The workshop was held against the background of South Africa's fast growing economy which has seen the demand for energy far exceeding the supply in recent times, leaving the industry in urgent need of alternative power solutions.
The commercial sector alone uses 10% of the country's electricity and, therefore, represents a significant savings opportunity, given that most buildings were not designed with energy efficiency in mind.
To drive the country's energy saving efforts, the dti, SABS and the NRCS, have developed standards and regulations to promote the construction of energy efficient buildings. To this effect, the dti, SABS and NRCS are embarking on country-wide road shows to raise awareness in the construction sector in the design and erection of energy efficient buildings.
The NRCS administers South Africa's building codes and regulations, which are regulated by local government in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act. The SABS was approached by the dti to draft standards that could assist government interventions in reducing the demand for energy. SANS 204 Energy Efficiency in Buildings was developed as a best practice tool to provide guidelines for the design of energy efficient buildings.
The SABS' Standards Division is, in terms of the Standards Act, the only recognised national institution responsible for the development, maintenance and promotion of SANS, which are the basis for all the other SABS service offerings - such as testing, certification and training.
