Speech by the City’s Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia
de Lille, at the launch of the City’s Residential Solar
Water Heater Accreditation Programme on
4 November 2013
The Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Environmental and Spatial
Planning, Councillor Garreth Bloor,
The Director of Environmental Resource Management in the City of Cape
Town, Osman Asmal,
The owner of Hotel Verde and our host today, Mario Delico,
Representatives of the accredited solar waters heater suppliers,
City officials, ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests,
Good morning, goeiedag, molweni, as-salaam alaikum.
Today marks an exciting and important chapter in the evolution of the
City of Cape Town’s plans to build a sustainable future based, wherever
possible, on sustainable energy.
Cape Town, like other major cities, is grappling with a high carbon
footprint that requires us to take proactive initiatives to encourage the
use of renewable energy.
However, I am proud that the City is leading by example in terms of
promoting energy efficiency.
For instance, solar water heaters have been installed in all 23 of our
nature reserve buildings and 44 clinics. There are over 11 000 energy
efficient streetlights and 7 000 traffic lights throughout the city.
Our ongoing upgrades of Council rental units include insulated ceilings
and compact fluorescent lights to maximise the benefits of alternative
energy sources.
We are also leveraging our existing resources to reduce our carbon
footprint by ensuring that City vehicles meet fuel efficiency requirements.
Building a sustainable future is a collective effort that requires all of us to
do whatever we can to preserve the environment for future generations to
cherish.
It begins with small practical steps, such as avoiding the unnecessary use
of electricity wherever possible.
The Residential Solar Water Heater Accreditation Programme will lead the
City towards that future.
The benefits of installing a solar water heater in one’s home are
enormous.
Electric water heaters contribute as much as 66 per cent to household
electricity consumption, and thus their replacement with a solar water
heater will contribute to cost reduction for residents.
This will also help relieve the pressure on our already strained power grid.
There are a sizeable number of residents across the city who can afford
the cost of installing of a solar water heater.
Our internal studies show that there are approximately 220 000 electric
hot water cylinders in private properties across the city, where residents
would benefit from replacing them with solar water heaters.
With the assistance of our partners, we aim to install between 60 000 –
150 000 high pressure solar water heaters over the next five years.
I, for one, have seen how installing a solar water heater can help to
reduce the electricity bill, after I had such a unit installed in my own
home a few years ago.
And during these trying economic times, cutting every avoidable expense
can make a huge difference in monthly household expenditure.
In order to help households to access these benefits, the City has
developed a unique and innovative programme, designed to take the
hassle out of the installation processes and to make it more financially
attainable for households.
The Residential Solar Water Accreditation Programme will enable
residents to take full advantage of the benefits of solar water heaters.
The accredited suppliers have entered into a formal partnership with
financial institutions to offer finance to credit-worthy residents for the
installation of solar water heaters.
This will eliminate the upfront costs of purchasing a solar water heater,
which has often been an obstacle for many residents in the past.
In addition, this partnership will ensure that residents who want to install
solar water heaters will be able to follow a simple, less cumbersome
process.
They now only have to make contact with the 20 suppliers who have been
accredited as part of the City’s Solar Water Heating Programme, and the
financing arrangements will be finalised by the supplier directly with an
appropriate financial institution.
These suppliers were selected through an open and transparent process.
The majority of these suppliers are based here in Cape Town, and their
participation in this programme will have the further positive benefit of
helping to drive local job creation.
The City will hold the solar water heater suppliers accountable for their
services and how they respond to complaints from residents by enforcing
the code of conduct which they have signed, which commits them to the
highest standards of service delivery.
I would like congratulate all of the suppliers who are now part of the
City’s Solar Water Heaters Accreditation Programme.
I would also like to thank all of the City officials, financial institutions, and
everyone who worked so hard to make this innovative initiative possible.
All that remains is for residents to make use of this platform, and derive
the significant benefits available to them and the planet.
Thank you, baie dankie, enkosi.