FEATURES
EXPLORING THE REASON BEHIND THIS ADDITION
TO THE LEGISLATION, AS WELL AS HOW
EFFECTIVELY IT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
Also referred to as the ‘new green laws’ for buildings,
SANS 10400-XA governs the selection and installation
of water heating systems from meter to tap in all new
buildings, including renovations and add-ons, except
for garages, storage areas, and buildings used for
commercial and industrial purposes. Loosely translated,
the regulation stipulates that conventional electric
geysers may be used, provided at least half of the water
supply is heated by an alternative energy source.
On paper, this appears to be a move in the direction
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of sustainability and energy efficiency for South Africa,
but are the motives that ‘clean’? Or is it merely a
smokescreen to hide the capitalist intentions of certain
stakeholders that encourage consumers to dole out cash
for new energy-efficient equipment they know very little
about, to comply with National Building Regulations (NBR)
and standards they don’t really understand.
SANS 10400 XA describes a competent person as
one who is “qualified through training, experience and
contextual knowledge” to implement the NBR. This must
start with the rational design by architects and engineers,
followed by the correct installation by contract plumbers.
Continued on page 52 >>
February 2018 Volume 23 I Number 12