In addition to considering the capital cost of buying a house, buyers are increasingly looking for houses with the lowest operating costs. As energy and water costs continue to rise, home buyers have begun to insist on environmentally friendly and energy-efficient houses.

For more than a decade, South African builders have had to comply with the SANS standard 10400-XA building standard, which is a step in the right direction.

For any building that obtains a certificate of occupancy, every professional, from designer to builder, needs to abide by these standards.

These not only require the use of high-tech solutions, but also include the location of the house on site and the choice of building materials. Specifications include: Use high-quality roof insulation materials, such as polystyrene ceilings, roll-on glass wool insulation materials or blankets. All hot water pipes must be insulated to the lowest level of thermal resistance. Window building codes stipulate the relationship between window area and net floor area. This allows more natural light and reduces heat loss, reducing the need for energy-intensive lighting and heating methods. design

Energy-saving houses focus on thermal passive design, which is built on insulation and orientation. In South Africa, this means that houses should face north to maximize winter light and heat.

The ideal location should be a place with plenty of sunshine and almost unaffected by the weather. It must also be close to shopping and entertainment facilities, public transportation and schools to minimize its carbon footprint.

The orientation of the building should make full use of seasonal solar angles, passive heating and cooling, and maximum solar energy generation. For solar panels, it is best to face the roof directly to the north.

Although few sites are perfect, choosing the best available site will bring lower construction and operating costs and a better life.

Due to the abundant sunlight, in South Africa, it makes sense to focus on solar technology to achieve high-efficiency energy supply. Although the installation cost is higher than the traditional power supply, it is now within reach for middle-income earners. The cost can usually be recovered within five to seven years, which makes solar power generation more feasible than in the past.

The solar contractor can perform site analysis to ensure that there is enough sunlight on the wall or roof surface, and can recommend the best direction and size of the solar surface.

In order to ensure the minimum demand for energy, it is important to specify the installation method of equipment that meets minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens, washing machines, tumble dryers, and dishwashers.

The Standards and Labeling (S&L) implemented by the Department of Energy plans to put energy labels on electrical appliances to provide consumers with accurate and comparable energy efficiency information. The electrical appliance energy calculator application is designed to help consumers estimate the operating costs of various electrical appliances before purchasing.

Focusing on these energy performance details throughout the project will help keep construction costs low. Many technologies can also be applied to existing houses, transforming them from energy-consuming to energy-saving. Previously, the cost of retrofitting could be recovered within 20 years, but it has now been reduced to 5 to 7 years, making it easier for existing houses to achieve energy efficiency.

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