Minister Alan Winde's second site visit took place at Bayside Mall last week.
At the site visit Minister Winde discovered that Bayside Mall harvests rainwater and generates solar electricity as part of its "Going Green" project. Through this system, the mall, located in Tableview, is reducing the electricity they need from Eskom by about 2200 units each day. Minister Winde said Bayside Mall had reported significant cost savings since the installation of its 500 kWp rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system two years ago. The shopping centre's rooftop PV system includes 2000 solar panels.
“Bayside Mall has saved R1 million through its reduced energy savings initiatives, and used around 800 000 less kilowatts of energy over the same period. These figures show us that energy efficiency is the responsible and moneywise way to operate," said Minister Winde.
This is Minister Winde's second visit to a company that has installed energy efficient technology. The site visit forms part of the Western Cape Government’s Energy Security Game Changer, a key focus of which is driving energy efficiency. Read about the first visit here. The third and final site visit for the month of February will take place at local textile company ACA Threads tomorrow, 21 February. Minister Winde and Premier Helen Zille will attend this site tour.
The message of the energy efficiency awareness campaign is: “Solar. The best way to save under the Sun.” It focuses on raising awareness about the benefits of installing solar water heaters and solar PV panels, as a cost saving measure, and in line with creating a greener world. The Energy Security Game Changer is a joint initiative of the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town and the five largest local municipalities, namely Stellenbosch, George, Drakenstein, Saldanha Bay and Mossel Bay.
“Through this campaign we are showcasing companies who are leading the way in sustainable energy. I believe they will serve as an inspiration to other businesses.” said Minister Winde. Bayside Mall was also the winner of the 2015 EE Forum Award. Find out what energy saving initiatives made Bayside Mall the 2015 winner here.
Visit www.switchandsave.co.za for more details on Solar Water Heaters and Solar PV.
Follow us on Twitter for live updates of the next site visit: @WCGov110Green
Main image - Bruce Sutherland