RENEWABLE ENERGY
Smart utilities, smarter operations
Fortress is also transforming utilities management through smart metering and in-house data platforms. Smart meters have been installed at 79 % of the retail portfolio( 30 centres), with plans to install them at three more centres by June 2026. These meters provide near real-time data on consumption and energy mix( grid, solar, diesel), enabling operational benchmarking and efficiency improvements.
Smart metering is handled entirely in-house, offering Fortress complete control over data, quicker decision-making, and tenant-friendly digital dashboards.
Offsite renewables: 10-year wheeling deal
Fortress’ s renewable influence extends beyond its own rooftops. In 2024, the company signed a 10-year wheeling agreement with Discovery Green, effective from Q4 2026. This will supply clean energy to 14 Eskom-supplied Fortress properties, covering at least 70 %( and up to 100 %) of electricity demand not met by on-site solar systems.
“ This is a critical step in reaching our 2030 decarbonisation target of reducing our Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon footprint by 45 % compared to our 2018 baseline,” said Potgieter.
Water resilience measures
To complement its energy strategy, there is a heavy investment in water resilience:
1
Thirty retail centres now have backup tanks that supply enough water for up to three days during outages.
2
On-site borehole systems support 14 properties.
3
Innovative water-saving technologies, such as Propelair toilets, have been successfully piloted to reduce water consumption at malls. These will now be rolled out at additional selected assets.
Potgieter highlighted that,“ the associated water saving, which we estimate to be in the order of 135 000kl, is enough to sustain 375 houses for a year.”
Battery energy storage systems( BESS)
We see stronger business cases for BESS solutions following recent reductions in battery costs and tariff increases. These business cases remain sensitive to load profiles and current tariff structures. Battery systems are preferred for optimising returns based on time-of-use tariffs, rather than for backup power, which generators are favoured for,” explained Potgieter. With several feasibility studies underway, Fortress has begun three BESS installations.
“ It’ s not just about how much solar we’ ve installed,” Potgieter concludes.“ It’ s about how effectively we manage the systems we’ ve built. We’ re saving money, reducing risk, and improving our environmental footprint. That’ s good for all stakeholders.”
www. tobuild. co. za | summer 2025-26 51