JSE-listed property company Emira Property Fund has received an Energy Performance Certification (EPC) for one of its buildings – Block A in the Knightsbridge office park, in Bryanston.

Knightsbridge Block A is the first of 54 mandated commercial buildings in the Emira portfolio the company plans to obtain EPCs for.

From December 7, all publicly- and privately-owned offices, schools, universities, places of public assembly, and indoor sport and theatres above a specific size must have and display an EPC.

“Emira has acted early to certify its buildings and has become the first JSE-listed property company in South Africa to receive this certification. Ensuring compliance with this new regulation is in line with our good governance.

“We are voluntarily certifying non-mandated buildings in addition to those that require certification, which is consistent with our commitment to best practices, carbon reduction and the environment,” says Emira Property Fund COO Ulana van Biljon.

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has also confirmed a net-zero accreditation for Knightsbridge Block A.

“It is fitting that we chose Knightsbridge Block A to debut South Africa’s first EPC as it was certified by the GBCSA as one of the first Net-Zero Energy buildings in South Africa in March. It has received a Net Zero – Carbon Level 2: Occupant Emissions (modelled) certification, demonstrating its yearly net-zero energy consumption,” Van Biljon notes.

Emira partnered with Remote Metering Solutions to meet the new regulatory obligations and progress its environmental sustainability goals.

A new 580-panel solar photovoltaic (PV) farm was commissioned at Knightsbridge Block A in February.

“The multi-level solar farm plays a pivotal role in its energy-neutral operations. The Knightsbridge renewable solar energy project, which is Emira’s tenth so far, commenced in October 2021 starting with two months of design planning to support a net-zero rating and cost-benefit feasibility. Work got under way in December 2021 and the system was commissioned at the end of February,” Van Biljon points out.

Knightsbridge is a prime multitenant office property and Emira’s head office location. It brings to life Emira’s commitment to environment-friendly practices, which is evident throughout its portfolio. It is a showcase of resource efficiency, biodiversity and positive ecological impact, the company says.

This particular building, Block A, is a relatively new development and was always designed to incorporate a PV farm and achieve net-zero status. The Knightsbridge PV project has 580 solar panels, 132 rooftop panels, 448 ground-mounted panels and a first-year guaranteed energy yield of 369.9 MWh. This is equivalent to removing about 40 medium-sized homes from the grid.

“Its consumption patterns show it is ideal for a photovoltaic installation, and it can accommodate a combination of rooftop and ground-mount structures so the solar farm can achieve the desired energy yield. Further, its total energy yield is higher than the building’s on-record consumption, taking into account the capacity limits and other impacts of Covid-19.

“For Knightsbridge’s tenants, this means operating in a much greener environment and those tenants who report on any sustainability indices are able to confirm that their building has achieved independently verified net-zero energy status ahead of the targets set in the Paris Agreement. It makes Knightsbridge an attractive address for large corporates, almost all of which now consider greening initiatives when selecting their office space,” she says.

Van Biljon reports that the offices at Knightsbridge are currently fully let. The company’s energy and other environmental initiatives, from biodiversity to water saving, support the letting of future phases of Knightsbridge and prolong its ongoing attractiveness and performance for tenants, she adds.

Further, Emira’s solar farms position it to take advantage of future energy regulations, including feeding power back into the grid.

In the six months July 2021 to December 2021, Emira’s nine PV farms saved 4.8-million kilowatt-hours and removed 4 639 t/y of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

“With the Knightsbridge installation and the further expansion of the Pretoria Wonderpark Shopping Centre system of 1.6 MW to 2.8 MW, its positive environmental impacts will be even more significant,” she says.

“Emira’s purpose of being great in providing great real estate includes minimising our impact on the natural environment. We do this by managing our carbon footprint, improving affordable and clean energy, implementing integrated waste and recycling plans, water management and water harvesting projects and safeguarding biodiversity wherever we invest,” says Emira CEO Geoff Jennett.

Emira was one of only 80 global companies, and the only one in Africa, selected to work with global climate standards organisation Science-Based Targets initiative to develop the Global Net-Zero Standard to align the Paris 1.5 °C Carbon Reduction Target.

“Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are at the heart of our businesses and entrenched in our leadership and performance. As a responsible landlord, we have various targets and initiatives to enact Emira’s ESG commitments, which we will continue to expand,” says Jennett.