Green Building
ESG
Emira is a proud and long-standing member of the Green Building Council of South Africa (“GBCSA”). During the reporting period, the Fund certified four buildings at Knightsbridge using the GBCSA’s Existing Building Performance Rating Tool. This certification independently confirms that the previously obtained Green Star SA Design Ratings have converted to actual operational performance. The benefits of Green Buildings have never been more important and are multi-tiered for owner and tenant benefits.
OWNERS CAN BENEFIT FROM THE FOLLOWING:
› Increased occupancy rates
› Slower depreciation
› Lower refurbishment costs
› Corporate prestige and image
› Compliance with legislation and internal ESG requirements
› Attracting and retaining premium tenants
TENANTS CAN BENEFIT FROM THE FOLLOWING:
› Improved health and wellbeing of occupants
› Increased productivity
› Lower operating costs
› Lower maintenance costs
› Green Buildings help to attract and retain staff
PROJECT IN FOCUS RTT
JET PARK LIGHTING UPGRADE
THE PROPERTY
With a GLA spanning over 46 600m2 , Emira’s RTT ACSA Park is an industrial sector property located in Jet Park, near OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng. The property is occupied by a large-scale supply chain operator and expert in distribution and logistics.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The motivation for the upgrade was to deliver significant savings to the tenant in terms of lighting consumption and maintenance costs by using LED lighting technology. The project was aimed at enhancing tenant retention by reducing the cost of occupation, improving the overall performance and affordability of the property, and future-proofing the site’s lighting design.
THE UPGRADE
The first phase involved a comprehensive audit of the building’s existing lighting technologies, followed by the design of an energy efficient LED lighting solution. The project called for an extensive upgrade to the existing, older technology used to illuminate the property’s warehouse buildings and perimeter.
The new LED light fittings have built-in motion sensors and dimming functionality and can detect movement and brighten output by up to 100%. If no movement is detected for 15 minutes, the LED light’s output reduces to 20%. The rated life of the new LED fittings ranges from between 30 000 and 50 000 hours in the offices, and between 50 000 and 80 000 hours for the warehouse and perimeter, to last between eight and 11 years. Crucially, the tenant remained fully operational throughout the project, which was completed in early 2020.
THE OUTCOME
The site’s new LEDs are expected to consume 860 000kWh per annum — far less than the old fittings, which consumed over 2 350 000kWh per annum. This represents a massive annual energy saving for the tenant of over 1 490 000kWh, or about 63%. Moreover, in terms of reducing the site’s overall energy costs, the new lighting solution will save the tenant over R2 000 000 per year, as calculated using the 2018 blended average rate of R1,35 per kWh. As a responsible corporate citizen, Emira is always mindful of reducing its impact on the environment. To this end, the old fittings and globes were disposed of in an environmentally responsible way and the Fund was issued with a crushing certificate.
