African Design Magazine March 2016 | Page 58

Feature Energy efficiency NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT Morne Meyer, Business developer for systems and DVM at Fourways Airconditioning, shares his views on energy efficiency. What, in your opinion, are the ‘golden rules’ of energy efficiency? Energy efficiency should be a focus and never an afterthought. If a building is designed with energy efficiency in mind it will not only be more efficient, but it will greatly reduce the eventual cost of the project. It is easier to plan for energy efficiency than it is to modify for it. What do your products/services add to the energy efficiency mix? The Samsung DVM-S heat recovery system utilizing R410A refrigerant and inverter compressors in all the outdoor units offers world-class energy efficiency, where heat is actually recovered from one indoor and supplied to another indoor without increasing the energy usage of the system. The DVM-S also has a HYDRO hot water unit that utilizes the heat recovered from indoors in cooling mode and heats water to a maximum temperature of 80 degrees Celsius instead of discarding the heat like normal DX units would. Do you find that local construction teams can execute the specified energy efficiency strategies from the architects? In my opinion, some of the construction companies in South Africa are amongst the best in the word and should not have to step back for anyone. That being said, finding the right construction company is where the challenge lies. Construction companies should offer learnerships where skills can be transferred from the older and more experienced employees to the youngsters. I believe that once we get that right, South Africa will be a global force to be reckoned with, especially in our construction sector. AD Click here to learn more about the Samsung DVM-S 58 africandesignmagazine.com