Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2014 | Page 21

UPFRONT

Other examples of efficiency investments that pay
high returns include solar or heat-pump water heaters,
low-flow shower heads and variable-speed pool pumps.
Swapping a 1,1 kWh pool pump for a variable-speed
pump using 300 watts is an investment that can pay a
31% annual return over 5 years if the old pump needed
replacing anyway, and 21% if it did not.
My Green Home is an initiative led by the GBCSA,
in which the Ngewana family publicly committed to
cutting their electricity consumption by 40%, water by
20% and waste to landfill by 75%. Over the last few
months, the Ngewana family have taken a range of
steps that homeowners and buy-to-let investors can
also action as some take only a few minutes, but can
make a significant impact.
While these targets seemed ambitious at the time, the
household has surpassed those goals, even before the
project is complete.
The family first reduced their electricity use with
no-cost behaviour changes such as reducing the geyser
thermostat setting from 70 to 60 degrees, shortening
their showers and cutting the time that their pool
pump was running from over 10 hours to just 3 hours
for the winter. Along with other actions, these brought
down the average number of kilowatt hours they use
each day by a third (33%).
Then the house underwent a ‘retrofit’ with a wide
range of energy-saving equipment installed, including
LED lighting from Eurolux, the Speck variable-speed
pool pump, the Calore closed-combustion fireplace
for winter heating and Aerolite ceiling insulation. This
reduced electricity consumption further, to 48% below
the Ngewana family’s starting point. Further savings
are likely in summer, when their solar water heater will
reach its full potential.
The family has also cut water consumption by 45%
through a combination of behaviour changes and
new equipment, including Lecico dual-flush toilets,
Hansgrohe efficient showerheads, mixers and taps
and a Water Rhapsody greywater system to irrigate
the garden with water from the bath, shower, basins
and laundry. With the savings on electricity and
water combined, the Ngewanas are set to spend about
R18,000 less in the coming year than they would have
with their former home and lifestyle.
Finally, their waste being sent to landfill in the
municipal garbage truck each week has fallen by 82%,
with 67% being recycled and 15% composted for the
garden.

www.reimag.co.za

September 2014 SA Real Estate Investor

21