Lifestyles are changing as a result of climate change, and this is creating a blueprint for more energy-efficient homes of the future. Property players believe climate proofing will soon be a requirement in order to sell homes.

Lifestyles are changing as a result of climate change, and this is creating a blueprint for more energy-efficient homes of the future.

In his Nobel Prize-winning documentary on climate change, An Inconvenient Truth, former US vice president Al Gore made the point that something needs to be done urgently if the world is to avoid a crisis caused by global warming over the next few decades.

"We can already see the effect of climate change on lifestyles as more and more people become aware of this fact," says Mike Bester, CEO of Realty1 International Property Group, "However, the South African residential building industry does not yet have this issue at the top of its priority list."

"The Eskom crisis has led to some increased awareness of so-called 'green' alternatives for power, but as yet there are very few initiatives to develop more holistic environmentally-friendly housing," says Bester. "The country is so far behind when it comes to providing housing for the masses that green issues are at the bottom of the list. This means that only homeowners building privately can actually give proper attention to the issues."

In May 2005, a report by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) stated that as a result of the 'greenhouse' effect, South Africa would experience a "steady warming of three degrees Celsius within the lifetime of the present generation of children". This means homes will need some form of insulation or will have to resort to energy-hungry air conditioning in an effort to keep the occupants cool.

"This has resulted in a wave of interest in environmentally-friendly building initiatives that are setting the stage for the homes of the future," says Bester, "and we are seeing more homes built that incorporate alternative sources of energy and climate proofing. The homeowners will reap the benefits both through improved lifestyle and increased property values."

And the authorities are also starting to come to the party, says Bester. As part of the Kuyasa Project in Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats, low income homes were retro-fitted with energy saving options such as insulated ceilings, low-wattage bulbs and solar water heaters. The project demonstrated a saving of 2.85 tons of carbon dioxide per household per year and is being hailed as a blueprint for future developments. In the past few months, the first 60 of 240 Eskom-accredited solar geysers have been installed in the KwaNokuthula community in Riversdale with more to follow in areas such as Nyanga, Elsies Rivier and Atlantis.

Bester believes that the time will come when a property that does not comply with the energy efficient regulations of the future will be impossible to sell. "Although it may seem unnecessarily costly now to renovate for climate change," he says, "not only will suitable climate proofing help reduce current energy costs, but it will greatly improve the chances of selling the property in the future."

Property 24