EDITORIAL Energy Efficiency
Energy efficient architectural window film solutions for the
commercial retrofit market Bunny Bala, Technical Support Specialist at Saint-Gobain Africa
Various commercial activities contribute towards global warming by energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions. Although the African continent contributes the least towards global warming in both absolute and per capita terms, South Africa is the world’s 14th biggest contributor of greenhouse gases (GHGs). South Africa is one of the most industrialised countries on the continent and the CO2 emissions are primarily due to the country’s significant dependence on coal.
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The biggest contributor of all has been proved to be the building and construction sector, which contributes 36% of global energy usage and 39% of CO2 emissions. This stems mostly from the operations of buildings in terms of energy consumption, typically heating and cooling. If the minimum requirements stipulated in SANS 10400 XA which legislates effective energy savings, have not been employed, a building can consume a considerably larger amount of energy. This occurs because a poorly insulated building will consume more energy to create a comfortable environment for its occupants. Statistics reveal that coal supplies 67% of South Africa’s energy production, a non-renewable source. An alarming statistic given the commercialisation of new power generating technologies, solar being a predominant source. The call for energy efficiency in buildings has never been so urgent!
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