The Polar Air II high-speed roll-up door is engineered to provide superior thermal insulation, operational efficiency, and energy savings in demanding industrial environments such as cold storage rooms and refrigerated warehouses.
Global warming is real, whether you choose to believe it or not. Unfortunately, it’s the bad decisions of past and... View Article
Thanks to a number of acquisitions, Sika is now one of the biggest global players in Building Finishing. In the... View Article
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Hot on the heels of the latest 16% increase in the average electricity tariff for Eskom follows another announcement: that Eskom will be allowed to escalate its base tariff by a further 16% next year, 2013.
Africa Thermal Insulations (ATI) specialises in thermal insulation products that meet the recently updated building regulations, as required for proof of compliance and occupancy certificates.
In the past, the decision on whether to include roofing insulation or not was most often left to the architect or owner of a building. It was an optional choice and insulation was often excluded, viewed as an unnecessary expense. However, with the recently legislated new building regulations, it is now essential for builders and roofing specialists to highlight to customers the need for effective insulation – not only for the benefit of reduced energy bills but also to meet specific industry standards and obtain the required compliance and occupancy certificates.
ABP Building Products, specialist in the design, development, manufacture and marketing of alternative building systems that support energy efficiency, has changed its name, because of a naming rights conflict, to Eco Building Systems.
Rodney van Dam of Eco Building Systems says, “We focus primarily on using expanded polystyrene systems (EPS) to provide building products that withstand the impacts of rising building, energy and labour costs. With the promulgation of new energy efficiency legislation in the National Building Regulations, our products are playing a greater role in the South African building environment.
The newly legislated SANS 10400-XA: 2011 and SANS 204: 2008 introduce the requirement for proof of compliance with the standards set out for energy efficiency in buildings. This means that architects and building developers need to ensure that new buildings and building refurbishments are designed to meet the prescribed energy efficiency standards; that a building’s performance in terms of energy usage is calculated and documented; and that the building is built to perform accordingly.
Thermal insulation materials – for roofs, walls and floors – constitute a key element in building to achieve the required thermal resistance values (R-values) as set out in SANS 204.
At the 4th annual convention of the GBCSA (Green Building Council of South Africa) held in Cape Town last year, several residential green building retrofit projects were announced by GBCSA CEO Brian Wilkinson, including a British High Commission-sponsored ‘green street’ retrofit in KwaZulu-Natal, coinciding with Durban’s hosting of COP17.
Energy performance and the use of the most appropriate green building materials are key to sustainable building – in housing as in other sectors.
Constructed originally between 1666 and 1679, the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is one of South Africa's oldest surviving buildings and it is still in use. It is the seat of the military in the city and houses the Castle Military Museum and the William Fehr Collection of Cape Town’s Iziko Museums. Military personnel, museum administrators and tourism support staff are at work within its four-metre wide walls.
However, inside the massive structure of the outer walls, there has been for many years a problem with the working environment. Despite the high thermal mass of the structure, the dark coloured roofing material has a high thermal conductivity and low insulating properties. This means the office space heats up through summer and becomes chilly in winter, once the inside walls have cooled to the ambient temperature.
The National Building Regulations have been updated to include Part X, which addresses environmental sustainability, and Part XA, which establishes requirements for energy efficiency in new buildings and renovations. The application of this new legislation, which came into effect in November 2011, is good news for the environment and will help individuals, businesses and the country as a whole to save electricity.
In home building, insulation is often considered a luxury and is overlooked, yet its primary purpose is to save energy and improve the home’s comfort. To insulate the ceiling and geyser system properly in a typical home costs less than 1% of the total per square-metre building costs and effective insulation is one of the few building materials that will, in effect, go on saving money over the lifespan of the home.
Buildings account for about 40% of all energy consumed in South Africa and their potential to save energy is huge.
The National Building Regulations (NBR) have been updated to include Part X, which addresses environmental sustainability, and Part XA, which establishes requirements for energy efficiency in new buildings and will come into effect from 10 November 2011.
The 2009 agreement that saw Nersa granting Eskom a 25% per annum tariff increase over three years points to a further electricity price hike in 2012, following the first two steep increases already implemented. This makes it clear for specifiers and building owners that it is time to implement energy saving.
The inclusion of passive energy efficiency measures in new building projects and retrofits is a clear starting point for all developers thinking sustainability – as early as during the planning and design process for interior environment controls.
Ceilings have long been more important than simply providing an aesthetic barrier between a room and the mechanics of a roof. In addition to their aesthetic value – which can achieve the architecturally striking or simply protect from dust – ceilings provide thermal and acoustic protection, contributing significantly to the comfort of the interior environment.
Cecil Homan, founder of Cape Town-based Eco-Insulation, says it's a good thing when a leading global figure asserts himself (or herself) on the subject of global warming and climate change. Charles, Prince of Wales, recently stated that people who do not accept the reality of climate change are "playing a reckless game of roulette". He went on to ask: "How are these people going to face their grandchildren and admit to them that they failed their future?" (Independent Media - 10 Feb 2011)
It's a good thing when a leading global figure asserts himself (or herself) on the subject of global warming and climate change. Charles, Prince of Wales, recently stated that people who do not accept the reality of climate change are "playing a reckless game of roulette". He went on to ask, "How are these people going to face their grandchildren and admit to them that they failed their future?"
Construction of a new factory for Ikhaya Futurehouse Systems, in Centurion, Gauteng, is nearing completion and will enable the company to meet growing demand for the its thermally insulating walling panels.
