SA Affordable Housing July - August 2019 // Issue: 77 | Page 17

FEATURES
have a combination of all of the systems that allow you to achieve the
most efficiency overall,” adds Botha.
MAINTENANCE
As with most alternate solutions, maintenance of the product is
minimal as there are very few moving parts, however a build-up of
debris or dust is common and requires cleaning to maintain efficiency.
“Some product ranges such as the Viessman brand, are equipped
with self-cleaning mechanisms such as sprinklers, otherwise an
appropriate process of cleaning should be performed. It must be
noted that timing is important when performing any type of
maintenance as you don’t want to be working on a hot system with
cold water for example, as this poses a risk,” says Viljoen.
SOLUTIONS SUBJECT TO LOCATION
Most solar thermal installations are designed according to a sizing
programme that captures variables, of which one is location, that will
produce minimum and maximum temperatures, humidity and so on.
All of these variables play a role in determining the type and scope of
system to be installed.
Similarly, with other alternatives, solutions vary from KwaZulu-
Natal where you have relatively high temperatures and humidity
[even in winter] to the Free State where winter temperatures produce
freezing conditions that can burst pipes.
“In such conditions where freezing is common, units can be
equipped with an electrical element that ensures that this problem is
eliminated by not allowing vessel temperatures to drop low enough
to freezing point,” adds Botha.
MINDSET CHANGE TO ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS
A cutaway example of a hot water storage cylinder.
Developers and specifiers should, under the
circumstances of long-term sustainability, be
more aware and opt for a quality system up front
that is more efficient in the long run for users or
residents. There have been cases where
developers had to replace entire systems after
just a year and a half due to the installation
of inferior products, resulting in costly
maintenance issues.
Naturally, finding a balance between price and
quality is a challenge for the sector as all costs
are important in the affordable housing space but
comebacks, downtime and replacements down
the line are far more costly to rectify.
DEVELOPMENTS IN WATER HEATING
SOLUTIONS
Alternative solutions in this space have boomed
over recent times and the multitude of brands
each work on their own research and
development of their products to devise their
own unique designs and benefits.
“The most significant advancement currently
in alternative heating solutions is the ability to
integrate all of the available products into a
combination system. As an example you may
have a tank that has coils that are heated by the
sun, but you can also have coils coming from a
heat pump and a gas heater as a backup, so you
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In South Africa, we are unfortunately faced with an unreliable and
over-stressed energy supplier in Eskom, that in reality forces a
mindset change of how energy is generated and consumed.
Although alternative energy solutions attract a slightly higher
initial cost, many case studies illustrate the real energy savings over
the long term, which may accumulate to as much as 300% of the
initial cost over a five to 10-year period.
Solar application is essentially a free source of energy and gas (in
its various forms such as LPG, CNG and LNG), is also a highly
competitive option when comparing equivalent units of energy
produced, in fact, it is cheaper than conventional electricity. This
cannot be overlooked when considering the end user’s monthly costs
where these savings will be offloaded as a benefit.
“In recent weeks we have again experienced things [such as load
shedding], which is detrimental to small industry, businesses and
right down to the people on the ground – people who have children
and people who look after babies, for example.
“How we have done business from the past is changing and if you
keep up with current affairs you will know that the problems we face
in South Africa are not just temporary, there are very big issues with
maintenance at Eskom and this is the reality of what we will continue
to experience going forward. So if developers, architects or quantity
surveyors want to offer something different to the market to secure a
comfortable and sustainable existence for homeowners or tenants
through alternative solutions such as gas facilities for heating and
even cooking, the inclusion of alternative solutions must be sought
out,” Botha concludes.
Energas supplies engineered solutions and equipment to
generate electric power from various gas sources and alternative
power generation and waste heat recovery that are now a priority
in South African energy management.
JULY - AUGUST 2019
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