Water Wise Buildings

Green buildings are environmentally responsible, and ensure the sustainable and efficient use of resources and energy. They are also shown to promote well-being and productivity, as well as have lower operating costs.

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What makes a building ‘green’? The City of Cape Town has put together a set of green building guidelines: • Used water, known as greywater, can be directed on to your lawn and flowerbeds. • Consider switching to ‘green’ electricity, which is generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar and wave power. This will save you water too, as coal-based power stations use water to generate electricity. • Plant trees on the south, west or east side of your property to provide shade during summer. • A ceiling and insulation in a small house can reduce your energy requirements by as much as 124 kWh a month – saving roughly R50.00/month. • Eco-friendly building materials can be used, including reclaimed wood, recycled/ composite plastic and non-toxic ecosensitive paints. • Rainwater can be harvested from the roof and stored, or channelled to the garden. • Install a solar water heater – these are relatively expensive but result in substantial savings on your electricity bill (water heating is the biggest part of most households’ electricity use profile). • Install energy-efficient light bulbs (CFLs) throughout the house. These are usually more expensive than conventional incandescent light bulbs, but have a much longer lifespan and use far less electricity. They pay for themselves in

a few months and are a very sound environmental choice. • Install solar (photovoltaic) panels on the roof to provide electricity to run lowconsumption appliances such as the TV, radio, lights and fridge. Saving electricity saves water. Statistics show that for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy generated, approximately 1.3 litres of water is used. To register your building with the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) and get it Green Star SA certified, you will need to provide evidence of the green building measures you have used or will use.