The key to a sustainable future lies in re-thinking practices and utilizing available resources more responsibly and consciously. With the high energy demand in South Africa linked to the ever-increasing cost of electricity, the focus has moved towards energy efficiency not only from a commercial perspective but equally so from a household perspective. Domestic households consume substantial amounts of electricity used by various appliances, as such the biggest usage of electricity in households comes from water heating.
On average, 45-50% of electricity is consumed by geyser elements in heating water over peak periods. In addressing this, SANS 10400XA legislates the use of alternative energy sources other than resistance energy (electrical elements) to ensure a 50% reduction in electricity usage for water heating. As part of the building regulations, this now applies to any new building constructed where there is hot water used. Developers and contractors are now compelled to introduce such alternatives for new construction projects.
With this increasing cost of electricity, the introduction of energy-saving technologies has now become a means and ways for households to reduce consumption and save on electricity costs. A heat pump allows for up to a two-third saving in electricity using refrigeration technology and optimizing available heat from the surrounding environment by extracting it from the atmosphere and transferring it to water. It resembles a small air-conditioning outdoor unit that is attached to the exterior wall or building, integrating with an existing or new geyser. The unit electricity usage is on average one-third of that of a geyser element.
Recently, Fourways Airconditioning secured the multi-residential Ravenswood development located in Boksburg Johannesburg, in conjunction with accredited installer Mighty Plumbers. The requirement was to install energy-saving technologies which would match the design of the building. Mighty Plumbers came in with a solution to install 219 Alliance (3.2kW) heat pumps. These heat pumps are the perfect fit for your average household sized 150L geyser. Fourways is the largest importer and distributor of heat pumps in Southern Africa and has been supplying the Alliance domestic and commercial heat pumps and aircon range for the past 11 years to installers, household consumers, plumbing outlets, building contractors and developers.
Apart from saving electricity, Alliance units are also compact, easy to install and operate on eco-friendly R410A gas. Ravenswood occupants can enjoy using a wired control which allows them to heat water at pre-set times, including during off-peak times allowing for decreased energy costs, and set the desired hot water temperature to between 40ºC and 60ºC. Mighty Plumbers commends Alliance heat pumps for easy installation and their ability to complement the design of the building.
Alliance heat pumps are distributed by Fourways Airconditioning, with branches in all major metropolitan centres across South Africa. Contact Fourways Airconditioning on (011) 704 320 for more details.
