1          Background

Energy efficiency in the built environment has become increasingly important in South Africa as a result of recent power shortages and a growing concern about global warming. Current initiatives addressing energy efficiency in the built environment include:

§  South African National Standards (SANS) 204,

§  The Department of Mineral and Energy’s (DME) National Response to the Energy Emergency

§  Incentives by Eskom and other parties to support energy efficiency and renewable energy,

§  The development of municipal by-laws and incentive schemes on energy efficiency in the built environment.

1.1         Scope of the Module 3 research

In this module, the conditions and optimization potentials for improving the energy efficiency in the building and urban district sector are investigated. The results are covered in the “EnerKey Adviser”, an easy to handle decision support tool for the application of energy efficient technologies in single buildings (family homes, educational buildings, public buildings, etc.), but alos in an aggregation o different buildings in whole quarters or urban districts. This tool will be tested, improved and give at hand to the cities and decision makers. It will also be freely available for public use. Ways and prerequisites for an improved energy performance are developed and put together to a ‘Roadmap to improve the building stock’.

1.2         Module 3 partners

The Module 3 partners include South African and German partners. The partners are in South Africa include the CSIR (http://www.csir.co.za/), University of Johannesburg (http://www.uj.ac.za/), and Green Building Media (http://www.greenbuilding.co.za/) and in Germany the partner is Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics (http://www.fraunhofer.de/EN/).

The partners are undertaking various projects and will (were appropriate) ensure findings from these projects inform the module.

1.3         Module 3 research questions

The project will address the following research questions:

§  Where is the most energy consumed in South African built environments?

§  What are the typical consumption figures for energy (heating, cooling, lighting, etc) and water

§  What are the typical building types? Are these in typical urban districts?

§  What are the key interventions that would reduce energy consumption in buildings?

§  What are the key interventions that would reduce energy consumption and in an urban district scale?

§  Which interventions should be prioritised?

§  How could these interventions be implemented?

2          Objectives

This module focuses on projects that support energy efficiency in the built environment at a building and urban scale. The project investigates design and management options, as well as technologies and assessment methods that support energy efficiency.

The objective is to advocate and facilitate the broad adoption of energy efficiency within the built environment.

In this module the first step is to create a repository of knowledge and information on energy efficient design, technologies, and methods and then to transfer that knowledge and information to property and built environment decision makers and professionals.  These objectives can be achieved through collaboration between EnerKey partners and so the principal work package required is to iron out mutually beneficial agreements between partners and EnerKey to optimise delivery.

Communication mechanisms include Green Building Media’s publications, websites, conferences, seminars and exhibitions and could extend to partnerships that enable reach to extend to TV, radio or any other form of media; and possible EnerKey co-owned media offerings such as websites and events.  Educational offerings will include training courses and even post graduate certificates.

3          Role of Module 3 in the EnerKey project

The module deals with buildings, supply structures and urban districts. It will contribute to all other modules, especially Module 1: Integrated Energy and Climate Protection Modelling and Module 7: Implementation and Pilot Actions. It will also assist in the dissemination of the project findings through websites, conferences, seminars, as well as through the development of guidelines, software, research papers, advocacy and training in order to ensure that the project has an impact.

4          Main contact person

5          Work plan

The Module 3 programme will run over 18 months and the work plan for this module is structured under 7 work packages, namely:

§  WP1: Schools and Administrative Public Buildings (Contribution to Module 7: Implementation and Pilot Actions)

§  WP2: EnerKey Adviser – Fundamentals and data collection

§  WP3: EnerKey Adviser – Collection and Development of Measures

§  WP4: EnerKey Adviser – Model and Tool Development

§  WP5: EnerKey Adviser – Feasibility Study (Contribution to Module 7: Implementation and Pilot Actions)

§  WP6: Roadmap to Improve Building Stock (for a quarter/district)

§  WP7: Education and Training (Contribution to Module 7: Implementation and Pilot Actions)

6          Interim results

§  Links to presentations

§  Links to documentation (reports, conference papers)

§  Links to conference websites