the cottage (200 l). Although a split system is proposed for the main house, presumably for aesthetic reasons, close-coupled, thermo-siphon systems are quoted for the others; based on the assumption that the roof is flat. Although Home Comfort did not supply a graph depicting calculations on the payback, it claims that the flat-plate system could pay for itself twice within the 10-year warranty period and the vacuum-tube system even more so.

Confusing ‘subsidy’

Before Urban Green File’s face-to-face interview with Home Comfort, Noir expressed concern that the “subsidy” built into the proposal – assumed to represent the Eskom rebate – was misleading. The uninformed developer or architect may not be aware that the rebate must be claimed directly from Eskom by the homeowner. The design of the proposal – a standard form sent to customers with the option to pay immediately by credit card – could create the impression that the final price offered by Home Comfort, for argument’s sake the R15 251, is for the flat-plate 150 l solar water heater. We had assumed that the actual price would be R17 826. In consultation with Roux, it emerges that the R2 189 subsidy on the 150 l solar water heater is offered by Electroflex (Home Comfort’s holding company). This subsidy is available for systems regardless of whether or not they qualify for the Eskom rebate. It would, effectively, be easier to opt for Home Comfort’s subsidy than the Eskom rebate – and Roux says that he leaves this up to the customer to decide. “We will discuss the cost with the customer and, in most cases, customers prefer our in-house subsidy. In my opinion, the additional R2 000 is not a deal breaker for a solar system in the R19 000 to R22 000 price range. This begs the question, however: To what extent have prices for Home Comfort’s systems been pushed up as a result of the in-house subsidy?

Heat pump another option

Apart from lower costs, as a stand-alone option for water heating, the heat pump is a more aesthetically pleasing option than solar panels, according to Home Comfort. It has the added advantage of being easily retrofitted to existing geysers. According to Home Comfort, it provides up to 80% peak and 70% efficiency on average in comparison with grid electricity without a heat pump, and it has the same efficiency as solar panels. The pumps absorb energy from ambient air, which is then transferred to heat household water and marketed by Home Comfort as “solar heat pumps”. Apparently these pumps can operate in temperatures between -15°C and 45°C – irrespective of irradiation. What Noir and Urban Green File find perplexing is that Home Comfort promotes heat pumps as “clean energy”even though heat pumps rely on coal-generated grid electricity, with associated high emissions, to operate. Roux, though, clarifies that Home Comfort’s promotion is focused on the 70% to 80% energy saving of a heat pump in comparison to a normal electric-geyser element. The obvious downside of heat pumps is that they will certainly not give the homeowner independence from the grid. While it is a cheaper system, it is not the answer for the homeowner trying to avoid incapacity in the face of load shedding.

4 spaceheating alternatives

Home Comfort offers four options for space heating. Radiator-fin heating costs R361 087 in comparison with underfloor heating that has a Danfoss-link upgrade and advanced management system at R321 398, underfloor heating with a heat pump and standard management system at R286 436, and solar underfloor heating at R611 575. The advanced management-link upgrade is a wireless thermostat. “It is similar to a home-automation system with a touch-screen central control. All rooms are controlled from a central point and the entire system can be set to go into hibernation during holiday periods.”

Radiators incur more heat loss

For space heating, Roux prefers underfloor heating to radiators as more heat wastage is incurred by radiators – this is based on the principle that the greater the air movement, the greater the energy loss and less available heat. “Heat produced from a radiator rises, moves across the ceiling and begins to lose energy. Typically, a ceiling height is 2,8 m. Half the volume of heat from radiators is, in effect, trapped above the body of an average person.” He adds that the main design principle in underfloor heating should be to avoid a high heat concentration over a small area to afford lower water temperatures – within the range of 25°C. With lower temperatures, heat rise is slower; creating less turbulence and resulting in lower energy usage in the entire system. Water pipes are installed from wall to wall. “It creates an even temperature throughout the room as opposed to the concentration of hot air around a radiator.” Radiator water heating, however, comprises a closed-circuit system where the water is treated slightly but not distilled. An oxygen barrier in the piping system prevents oxygen entering the water and, thereby, prevents the growth of bacteria. According to Roux, radiators need regular maintenance only every three or five years. “Maintenance is marginal and, with the heat pump, it is recommended that cleaning is done every two years as with air-conditioners.”

Heat pump with thermo-control preferred

In terms of underfloor heating, Roux recommends a heat pump combined with advanced thermostat control. This is based on the premise that 70 kW of heat needs to be produced. “A solar heat pump will consume 18 kW of electricity to produce 70 kW of heat so there is a substantial difference between consumption and production”. The advanced thermostat control allows for heat control in almost every single room – except the kitchen and living rooms. Roux advises on peak and off-peak functions instead of using the on-off function. He states that graphs from Danfoss in Denmark illustrate the reduced energy consumption as opposed to a simpler on-off function. “It is a more costly system but energy consumption is reduced because you can control the on- and off-peak function of every room. The entire house area is not run at a set temperature all day.” The off-peak temperature should be set at 5°C lower than the ideal room temperature when not in use. “Energy consumption is marginal at a reduced temperature – for example, 18°C – when a room is not occupied, thanks to the intelligent thermostat,” Roux points out. “Rather than inducing a sudden drop in temperature, it controls a gradual drop in anticipation of the lower set temperature. It also ‘learns’ how long it takes to reheat a particular environment. It starts reheating in advance so that, at that time, you have the right temperature.”  

Solar at a high premium

Roux points out that, apart from the high cost of underfloor heating linked to solar panels, another disadvantage is its reliability. “A solar water-heater system seems to provide free energy but, because of the greater tendency for rain in the Western Cape in winter, the energy consumption would be similar to that of a heat pump but at double the capex.” This is even true in summer rainfall areas. In 2008, Gauteng had as many as three weeks of winter rain, he points out and intense rainy periods would require switching over to a secondary heat source. An inline electric boiler would have to be installed or a solar heat pump at an additional cost of about R217 000. “If you take the energy consumption of a heat pump, versus a solar water-heater system, plus the inclusive electric in-line boiler, the energy consumption in winter would be more or less the same,” he points out. Roux warns against quotes for solar water-heater systems linked to under-equipped underfloor heating. He has provided a quote including 21 solar panels instead of the five proposed by another supplier. “The five panels would barely be sufficient to run the geysers. An under-equipped system would, inevitably, result in an even higher reliance on electricity than expected.”  

Gas not feasible

Roux explains his reasons for not including gas as an alternative fuel source for underfloor heating. “Although gas is a cleaner from of energy, it is not a low-cost energy.” He predicts that, as prices of coal-generated electricity increase, more people will switch to gas; encouraging mark-ups on gas pricing. “In my opinion, bottled gas and electricity will always be at the same cost. It’s not cheap to run a bottled gas system – it will cost more or less the same to run underfloor heating on electricity as on bottled gas.” He does, however, recommend gas for other applications such as cooking. One of the more obvious advantages is that it makes the homeowner less vulnerable to intermittent electricity supply although there are limits to the amount of gas that can be kept safely on a property.

Underfloor heating – pipe insulation essential

Heat loss through piping is an obvious and essential consideration in underfloor heating. “There are two reasons to reduce pipe runs: initial installation cost, heat loss and back pressure on pumping systems.” Roux explains: “With an ambient temperature of 10°C and water temperature at 60°C in copper piping, the heat loss is 60 W/m. With 10 m of non-insulated pipe, you lose 600 W. Over 10 hours, you would lose 6 000 W and 12 000 W over 20 hours. That is more than the electricity needed to heat a 150 l geyser.” As copper is suited to extremely high temperatures – up to 200°C – heat loss is reduced substantially by insulating the copper pipe.  

Space heating – complex payback calculation

Although Home Comfort’s proposal mentions the payback period for solar water heaters, it does not for space heating. “Calculating paybacks on space heating is far more difficult than it is for a solar water heater. The reason relates to one major variable: heat loss is an unknown. Any factors that make a difference to the heat-loss profile, such as leaving the door to a heated area open, make a substantial difference to energy consumption.” On occasion, Home Comfort has provided an approximate calculation on space-heating payback but Roux is emphatic that it is a difficult and approximate exercise.

Case 3

Exclusive focus on water heating

As an exclusive solar water-heater specialist, Solar Heat Exchangers proposes a straightforward solution.

Only two solar water heaters required

The proposal for water heating prepared by Solar Heat Exchangers comprises two flat-plate indirect solar water-heater systems – one of 187 l and another of 282 l. The costs are         R18 450 and R25 950 respectively. The sum total for the systems, including pipes, fittings, insulation and cable and the installation, is R57 758. With the Eskom rebate, the client’s total cost would be R50 918. Solar Heat Exchangers supplies the French-manufactured Giordano solar water-heating systems and quotes for a closed-couple thermo-siphon system on a pitched roof. Dylan Tudor-Jones of Solar Heat Exchangers proposes only two solar water-heater systems for the entire house. He explains: “The upper floor of the house has most of the bedrooms. As a salesman, I could have recommended a solar water heater over the lower floor area. However, given that five people from two family units will be using the solar water heaters and based on the calculation that 3 l of water is used per meal served – water use would not exceed 70 l in the industrial kitchen. If it is not being used commercially, a solar water heater is not justified for the downstairs area.” Although not in his proposal, he advises that, if the kitchen is going to have a gas facility, a gas hot-water system could supply the kitchen sink with on-demand hot water. This could also feed across to the downstairs bathroom unit. In the face-to-face interview at a later stage, Tudor-Jones points out further questions that could arise with influence on the final proposal. He urges developers and architects to consult with suppliers from the inception of a project. In his experience, few architects or developers would consider solar water heating as integral at the start of a project. This is essential, for example, when trying to achieve an aesthetically appealing project. Architects need to consider the implications of installing “hidden” solar water heaters as a key aspect of their designs. For example, in certain cases, the roof trusses would need to be strengthened. Tudor-Jones elaborates: “On site, I first put myself in the customer’s shoes. I’m not here to make a quick sale. I, therefore, do not sell according to what clients can afford but to what they need. Secondly, I look at a customer’s house and assess how I would install a system to accommodate my needs.” In contrast to the previous two proposals, he does not offer a calculation of return on investment. As he has been in the solar water-heating game longer than the others, he holds a purist’s view and feels that calculations are superfluous in principle and even more so given the prevailing energy climate. 

Space heating not considered

Solar Heat Exchangers does not provide a proposal for space heating as it specialises exclusively in solar water heaters. Tudor-Jones, in fact, flatly refuses to provide space heating but he does advise that a heat pump or gas is preferable to a solar water heater for space heating. “Even if there is a 35% increase in electricity prices over the next three years, I cannot justify the financial sense of solar underfloor heating. You need a huge amount of kilowatts for space heating, generally, and then only for three to four months of the year. To justify capital costs, it would need to be working all year round.” The solar panels would be damaged if not used in summer; merely “baking” in the sun, he points out. The only justification for a solar underfloor-heating system would be in an area where space heating is needed for the winter months and a pool-heating system for the summer months. “This is, however, expensive for heating a pool; there are cheaper ways,” states Tudor-Jones.

More information requested upfront

The only supplier to send initial follow-up questions in response to Urban Green File’s request for proposals was Solar Heat Exchangers. We supplied the following additional information and Solar Heat Exchangers was the only supplier privy to this information.
• Two adults and a six-year-old child live in the main house and two adults reside in the cottage.
• Three kitchen-sink loads of washing up per week could be expected in the baking kitchen. It is actually a “hobby room” used for making about two decorated cakes per week and accommodates one art class every weekend.  
• In the main house, hot-water use is for two baths in the evening and one shower in the morning; kitchen dishes once a day; dishwasher once every second day; laundry once every second day. The roof is pitched and tiled with normal rafters. The roof layout is not available as the detailed design for the renovation and additions is still under way. The client would prefer a split system on the roof. However, the ceiling will follow the pitch of the roof so it is impossible to hide the tanks there.

Gap in the market

This study, after consulting with Noir and the three suppliers, reveals a gap in the market for independent consultants on solar water heater and “green” energy systems. Given the status quo, in order not to be duped, architects and developers would need to establish a rapport with reputable, preferred turnkey suppliers. However this is a short-term solution and a role that should not be filled by the supplier, according to Tudor-Jones. He believes that it distracts from the core business of a solar water-heater company and it requires a sales representative to be sent out on simple solar water-heater installations. In Tudor-Jones’s dealings with architects, few architects have become familiar with solar water-heater design to the extent that he is confident enough to simply supply solar water-heating equipment. “We are, generally, asked for design-supply-install. We advise architects from the beginning of the project and talk them through the process.” He finds himself acting as an educator to professionals on almost every installation. To compensate for the consulting gap in the market, Solar Heat Exchangers is developing course modules on solar water heaters for professionals. The aim is to get professionals to the point where the supplier can, confidently, supply a price against a proposal from an architect and engineer rather than offering a free consultation service. Courses on residential and commercial solar water heating, as well as solar air heating will be offered from February 2010. Tudor-Jones notes that, in spite of architects, increasingly, thinking in terms of green design, developers still do not include solar water heaters in projects. In most cases, they don’t benefit from the result but this may change as solar water-heater installations become mandatory according to new building standards on energy efficiency.

Tough choice

Which solution is preferred? Urban Green File weighs up the pros and cons of the various proposals.

The face-to-face interviews with the three suppliers were invaluable in establishing their credibility as knowledgeable and reliable suppliers. It was essential to clarify certain misgivings picked up by Noir and Urban Green File while reviewing the initial proposals. Home Comfort provided the widest range of options and, although it did not provide a detailed solar water-heater payback scheme, it has software to calculate this based on the specific tariffs of a household. African Emissions Trading provided in-depth explanations of its proposal with a very detailed scheme of the payback period on the solar water-heater scheme. Solar Heat Exchangers pre-empted its proposal with questions on the household. The quote was very simple with only one choice for water heating and not one for space heating.

Rebate reconsidered

This article was written prior to Eskom announcing a substantial increase in its solar water-heater rebate (article on page 20). With a higher rebate, the cost to the consumer for the installation of solar water heating, as calculated in the three examples, would be lower. That is assuming that the specific type of geyser is registered with Eskom for rebates.

Verdict

Writer’s choice:

If I could combine options from the three proposals, I would select the following solutions for the Craighall Park case study:
• African Emissions Trading’s gas geyser for the “industrial” kitchen area.
• Solar Heat Exchangers’s 282 l flat-plate solar water heater for the main living area and the cottage.
• Home Comfort’s space heating for its advanced control, which I believe will contribute significantly to a long-term reduction in energy costs.
• African Emissions Trading’s gas hob – not only is this “cleaner” than coal but it also cooks far better! A rough estimate of the cost of this combination is R385 000. The final choice and decisions for water- and space-heating installations for the case-study home will, ultimately, be up to the homeowners – determined after consultation with their architect. The purpose of this article, however, was not to select a proposal or to play companies off against each other. It was rather to analyse the process that solar water-heater suppliers, architects, engineers and developers are exposed to when interacting in this new terrain of green design for water- and space-heating systems.

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GREEN BUILDINGS BRIEFS

Interaction with landscape is critical

“Green” buildings cannot change the face of South African cities from a sustainability perspective, according to Richard Palmer of WSP Consulting Engineers. He believes that, ultimately, it will be the interaction of resource-effective buildings with the urban landscape and citizens of our cities that will be the telling indicator of our success in trying to provide a more sustainable built environment. Our approach is, too often, confined to the borders of our construction site and exclusionary in its approach as opposed to inclusive of the surrounding urban landscape. This applies to infrastructure, ecology and society. “Moving South Africa from a cut-off, walled, fenced-in society towards a more inclusive, open, public society is an integral part of any sustainability strategy,” he adds. “Simply producing buildings that use fewer resources is not a long-term solution; it is simply the first step. I would like to see a change in the approach of building-design teams to include people who have knowledge of integrated systems, such as ecologists and social scientists. This requires a mind shift by engineers to start valuing input from people whose opinions are less intrinsic to the functioning of a building within itself but vital to the functioning of the building within its context.”

Solar-geyser rebate increased

Eskom has increased its rebates on accredited solar water-heating systems substantially. The power utility tells Urban Green File that the new rebates are calculated to allow a five-year payback period and claims that, in many instances, the new rebate values represent a 100% increase or more over the old values. However the claim process remains unchanged. Customers still have to pay for the full cost of the system upfront, and then claim the rebate from Eskom after the solar water heater has been installed. According to Eskom, consumers are guaranteed that, once a complete rebate application has been lodged, money will be deposited into their accounts within eight weeks of receiving the paperwork. “Our aim is to encourage as many South Africans as possible to move away from electric geysers and replace them with solar-heated systems,” comments Cedric Worthmann, Eskom’s renewable-energy portfolio manager. “We estimate that there are about 4,2-million electric geysers installed in the country compared with only 76 873 solar water-heating units. Making significant inroads in this market could realise huge benefits for the country as electric geysers account for between 30% and 50% of all electricity used by the domestic market.”

Rebate still way too low

Professional engineer, Michele Rivarola of Carifro Consulting Engineers, believes that Eskom’s rebate remains ridiculously low if the cost of heating water with solar panels is compared with the cost of power generated at Medupi. “The cost of Medupi Power Station is approximately R130-billion with output planned to be 4 500 MW. The cost per kW of installed power at Medupi would, therefore, be R28 900 (calculated as R130-billion divided by 4 500 MW and this figure multiplied by 1 000 W/kW),” reasons Rivarola. “However the cost of a 5 kW (300 l) solar water-heating system is approximatelyR27 000 with the cost/kW at R5 400. The potential saving in energy consumption as a function of installed power can, therefore, be calculated as the difference between R28 900 and R5 400 = R23 500. When this figure is multiplied by five, the total saving in energy consumption, as a function of installed power in case of a solar water heater, is R117 500 in total. Yet the maximum Eskom rebate is only R12 500.” If the consumer scores from the rebate system, then we have rewritten the fundamentals of economics and that is without taking into account the costs of reinforcing the distribution grid to transmit the additional 4 500 MW, Rivarola says. “In the US, utilities pay for 100% of the installation,” he adds. “Not less than 50%. Eskom should do the same. However, for a 100% rebate system to work, Eskom must insist that all solar water heaters are completely off grid – without any back-up electric heaters. Any heating of water on days when the solar heater cannot produce enough hot water must be done via a gas heater of the in-line type otherwise, on those days, there will not be a saving on the cost of building a power station.” In order to save the cost of providing one power station of the size of Medupi, Eskom would have to install 900 000 solar water heaters. The cost is approximately only 20% of the cost of one power station. Rivarola bases this argument on a calculation of 4,5-million kW divided by 5 kW (per system) with this figure then multiplied by R27 000 (per system).

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CITY VISIT

Ekurhuleni parks overhauled – Long-term environmental improvement achievable?

Ekurhuleni, as a “new” city, has embarked on an ambitious programme to redevelop its inherited parks and conservation areas. But will the municipality’s fast-paced budget spending make a sustainable difference to the quality of its environment?

Paradoxically, the City of Ekurhuleni is an industrial area but also home to many significant wetlands and conservatories, as well as an array of parks, lakes, green lungs, bird sanctuaries and public spaces. Not surprising, though, because of its primary activities, open spaces have been neglected. However change is in the air as the Ekurhuleni Metro has begun resurrecting its green spaces, holistically, in the past three years.  

Municipality reshuffled

According to a November 2007 report, Restructuring of the Environmental Development Department of the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality, historically, the Ekurhuleni region has been biased towards the economic benefits of industrial output and its contribution to the country’s overall GDP instead of considering the environmental impact of industry on the ecology. The same document admits that previous mining activity, and mushrooming of formal and informal settlements, as a result of industrialisation, has had a considerable impact on the region’s diverse natural habitat. The City of Ekurhuleni has, therefore, decided to rethink its environmental agenda – a political and functional structure has been developed to be accountable for the long-term sustainable development of the environment. Coupled with the metro’s general institutional restructuring and evaluation of its service-delivery model, the Ekurhuleni Environmental Department has been formed as one of the biggest departments within the municipality. It comprises the consolidation of five directorates: regional environmental-health services, regional parks and cemeteries, support services, solid waste, and policy and planning. At the head of this department is acting executive director, RV Nesengani. This institutional rearrangement, coupled with holistic and long-term environmental planning, has improved Ekurhuleni’s state of urban greening in the past three years. “Ekurhuleni has functioned as several smaller, independent councils,” states Renier Cooper, acting manager: metro parks and cemeteries, for the Ekurhuleni Environmental Department. “Greening happened in a very fragmented manner in the past. Brakpan might have planted a bit of grass here, or Boksburg might have built a play park there, but it happened in a haphazard manner. It is really the first time that the City of Ekurhuleni’s environmental approach is considered so strategically.”  

Two regional parks per year

The first step is grouping park areas and green strips inherited within the 1 923 km2 Ekurhuleni region. “We have decided to group regional parks together and to develop master plans for this purpose,” says Cooper. “We have also clustered all our multi-purpose parks, community parks, as well as wetlands and conservation areas, for future refurbishment. Through a strategic process, and by bringing various consultants on board, we have set certain targets. One of these targets is to develop at least two regional parks per year.”

Regional parks revived

Many of the East Rand’s once-renowned regional parks are in a state of disrepair. However new master plans promise significant renewal.

Once a prime spot for go-kart competitions, colourful flea markets and romantic wedding proposals, the East Rand’s regional parks are now, mostly, in a dilapidated condition, says Francois van Rooyen of Red Landscape Architects (Red), the consultant responsible for the master plans of Ekurhuleni’s regional parks.

1. Excitement instilled – Bokkie and Bunny parks

Classical recreation parks in Boksburg – such as the Bokkie and Bunny parks – have been redesigned to reintroduce and instil the same sense of excitement and pleasure that these parks once gave East Rand residents. “I wanted to condense the existing scattered character of all elements in Bokkie Park into smaller, more focused areas like playgrounds, park areas and animal enclosures,” says Van Rooyen. “These will be connected by large circular pathways and enveloped by a newly designed children’s train ride which was a favourite activity in the past. The focus is on the relationship between recreation, relaxation and education – keeping the farm and animal theme in mind.”

2. Picnic destination – Nyoni Park

Nyoni Park, in Vosloorus, is on a river flood line and has been seriously vandalised and neglected – to the extent that rickety buildings at the entrance of the park should be demolished as they are no longer structurally sound. The park will be completely revamped with a picnic area, lapa, baby changing facilities, wedding chapel and botanical garden. “There is a wetland on the site and I wanted to keep the greening very natural to stimulate nesting and bird life,” says Van Rooyen. “I don’t want to tamper with the wetland too much other than spraying it to make it slightly less dense.”

Innovative multi-purpose park

An innovative “remake” is the Spruitview multi-purpose park which was completed recently by Outer Space Planning & Design. According to Alan Cooper of Outer Space, the design of the R12,6-million park, south of Germiston, made provision for the implementation of solar heating panels and lighting, among other energy-efficient interventions. Due to the discovery of dolomitic ground conditions, the idea of building a water play park had to be abandoned. The challenge for the landscape architect was to design on undulating surfaces and not more common flat planes. 3D computer skills were employed to model the site – Outer Space designed a resourceful and interesting skateboard facility; adjusting to the rolling surfaces.

Wetlands and conservation areas enhanced

The emphasis is not only on sport and recreation but also on the preservation and promotion of biodiversity.

According to Southern African Birding, there are more than 100 permanent pans or wetlands in the East Rand. The majority are situated on private land but there are also a significant number of public facilities, including Bullfrog Pan, Sand Pan, Korsmans Bird Sanctuary, Bonaero Park Pan, Carlos Rolfe’s Pan, Steward’s Pan, Leeupan and Blaaupan.

1. Education and recreation combined – Korsmans Bird Sanctuary

Red’s redesign of Korsmans Bird Sanctuary includes different zones to accommodate educational and recreational activities. The idea is to stimulate interactivity between the environment and the visitors, says Van Rooyen.

2. Savannah effect – Rondebult Reserve

With regard to conservation areas, Rondebult Reserve is one of Ekurhuleni’s largest. “We plan to create a savannah effect in this park with golf carts transporting visitors between the wetland, bird hides and game,” Van Rooyen says. I’m also planning to transplant some of the existing trees on rocked podiums – to prevent damage by animals.”

3. Archaeological ruins renovated – Meyersdal Koppies

Another exciting project is the Meyersdal Koppies where archaeological ruins, dating back to the Iron Age, have been found. The quaint yellow buildings at Meyersdal will be renovated and the area awaits a heritage study in 2010.

4. Ecology restored – Blesbokspruit

Blesbokspruit is one of the larger wetlands in the Highveld. It is a high conservation priority as it forms an important component of one of the tributaries of the Vaal River. Unfortunately, a decline in the ecological character of the site, brought about primarily by the discharge of large volumes of polluted water from a gold mine, has decreased the site’s Ramsar rating. Metro Parks aims to address this in the upgrade of the wetland. Van Rooyen tells Urban Green File that Red has prepared a master plan for this renowned wetland which includes the incorporation of an innovative “scientific hub” for educational purposes.

5. Water quality improved – Boksburg Lake

The water system in Ekurhuleni presents its fare share of challenges. Water hyacinths crowd most of the lakes and sewage leaks from the aging municipal system so some of the lakes are no-go zones. A well-publicised example is Boksburg Lake. “When we developed the master plan for Boksburg Lake, we sat together with other departments to formulate strategies and solutions to clean the lake,” notes Van Rooyen. “There has been a very strong process of cross- departmental interaction.” The department has purchased an R10-million dredging machine to curb the growing hyacinth problem. Close consultation has also taken place with the municipality’s stormwater department.

6. Indigenous trees celebrated – Alberton Dam

Alberton Dam will acquire its own distinctive character with interesting iconic features. Circular routes will link the different areas; creating unity. The redesign of the park includes an arboretum, indicating the significant indigenous tree species with their botanical names.

2010 fans welcomed

Two major turnkey projects are transforming the face of Ekurhuleni for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In 2009, most of the Ekurhuleni Environmental Department’s energy was spent on projects related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup – the upgrading of city entrances and the development of a welcoming village close to OR Tambo International Airport.

1. Town entrances remade

The 2010 projects have happened at an exceptional pace. A business plan was submitted in September 2008 and the R55-million for the project was secured by Metro Parks in October 2008. “In November, we had to put the designs out to tender,” says Cooper. “The appointment of the consultant was done in one month and about 82 work days were left before the budget had to be spent.” Within 14 days, Red Landscape Architects returned with 46 designs for the town entrances. “The designs were approved on March 16 2009 with 37 sites constructed subsequently. We spent about 97% of the budget in four months and created 333 job opportunities in the process”.

2. 2010 visitors welcomed – Dries Niemandt Park

Work on Dries Niemandt Park – a regional park being developed into a welcome village for World Cup guests arriving at the airport – is still under way. This project is a result of estimations indicating that between 7 000 and 9 000 people will be at the airport in peak hours so it would be best to send some of the visitors to a welcoming destination. From an aesthetic perspective, Van Rooyen has adopted a “playful, light-hearted African theme”. He elaborates: “Dries Niemandt was more of a park than anything else – a wide open space without clear direction. I want to create various zones in the park to stimulate multi-use. We have designed a pertinent entrance with sandstone pillars. Large mosaic circles, undertaken by Kingfisher Landscaping, give direction to the park and will create movement and flow.” Adding a humorous element to the design, there are spiced-up, San-type drawings of the men talking on cell phones and driving fast cars along the fence. Van Rooyen has also incorporated playful elements in the lamp-posts, dustbins and ablution facilities. The first phase of Dries Niemandt Park will be handed over in February 2010. Phase 2 is scheduled for completion at the end of April. When Urban Green File visited the site in early January, the contractor was still pouring concrete. The project has been delayed slightly by rain and a lot of work remains.

Turnkey contracts facilitate fast implementation

Metro Parks has worked around the time-consuming red tape of the tender processes for park developments with turnkey contracts rather than the traditional appointment of a design consultant followed by a construction contract awarded by tender. In this case, one principal agent was made responsible for the entire capital costs of the project. The design of the 37 town entrances, including the entrances and surroundings of Dries Niemandt Park were executed in this manner. The turnkey solution seems to be an approach that the municipality will use more frequently in the future. The normal tendering process at Ekurhuleni, however, is highly time-consuming and could take three months. Van Rooyen speculates that preventing corruption is the reason for bureaucratic processes established by the metro – even more stringent measures than other muni-cipalities in his experience. “Red tape could become a hindrance for the municipality in terms of implementation,” he says. “This is, most likely, why turnkey solutions are preferred.” Turnkey contracts, however, present other challenges. A lot of trust is put in the principal agent, managing large sums of money at a time, while many consultants might not be eager to take on the risk.

But is the effort sustainable?

With so much emphasis on the immediate implementation of capital budgets, what is the risk of all the effort going to waste in years to come?

Maintenance a critical challenge

Ekurhuleni has been developing parks and public spaces at the speed of light. However park management and maintenance will be critical challenges in the upkeep of this wave of investment. According to Cooper, a comprehensive resources study was conducted by Manala Consulting before commencing with the majority of redesigns. “Manala did a full report on our maintenance – evaluating our machinery and the average age of our staff, for example.” Like many other municipalities in South Africa, the Ekurhuleni metro faces a solid amount of challenges and obstacles when it comes to resources. The study reveals that the average age of staff is between 45 and 55. Of the 119 trucks belonging to the municipality, 94 exceed their shelf life while 65 of the 195 trailers should have been written off. In seasonal terms, Ekurhuleni has a surface area of 1 100 144 084 m² of developed and undeveloped grass that needs to be maintained (the equivalent of 171 000 football fields and 57% of the region’s overall surface). The department is, therefore, fully aware of the maintenance challenges that await it and has benchmarked its available resources and green space with other metros such as Johannesburg and Tshwane. “We realise that, when you develop world-class parks, such as Dries Niemandt, you need to maintain them at the same level,” says Cooper. “A big challenge going forward is to put maintenance tenders in place as we have limited internal capacity to do this. And the problem we often face is that your operational budget does not necessarily increase in relation to your capital budget.”  

Funding successfully sourced

Victor Nesengani, former director of parks and cemeteries and now the environmental department’s acting executive director, has played an important role in securing additional funds and grants for the department, according to Van Rooyen and Cooper. The metro has secured funds from the Danish government through its Urban Environmental Management Programme (UEMP) in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs. Ekurhuleni secured R15-million in 2009 for special projects from the UEMP. One of these projects is a R2-million nursery to hone and develop skills within the department and community. The nursery will begin operating in 2010 and will, partly, address the department’s lack of internal skills. However the majority of park refurbishments have been funded by Ekurhuleni. “We have earmarked a total of 26 parks for the periods 2009/10 and 2011/12,” says Cooper. “Out of our capital budget for this financial year, we have invested the majority of our funds in parks.”  

Ecological impact considered?

Will the rapid pace of urban greening in Ekurhuleni only result in short-term          aesthetic improvements or is overall ecological enhancement, through the refurbishment of parks, being taken into account? “There is definitely a broader ecological vision,” says Van Rooyen. “In many of my master plans, I have indicated how I want to fix a wetland here or stimulate biodiversity there. And the reception to these suggestions has been very positive.” Although Metro Parks has come a long way since adopting a uniform approach among the nine separate municipalities, especially considering the time frame, there is still room for greater integration and participation, Cooper admits – in the development of an urban greening strategy, for one. At this stage, the five directorates within the restructured environmental department have made great strides in connecting the former individual municipalities. Now integration needs to take place at a broader level. “We started a while ago with research into an overall greening strategy,” says Cooper. “The objective is to appoint a consultant later in 2010. Although we do follow a combined and uniform approach in terms of our environmental management, the department still lacks an overall greening strategy,” he adds. At the time of this interview, Metro Parks was hoping to appoint a consultant to develop a policy for the usage of parks and cemeteries in early January 2010. This more practical document will look at the typical legal pointers: hiring out open spaces, safety and security of facilities, disposal of public spaces and so forth. The greening strategy, in return, will tie the function of the five directorates together and it will consider an overall sustainability strategy for Ekurhuleni, including the integration of dams and wetlands, a solution for the area’s several “dead” spaces and the enhancement of green lungs.

Long-term opportunities considered?

Comment by Gerald Garner

Ekurhuleni is setting a remarkable example of fast and efficient implementation of capital budgets – other municipalities should take note of this. However one cannot help but ask “Why the rush?” Is this not a case of holistic and strategic planning left until too late? Does the rush to get projects done in time for the World Cup not come at the expense of better long-term solutions that would have taken more time and effort to design and plan initially? Is too much emphasis being placed on decoration rather than ecological improvement and spatial integration? For example, most of the town entrances are designed to be viewed from a car while many of Ekurhuleni’s residents would have been better served by upgrading sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians and taxi commuters. And is the opportunity for a city-wide solution for stormwater management and reuse not being missed in the rehabilitation of wetlands and dams? While the municipality admits that there is a problem with operational budgets, Urban Green File remains concerned about the cost of maintenance. Are the design solutions, indeed, sustainable in the long term? Perhaps a change to municipal-management systems is needed? This could lead to a policy of not spending capital on a project unless money is placed in a dedicated account to fund future operation and maintenance.  While it seems that Ekurhuleni has the right intentions, it will take a lot more work, sustained over many years, to truly produce a quality environment that will benefit the natural ecology and the needs of the city’s ever-growing population. Hopefully, when the immediate pressure of the World Cup has eased, the municipality will follow through on its aim for a holistic, ecologically based greening strategy.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING & DESIGN

‘Green’ property developer

Chris Mulder’s property developments are remarkable for the way that they conserve and improve the environment. His background in landscape architecture plays a key role in this regard.

As one of the first students enrolled for a masters degree in landscape architecture at the University of Pretoria, Chris Mulder graduated in 1976. He obtained a BSc in agriculture from the same university in 1963. His studies, though, did not end at “Tukkies”. He went on to complete a doctorate in environmental planning and urban design at the Texas A&M University College of Architecture. In addition, he completed post-graduate courses in terrain analysis, physical land planning, metropolitan land use, and satellite and aerial-photography interpretation. The latter three at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, the University of Massachusetts and the Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Centre in South Dakota. After earning his doctorate, Mulder returned to South Africa in 1980 to launch Chris Mulder & Associates Incorporated. Today known as CMAI, this multidisciplinary planning and design firm has employed many land and environmental planners, architects, landscape architects and urban designers over the past 28 years. In the 1980s and early ’90s, CMAI continued to expand. At one stage, boasting offices in Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Mossel Bay, and employing almost 45 people. Some of CMAI’s prominent projects included:
• the South African Reserve Bank head office in Pretoria;
• master plans for the Union Buildings in Pretoria;
• Infoplan headquarters in Pretoria; and
•master plan for Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town.  

Scholarship sponsor

In the same period, Mulder became widely known and regarded by students of landscape architecture. Through CMAI, he funded various landscape architects on full scholarships at Texas A&M University. Many of these students have, subsequently, become well-known landscape architects, including Menno Klapwijk, Dr Gwen Theron, Ian Roos and Fanie Truter, among others. But a scholarship to study in America was not the only way that Mulder brought international flavour to South African landscape architecture. He also arranged for several of his former professors at Texas A&M to work at CMAI in Pretoria. Many of them obtained their PhDs at the University of Pretoria with Mulder as co-promoter, including Prof Michael Murphy and Prof John Motloch. Prof Willem van Riet also obtained his PhD with Mulder as co-promoter. In addition, Mulder imported as many as 16 American graduates between 1980 and 1994 to work in his various South African offices.  

Visionary property developer

But it is not only Mulder’s support of students and international networking that has made him an icon among landscape architects. His remarkable vision for property development is most significant. After three years of operating CMAI in Beijing, China, in the late 1990s, Mulder returned to South Africa to establish CMAI’s head office at Thesen Islands in Knysna. In 1999, he decided to split CMAI into two divisions: the “GREEN Company”, which handles property development, and the “BLUE Company”, which functions as the professional practice involving architecture, urban design and landscape architecture. A decade later, Mulder still heads both companies. Having developed a reputation for sensitive coastal development that marries upmarket residential projects with economically and socially sustainable initiatives, and community upliftment, CMAI won two CNBC International Property Development Awards for its Thesen Islands project in 2007. According to Mulder, this remarkable development holds the record as the most environmentally sensitive residential and marina/waterfront project in South Africa.  

Successful Thesen Islands

Thesen Islands is a result of Mulder’s remarkable vision. He had assembled the development team and, as co-developer, executed the R400-million design for Thesen Islands from start to finish. Few would have had the vision to transform a polluted timber-processing plant into a 605-unit residential marina and waterfront development, including a commercial village. The entire Thesen Islands development was built and sold out within six years between 2000 and 2006, including all the civil, urban design and landscape-architectural works. However the success of Thesen Islands has not slowed Mulder down. CMAI is developing and planning four large sustainable, rural projects with a mix of agricultural and residential development. Each comprises about 700 units.  

Opportunity in rural development

Mulder believes that sustainable rural development, which integrates existing agricultural and rural communities completely into a modern version of a rural village, presents a major opportunity for landscape architecture to make a meaningful contribution in future. “We need to bring people back to the countryside and stem the tide of people flocking to the urban edges,” he enthuses. “We need to create vibrant rural communities with a low or neutral carbon footprint where commercial food production is an integral part of the lifestyle of that community.”  Mulder has embarked on his exit strategy from the CMAI Blue Company – the professional consultancy – and, within the next two years, CMAI Blue team “will be on its own”. CMAI Green – the property-development arm – will continue under Mulder to, hopefully, develop projects on the drawing boards. The Institute for Landscape Architecture in South Africa has recognised Mulder as a true icon of the profession. Urban Green File agrees that he has translated the best of landscape-architectural skills into a successful property-development endeavour; proving that development can be done in an environmentally responsible and enhancing way.

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WASTE & POLLUTION MANAGEMENT

Recycling pays

In striving to reduce its carbon footprint, Nedbank has found that recycling waste is lucrative in various ways.

Nedbank claims to be the first bank to publicise a climate-change position statement. It’s an ambitious plan that sets intensity-reduction targets and measures aimed at managing and minimising the bank’s carbon footprint. “The more energy-intensive industries, such as mining, have implemented similar programmes,” remarks Vicky Beukes, Nedbank’s sustainability manager for enterprise, governance and compliance. “But there is, definitely, no other bank that has done what we are doing in the ‘green’ space.” The policy sets out high-level principles for environmental management across the group and forms a part of the bank’s operating philosophy, standards and values. Although the group cannot prescribe environmental-management policies to its clients and suppliers, it makes every effort to encourage sound environmental management and compliance with legislation and regulations. “We first approached our environmental policy in 2004 as a concerned corporate citizen,” says Beukes. “It wasn’t a money issue but we recognised that Nedbank was a consumer of water and electricity, and, in turn, a producer of waste, effluent and carbon emissions. It was important to reduce our carbon footprint as well as the waste we are sending to landfill.” In 2008, the group further embedded the principles contained in its environmental and corporate-responsibility policies by including specific focus areas and deliverables in a corporate-responsibility framework. This framework is aligned with the bank’s corporate responsibility, and risk to its reputation, and serves to guide its business focus while capturing sustainability-related business opportunities. Progress in terms of the implementation of the framework is monitored on a monthly basis. The forum has already served to develop more effective environmental-management systems and carbon management across the bank’s head-office buildings and is in the process of extending these systems to the retail branch network.  

Everything is measured

“Nedbank has approached environmental management with great transparency,” comments Beukes. “Everything we consume is measured because we know that, unless you measure what you use, you will never really know what you are consuming or the volume of waste you are producing. It’s a vital part of any green programme and, unless you do it, you won’t have a clear understanding of what you are dealing with or how to change it. As part of our climate-change position statement that was published in 2009, we set goals for all the targets that we want to achieve by 2010. Since then, we have been monitoring our progress and sharing it with our employees, clients, shareholders and the media. Every part of the journey allows us to explore new ways of limiting our paper and electricity use, water consumption and carbon emissions. I think the challenge here entails more than only corporate responsibility; Nedbank has taken a step to change behaviour and behavioural change is a long-term approach rather than a short-term initiative.”  

Focus on waste reduction

In the area of waste management, Nedbank has found that recycling pays in many ways. Firstly, it reduces the volume of waste sent to landfill (and the associated costs). Secondly, it generates enough income (from selling the waste to a recycling company) to fund the entire recycling programme, including the internal marketing of the initiative to employees. Thirdly, it reduces the bank’s carbon footprint and creates goodwill towards the Nedbank brand. The marketing benefit is obvious. Beukes elaborates on the recycling initiative. “Previously, branch staff kept all their used paper in order to sell it to recycling vendors at the end of the year,” says Beukes. “The proceeds were used to pay for a Christmas party. But we recognised that a recycling programme could pay for itself. Now recycling is an important part of our waste-management plan and, with the implementation of this initiative, we’ve been able to set targets that represent a 20% decrease in the volume of waste sent to landfill. To date, we’ve been able to achieve this target.”  

Recycling outsourced

Beukes adds: “It takes effort to recycle but we’ve learnt to integrate it into the workings of our group. Once the waste has been sorted by the staff and placed in the bins, the cleaners take it down to the basement where it is checked and sorted again. Then we have a contractual relationship with a recycling company, which collects the waste and recycles it.” Nedbank is remunerated for this waste. Beukes says that white paper (HL1) and pastel-coloured paper (HL2) have a higher value than newspaper, for example. “It is not significant sums but it does fund a lot of our programme, including the bins and the educational programme we have implemented.” Albrecht Marais, from Nedbank’s recycling service provider, Waste Paper Recovery, says: “I regularly come across people with high expectations of generating income from waste paper. The reality is that this is not necessarily the case. We have found though, that some corporates are genuinely interested in embarking on a recycling programme with the intention of decreasing the amount of waste they send to landfill but others expect to make unrealistic profits. The aim should be a long-term, sustainable recycling programme.”

Motivated by sustainability

Marais maintains that corporates should approach any recycling programme with a sustainability mindset and not from a viability perspective. “Our business has to be viable. We have to ensure that our 4 t truck leaves in the morning and returns in the evening with a full load of paper. But our clients are not in the waste business. They need to ensure that they use their resources wisely. Recycling won’t save the bottom line but it will breed a sustainable mindset among employees.” Waste Paper Recovery is a subsidiary of Kimberly-Clark South Africa and handles approximately 5 000 t of paper monthly. Much of this paper is consumed by Kimberly Clark itself hence the investment in the state-of-the-art facility which has capacity to de-ink paper. “The Nedbank project is fairly new for us,” says Waste Paper Recovery’s Syd Pratt. “We are not yet calling on all their sites but will be doing so in the near future.” And Nedbank chose this specific service provider for a reason. “We operate with log sheets and supply reports on the waste’s destination,” Pratt points out. “We only process the paper so the other waste is delivered to suppliers who can process glass and tin. We vet these suppliers to ensure that the waste is recycled and not simply deposited onto landfill sites.”

Is the waste really recycled?

Nedbank relies heavily on the reputation of its supplier to ensure that the waste is recycled. “However, recyclers would certainly not benefit from simply dumping the waste on landfills,” says Pratt. “Traditional waste companies charge for taking the waste to the landfill site but we pay for the waste and transport it from the client’s premises at our own cost. It is in our interests to ensure that it is recycled and sold on.” He claims that Waste Paper Recovery is preventing 1-million tons of paper from reaching landfill sites every year.

Plenty ‘green’ initiatives

Some of the initiatives undertaken by the Nedbank Group include:
• The use of “green” chemicals in head-office buildings.
•Recycling bins in all the “pause” areas of Nedbank’s head-office buildings; allowing for sorting of biodegradable waste, plastic and polystyrene, glass and tin, as well as mixed waste (plastic, paper and foil).
•The Power2U campaign calls on staff to reduce their carbon footprints at work and at home. Employees are invited to exchange their old, energy-sapping light bulbs for energy-saving bulbs, free of charge, at head office and branches.
•Card and transactional product holders can now opt to receive statements by e-mail rather than the printed versions.
•Nedbank has contracted a number of vendors to ensure recycling of print cartridges used by staff.
•Nedbank has piloted the use of environment-friendly paper towels in bathroom areas.
•Other initiatives include reducing the distance travelled by bank employees in rental cars and commercial airline flights. More employees have been given full-time positions to further decrease the group’s carbon footprint by structuring travelling times to allow for lift clubs and public transport.

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WASTE & POLLUTION MANAGEMENT BRIEFS

10 ‘eco towns’ envisaged

Government is planning to develop 10 “eco towns” throughout South Africa. An initiative of the Department of Environmental Affairs in partnership with Indalo Yethu and Buyisa-e-Bag, the Buyisela (Eco Towns) programme will model 10 towns on the principles of sustainability. It is hoped that this initiative will, in turn, serve as a blueprint for other towns to follow. The Buyisela programme will supplement municipal services, such as street cleaning and the establishment or rehabilitation of landfill sites, while another aspect of the programme will focus on the promotion of recycling.  The first Buyisela participant is Mthatha in the Eastern Cape where the programme was launched in October 2009. Speaking at the launch, Minister of Water & Environmental Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica, said: “The objective is to give our townships and villages a new beginning. Buyisela means giving back or restoring. It captures the thrust of cleaning and greening efforts which go beyond just lawns and trees. It also involves establishing spaces for recreation so that our people can enjoy their neighbourhoods. At the same time the clearing of open spaces is essential as these could have been breeding grounds for criminal activities.”  The Buyisela budget of R400-million will be split equally among the proposed pilot sites – R40-million for the cleaning and greening of Mthatha. The Department of Environmental Affairs has allocated an additional R27-million to the rehabilitation of the city’s “dump site” and the creation of a new waste-management site. Sonjica said this was in line with her philosophy that investing in the ecological infrastructure of South Africa is as important as building schools, roads, hospitals and houses. “We need to bring biodiversity into focus and understand the connections between what is happening on our planet and society at large. We need to use our biodiversity, our ecological infrastructure, as a self-reliant instrument to combat climate change.”

Glass recycling up

Volumes of waste glass recovered for recycling in South Africa increased by 65% in 2009 – from 148 000 tpa to 244 845 tpa. This is according to Shabeer Jhetam, general manager of The Glass Recycling Company, who tells Urban Green File that a record   26 673 t of glass was recovered in November 2009 alone. In line with this trend, Stoney Steenkamp, MD of Nampak Wiegand Glass, has disclosed that the company is building a R160-million glass-recycling plant on its Roodekop site. It should be operational by March 2010 with capacity to recycle 185 000 tpa. Steenkamp claims “there could be as much as a 100% increase in next year’s recycling figures”.

Waste institute suspensions

Vincent Charnley has stepped down as president of the Institute of Waste Management Southern Africa (IWMSA) for as long as the Wasteman group is being investigated by the Green Scorpions for alleged illegal dumping of medical waste. The Wasteman group has also been suspended as a patron member of the IWMSA.

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INSPIRATION

Delightful pocket park

A Hillbrow park proves that inner-city renewal is, indeed, possible.

A pocket park amid high-rise apartment buildings in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, is inspirational! Ekhaya Park is the result of the urban-renewal efforts of the Ekhaya Neighbourhood Improvement District and the Johannesburg Development Agency. Designed by Ikemeleng Architects, the park spans three levels against the slope of a ridge. The lower level has playground equipment while the middle level has outdoor furniture where adults can sit and watch children at play. The top level is a passive space where the brand-new, sparkling-clean ablution facilities are situated. The park also has multifunctional sports and outdoor table-tennis areas for relaxation in a high-density urban setting. Ekhaya Park is testimony to the fact that inner-city renewal does not only depend on the design and implementation of new projects but also on ensuring proper maintenance and management. In this regard, the participation of a community organisation, such as the Ekhaya Neighbourhood Improvement District, is the key to success. The park is managed by full-time security personnel who control access in terms of age restriction.

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INSULT

Wasted potential

Is a lack of urban management the downfall of this seaside town?

While futuristic new street lights along its river promenade, and a tender advertisement for the development and operation of a cable-car system, are indications that the Port St Johns Local Municipality has grand visions for this seaside town, many of the basics are sorely lacking. Streets that were once tarred have been left to disintegrate while the overall state of urban management is simply unacceptable. This is a dirty and rundown town in desperate need of the sort of intervention advocated by the Minister of Water & Environmental Affairs in her Buyisela Eco Towns initiative (see article on page 38). Isn’t it time for this local authority to make the most of its spectacular location where a river meets the sea along South Africa’s renowned Wild Coast? While the municipality has a strategy, which involves the Port St Johns Development Forum and includes a new taxi rank, housing developments and shopping centres, to improve the town, service delivery is simply not there. If Port St Johns is serious about attracting investment, it should first focus on upgrading and maintaining basic infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, water and electricity, as well as street cleaning and waste management. This town could thrive – as it once did – and create many more tourism-related jobs. If only…
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VIEWPOINT

Inappropriate BRT system?

Why was the BRT concept imported to Johannesburg without being adapted to suit the local situation?

Transport infrastructure plays an essential role in establishing a city’s brand identity. No doubt then that the brand perception of Johannesburg as a “world-class African city” is set to improve with the launch of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system and Gautrain. The high-tech viaducts of the Gautrain and the impressive BRT stations, with unique public art, are certainly transforming the urban landscape. And, while Jo’burg’s BRT has already received an international award for sustainable transport, Urban Green File believes that, in its haste to implement the system, the city has missed out on some significant opportunities. The launch of the BRT system was met with much- publicised resistance by some sectors of South Africa’s minibus-taxi industry. Only a few months into operation, the City of Johannesburg has suspended the inner-city route (although it continues to operate between Soweto and Ellis Park). This suspension is, thankfully, not due to any taxi violence but lack of patronage. Why is the BRT struggling? Urban Green File believes that part of the problem lies in inappropriate planning and design. The BRT concept was based on similar, successful projects in South America. But instead of tweaking the system to suit local conditions, it seems that it was copied in its entirety. Urban Green File believes that critical flaws in the Johannesburg BRT include:
1. Dedicated BRT lanes that run along the centre median of roads are appropriate for a main route where the road comprises many lanes and is without regular intersections. The system, therefore, works well outside the city centre where it leads to Soweto.
2. However, within the city centre where space is cramped, problems are created by placing bus lanes and stations along the medians. Not only does it look claustrophobic but it also makes it difficult for cars to turn across intersections. The real problem is that Johannesburg’s city blocks are small – too small for bulky buses. This means that buses barely fit into the space between traffic lights. No wonder inner-city commuters found it quicker to walk to a destination in the city, or to take a mini-bus taxi, instead of using the BRT.
3. Although negotiations are ongoing to involve the taxi industry as operator of the BRT system, and already in place to some extent, the BRT’s biggest pitfall is the importation of a new and foreign transport system in spite of the effective, entrepreneurial mini-bus taxi system in Johannesburg. Why reinvent the wheel? The concept of dedicated public-transport lanes and proper stations, as part of a pedestrian-friendly cityscape, cannot be questioned. However one has to wonder why the infrastructure is not designed to cater for the existing taxi system rather than a new system?
4. Urban Green File believes that mini-bus taxis should have been the mode of transport along the dedicated BRT lanes. So why does the city not simply switch away from the bulkybuses and allow the taxis to use the BRT lanes? The answer lies in flawed infrastructure: the entire BRT system is designed around the size and height of a bus. The station platforms are level with the floor of a bus. If a taxi pulled into a station, commuters would have to step down a dangerously high curb to get into the taxi. Is the BRT then not a case of “so close yet so far”? It has the potential to transform the lives of so many South Africans by making public transport safer, faster, more efficient and more affordable with well-mapped and legible routes. But perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on implementation in record time without considering some of the key fundamentals of Johannesburg’s public-transport conundrum. The city may have lost an opportunity to enhance its brand image!