On 9 September 2011 Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Rob Davies, signed the amended National Building Regulations and Building Standards act. The amended act also appeared in the Government Gazette, and will be in effect from November 2011.

The new regulations stipulate that all new commercial and residential buildings will have to receive at least 50% of its hot water requirements from renewable energy sources such as solar water heating. The regulation also stipulates that buildings should be designed with the region’s climate in mind to prevent the use of extra energy to heat or cool the building.

We've compiled an information sheet for architects and developers with solar news, tips and products. Click below to read more.

Click here for a copy of the new National Building Regulations and Building Standards act.

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Industry News: Solar in South Africa

- 'Developers can go green without blowing budget'

16 November 2011 - 'There is no longer any excuse for not going green – or at least partially green - when it comes to  developing, or building, new buildings. It can be done without having to sell the family farm,  said Org  Geldenhuys, managing director of property developing and marketing company, Abacus  Divisions. “Going green shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. Many low cost green features can be incorporated – and can muster short payback periods for the developers.' Read the rest of the article on eProp.

- 'R60m green office building in Pretoria'
3 November 2011 - 'Construction of the R60 million green building at Route 21 Corporate Park in Pretoria is scheduled for completion at the end of this year. Situated on the border of Centurion and Pretoria East, the 4 200 square metre property is being developed by Giflo Investments. The developer is said to be taking a 20 to 30 year view on the investment.' Read more on Property24.

- 'Energy rules 'can create jobs'

14 October 2011 - 'The mooted energy efficiency regulations for new buildings could be the catalyst for alternative energy industries in SA, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said yesterday. The building regulations are an initiative to enhance energy efficiency, especially in the residential and commercial sectors. SA needs to reduce energy consumption to relieve the pressure on the electricity supply grid.' Read more on Business Day.

- 'Sustainable architecture prize in developing peri-urban schools - DUT wins prize'

12 October 2011 - 'A team of four Durban University of Technology BTech Architectural students have been awarded second prize in the 2011 Murray & Roberts Des Baker competition at the annual Architectural Student Congress in Port Elizabeth. The competition was open to universities across South Africa with the awards ceremony held at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

The long standing award was established in 1983 and named after the former executive chairman of Murray & Roberts and is endorsed by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession. The 2011 theme titled Sustainable Architecture in the Developing World Competition focused on redesigning an existing school in a rural or peri-urban area.' Click here to read the rest of the article.

- 'More Green Star rated buildings in SA'

11 October 2011 - 'The green movement in the built environment is spreading like wildfire and in September alone the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) certified three new green buildings in SA under the Green Star SA rating system.This brings the total number of Green Star SA ratings in SA to nine, with two of these receiving office design and office as built ratings. August was also a red letter month, with the awarding of the first ever five star rating in South Africa a significant achievement.' Read more on SA Property News.

- 'Pretoria gets SA's first 'green city'

2 October 2011 - The steep rise in energy costs makes green building a reality in South Africa and will therefore appreciably change the property sector.For this reason Henk Boogertman, founder and director of one of the country's most successful architectural firms, Boogertman & Partners, will dedicate himself to developing the country's first green city development. Read more on Fin24

- 'SA: Green buildings are embraced'

29 September 2011 - Building green is about making cents of the argument for sustainable building practice, according to the Green Building Council of South Africa. Read the rest of the article on News 24.

- 'Green building courses expanded to meet demand'

13 September 2011 - In response to industry demand, the Green Building Council of South Africa in partnership with local and international industry experts have expanded on two of the training courses that will be offered in Johannesburg and Cape Town in September and October. Read the rest of the article on sapropertynews.com

- 'R1.6m solar PV system installed at new Valpré spring water plant'

13 September 2011 - Cable connections expert Lapp Group Southern Africa’s renewable energy division has completed a 30 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) installation at Coca-Cola South Africa’s new Valpré spring water plant in Heidelberg. The R1.6-million investment feeds into Coca-Cola’s internal grid, supplementing its power requirements with solar energy and significantly reducing its reliance on the national grid. In addition to saving energy and money on electricity costs, carbon dioxide savings will be achieved, resulting in a lower environmental impact. Read more on EngineeringNews.

- 'Largest solar park being built in South Africa'

19 June 2011 - South Africa is on its way to becoming a leader in the green energy revolution with a giant solar park which, once fully built, will be the largest in the world. The multibillion rand park - earmarked for the hot, dry Northern Cape province - will be built over thousands of hectares and provide 5 000 megawatts (five gigawatts) of electricity, which will be fed into the national grid. Read the rest of the article on Africa The Good News.