Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2013 | Page 54

SMART MOVES

BYJAMES COLBY

Invest In Power
New energy solutions in business

C

ountries like the USA are leading the way when it comes to corporate retailers and wholesalers investing in sustainable buildings. They are well ahead of public bodies when it comes to commercial solar panels and investing in more sustainable modes of energy. So where does South Africa fall on this scale and what are we doing to make sure that the commercial sector is geared towards green? In the USA, companies like Wal-Mart and IKEA have topped the charts in terms of their efforts towards sustainability. Wal-Mart has installed more than 150 US solar projects and plans to have 1000 solar-powered locations by 2020. IKEA has a strong commitment in photovoltaic (PV) energy, and has plans to double its investment in renewable energy, their ultimate aim being to produce as much energy as they consume by 2020. With the cost of business rising in South Africa, electricity has become a costly burden to bear and pe