NHC joins 49M energy savings campaign

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"We can prosper as a nation only if we create employment," he states. "However, we cannot create jobs without first addressing the energy crisis. Each of us has a duty of care to do what we can to reduce consumption."

NHC implemented environmentally friendly practices back in 2005, just three years after the company's entry into the medical and dental centre market. To start with, total black-out areas were implemented in all NHC buildings at night.

When, in 2008, it became clear that South Africa needed to address its energy issues as a matter of urgency, NHC took energy saving to the next level. "We looked at our power utilisation and realised there were several things we could do to make a difference," Kohloffel says.

Heat pumps

NHC made the move to heat pumps before turning its attention to photovoltaic power generation cells. "We had our reservations about installing the technology because of the payback time but, in terms of our undertaking to reduce consumption, the stakeholders, our medical professionals and board felt this was the right direction to move in," Kohloffel recalls.

NHC has found the ideal solution in a more recent innovation by a European and Israeli company, which combine string and single panel cells to harness the strengths of both, so, this system will be implemented in new buildings and retrofitted in existing ones.

The first site to have the new technology fitted was NHC's Honeydew premises, chosen specifically because consumption here is higher than at other buildings. In just one year energy consumption has been reduced by 30%.

Air conditioners

While changes are being made in existing buildings, NHC has ensured that new buildings contain state-of-the-art energy saving technology. The recently completed Centurion site truly stands out in this regard. For example, it is fitted with variable refrigerant volume technology to address peak demand for air conditioning. This system ensures that when peak demand hits, power is slowly spooled out; thus, more power is retained on the grid.

The building is also fitted with digital lighting, heat and movement sensors in low movement areas, as well as heat pumps. Careful thought was given to the building's design: it features many West-facing glass panels, for instance, which ensures plenty of natural light to create a conducive working environment. At the same time, double volumes reduce drag on the air conditioning system so that the building is able to cool down more quickly, and this cool air is retained more efficiently.