SA Affordable Housing March - April 2020 // ISSUE: 81 | Page 35

PROJECT
"Even if the rental is a little more than someone
wishes to pay, Friedman says many people are
persuaded once they do the math, and realise
they are saving on a lot of other expenses that
they may previously have paid for: free Wifi,
gym, and reduced transport costs."
pump however has been installed inside the roof plant
room with a V-coil evaporator installed alongside in the
open air where it achieves maximum heat absorption and
has a lower noise impact.
“The reason for the ‘double pass’ type of heat
exchangers is so that we can get the lowest possible
return temperature from the primary loop. The lower the
temperature of the water entering our heat pumps
‘condensing’ unit, the more efficient the heat pump is
- this is primarily due to the ‘de-superheating’ of the
refrigerant when it is condensed in the heat exchanger.
We can achieve water outlet temperatures 5°C to 7°C
higher than the condensing temperature of the
refrigerant which further increases the efficiency of the
unit. The central heating plant is a more economical way
of providing the entire complex with hot water. The
320kW heat pump is designed to heat 33 000ℓ of water
twice a day in seven hours when the ambient
temperature is down at 8°C,” says Lowe.
“The advantage of this alternative to a heat pump and
tank in each block is that there is only one plant room,
which uses less space and requires less maintenance.
Then there are the additional benefits of less power
supply needed for the entire complex and fewer main
electrical cable supplies. Such a system isn’t more
commonplace only because the concept isn’t better
known in South Africa – this is only the second time we
have done this, and as far as I know we are the only
company doing this design. The circumstances of the
site were ideal for it. We previously did the same
concept at the Sierra Hotel in Randburg, which was of a
smaller scale.
PROFESSIONALS:
• Developer: Africrest
The EESCO heat pump.
“The savings are huge, and the bigger a development the
greater the savings in electricity consumption. It’s a function
of more people, more water, more saving.”
The system brings a number of efficiencies to the
development, says Lowe, primarily constant hot water at a
considerably lower cost.
A challenge is that the water heating system has to be
installed at the same time as construction is taking place.
• Kill O Pest
• Nico Grobler Dakoprigting
• Construction company: Tyris Construction • Sheer Electrical
• Plumber: Specific Plumbers (Julius) • Super Rafts
• Hot water engineers: EESCO • Specific Plumbing
• Products: DIY Depot
• Heat pump: HC and EESCO
LIST OF SUB-CONTRACTORS:
• Cravo Steel
• Echo
• New Look Construction
• HEX Construction
• Thulani Vilakazi Construction
• Wascor Construction • BSI Electronics
• DST Glass Enterprises • Lina Stainless Steel
• Elemental Energy • One Africa Projects
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za
MARCH - APRIL 2020
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