Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa July 2016 | Page 33

SMART IMPROVEMENTS

A Lightbulb Moment
Energy Saving Measures can Boost House Prices

BY DREW HOOK

A

nyone wanting to improve the look, feel
and potentially the value of their home
should be aware that making energy saving
improvements to your property could increase its
value by 14% on average.
“We are seeing more and more investors searching
for sustainability elements when looking to increase
the value to their properties,” says Miles Oates, CEO
of the Build Africa Corporation. “With a typical
5KVA system that costs around R107 000, a customer
could expect an R280 000 appreciation in home
valued at R2 million.”
Sub-Saharan Africa has 13 percent of the world’s
population, but a whopping 48 percent of the global
population without access to electricity. This means
that almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa
lack access to electricity. Only seven African countries
have electricity access rates exceeding 50 percent.
South Africa has some of the highest rates for
electricity usage globally. Yet renewable energy
currently makes up less than five percent of the
country’s energy resources.
“Not only can energy efficient improvements add
real value to your property but they can help protect
you against rising energy prices,” Oates shares. “As
more people are becoming energy conscious, it makes
sense that we look for ways to use electricity smarter,
make it go further and be as environmentally friendly
as possible.
One way to drive the alternative energy process
is with an environmentally- conscious, alternative
www.reimag.co.za

energy solution, such as an individual power supply
unit with twice the performance of other green energy
solutions.
“It’s an energy solution that harnesses and saves
energy from a number of sources, offering more back
up time than competitive solutions and the battery
banks will last on average 3 100 cycles,” says Oates.
“That’s 8.4 years when used every day.”
“I think it is certainly achievable to see homes and
businesses around the world going off the grid,” Oates
adds. “We have the technology. We just need to get
it out there so that it becomes more affordable for the
mass market.”
These power supply systems are ergonomically
designed, compact, high-tech control units specific
to crystal battery technology. They omit no gases, no
radiation and have a very low fire risk unlike other
cumbersome acid, gel and lithium based systems.
Energy harvested from a variety of sources - solar
panels, windmills, generators, or the grid – can be
used immediately or saved for later use. These systems
are easily installed, require no maintenance, are safe
for any living space, and pick up power within 10
milliseconds of a grid failure or disconnection.
To side with individual efforts, the Department
of Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) also
commits to accelerating the local industry and
increasing the production of solar and wind energy.

RESOURCES
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JULY 2016 SA Real Estate Investor

31