Construction World June 2021

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Nelson Mandela Bay’s newest green building has saved an estimated 40 000 kg of CO 2 emissions in the past 12 months, according to Algoa FMmanaging director Alfie Jay. NELSONMANDELABAYMETRO’S latest green building

T his saving in fossil fuel emissions is thanks to the iconic Algoa FM headquarters in the Baakens Valley being designed with sustainability in mind, by incorporating solar panels to minimise power use. It is the first building in Nelson Mandela Bay to have 'shade-type' solar panels, screening the windows on the north face of the building. These 41 solar panels together with the 188 solar panels on the roof have been supplemented with the first solar carport structure in the metro to be built using an aluminium cantilever frame, according to Jay. “We now generate up to 115 kW of clean power, which supplies between 35% and 45% of our needs in the five-storey media house. With the addition of 97 panels on the carport we will reduce our carbon footprint even further,” he says. The clean power also feeds one of the first electric vehicle chargers in the metro. Excess electricity is fed into the Nelson Mandela Bay grid over weekends. Technology being used to reduce power consumption in the building include the fitting of LED lights throughout, which are controlled by 40 motion sensors in low-traffic areas. Intelligent variable speed air conditioners adapt to the conditions and can be set independently for different offices, which impact positively on power consumption. Special insulation in the roof helps to keep the temperature constant. In addition, there are no hot water geysers in the kitchens or

bathrooms – they are fitted with units which heat up water when it is required. Water consumption has been reduced by using captured rainwater and condensation from the air conditioning units to flush all of the toilets in the building. The outside of the building is lit by solar street lights and the landscaping utilises spekboom, which acts as a carbon sponge. “As a leading corporate citizen, we take our responsibility very seriously and to this end, ensured that around 90 per cent of all costs related to the building were spent with local companies – with special emphasis on our small business neighbours in the Baakens River Valley, says Jay. “We are clearly pleased that this multi-million-rand investment has had a positive impact on the

local economy,” says Jay. There are also ongoing benefits – one of the reasons for selecting the site was to contribute positively towards the revitalisation of the Baakens River Valley, with a view to transforming it into a unique tourism attraction, which will further benefit the economy. “There are few cities in the world bisected by a valley with the rich biodiversity of the Baakens River, with its more than 100 bird species; 24 reptile and seven frog species; as well as 24 mammal species. “It is a true privilege to look out of these windows and see the start of the 23 kilometres of trails up the river and continuing deep into Algoa country. “It is a natural heritage that all of us as a metro need to conserve,” says Jay. ▄

Intelligent wash-and-clean solutions I ndustries in South Africa today need more than just a robust and powerful washing and cleaning solution; they need one which will support companies’ efforts to conserve energy and water while protecting the environment.

a conventional pump, the pump itself would be about 1,2 m in height. In Grundfos’s design, the pump height can be reduced to less than 40 cm. “In addition to delivering high pressure reliably and efficiently, our solutions are also intelligent so they can be easily integrated into an existing SCADA system,” he says. “The system is closely monitored, intelligently adapting to changing production demands and reducing excessive energy use.” This monitoring and optimising of performance saves energy, water and chemicals, while also generating the required operational data for the customer’s purposes. The pump solutions are fully assembled and tested before delivery, so no on-site wiring or programming is required. All that is needed is for the water and electricity supply to be connected, and the system is ready for action. “The result is a compact and robust system that is customised to the application, saving the customer considerable installation and engineering time,” he says. ▄

This is where Grundfos iSOLUTIONS can help ensure reliable, efficient and safe operations, according to Grant Cannon, sales engineer in industry water treatment at Grundfos South Africa. The conditions in which washing and cleaning pumps operate are often harsh, and can include humidity and high ambient temperatures. Many facilities also demand a compact physical design so that the pump and motor can be fitted into a cabinet or be mounted onto a cart to be moved around the site to where it is needed. “This means that the pump design must be small enough to fit into a confined space or allow easy mobility,” says Cannon. “We achieve this by using an oversize motor which runs at 6 000 rpm, allowing use of a smaller pump size.” He highlights that if a similar pressure had to be required from

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