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An assessment was undertaken after a few months, and high-level outcomes achieved were:
Residents have leap-frogged to a cleaner technology as they don’t have to rely on
traditional electrical geysers for the hot water they have now on tap for the first time. (Many
residents couldn’t afford to purchase the energy to heat water regularly before.)
Households have reported a saving of up to 25% of their electricity costs. 105 tonnes of carbon
have been avoided, and the sale of carbon credits will generate funds for this community.
Greater human comfort and aesthetics with improved health and safety has been recorded. The
addition of insulated ceilings has dropped peak temperatures on summer days by 4-6 degrees
Celsius. Insulated roof paint drops these by a further 2 degrees Celsius. Less need for fuels
like paraffin, coal and wood, mean reduced health problems and fire hazards. Unsafe electrical
wiring was replaced and efficient security lights installed above the front door of each house.
Practical, on-the-job training sessions and community education was conducted, and the project
translated into 615 days of local employment created. The rainwater tanks hold 30,000 liters
over and average year, equating to 3 months’ worth of free water allocation. This boosts
water security in times of erratic rainfall and drought, and keeps water costs down in periods
of municipal water shortages. Water use is efficient and grey water is being used for food
gardens. 60% of homes say they are saving on food costs already.
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Stakeholder consultation for this project was comprehensive. Consultations were held with the
Ward Councilor, the Local Economic Development Committee and the Area Committee for operational
issues. Many community meetings were conducted, and a local Community Liaison Officer was
appointed. Low-cost homes are built on a large, cost-efficient scale with often low
consideration for construction quality, occupant comfort or access to renewable energy
supplies. People living in these houses spend high proportions of their small income (average
household income of ZAR 3, 013 per month) on energy, while suffering disproportionate health
burdens. Many can’t afford the electricity-driven services which would improve their
quality of life. After the green intervention homes are now more comfortable and safer.
Residents have greater convenience, are less reliant on coal-fired energy sources and less
dependent on economic circumstances. They are realizing significant energy, water and time
savings, thus increasing disposable income & improving their economic status. Fresh,
nutritious food grows at their doorstep, reducing the need for transport to shopping hubs, and
the local area has been upgraded, instilling community pride and promoting social cohesion.
Residents were employed for different roles creating an estimated 615 person days’ worth
of employment. Community training workshops were conducted to educate residents on the
efficient use of resources, the use and maintenance of new technologies, introduction to
climate change, how to save money and help save the Earth, the use and benefits of heat
insulation cookers, and how to plant trees and food gardens (including permaculture training
conducted for 3 months following the implementation). The Cato Manor Green Street project has
successfully served as a strong advocacy & awareness-raising tool to demonstrate the
benefits of resource-efficiency practices. As a COP17 legacy activity, the Green Street is a
permanent demonstration and living learning site. Residents are trained to be tour guides, and
educational signboards have been erected. Numerous site tours for local and international
delegations have been undertaken. There is significant employment potential if retrofit
upgrades just like this were done for all existing low-cost houses. The Property Point
enterprise development initiative is committed to further training and business development
support to those who worked on the project, to assist them in developing small businesses and
‘green’ enterprises.
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The South African government has built almost 3 million low-cost homes since 1994 and a
further 3 million are targeted by 2025. Until fairly recently, green considerations have not
been a priority, so people living in these houses continue to spend significant amounts of
their income on energy, while suffering disproportionate health burdens. Many can’t
afford the electricity-driven services of appliances and utilities which would make their
lives better (beyond the free basic allocation). This Cato Manor Green Street project is a
practical demonstration of the need to green low-income housing, and the potential impact
that similar interventions could have on a national scale. The SA Government is looking for
ways to promote a ‘green economy’ that will have far reaching environmental,
economic and societal benefits, and the Cato Manor Green Street is strongly aligned with this
intent. If retrofits like this were done for 3 million existing low-cost houses, then the
savings from electricity and water are estimated at about R 3 billion per year (at current
tariffs). This is money that would go back into the pockets of poor people and be retained in
the local economy. The electricity saving would be over 3400 gigawatt hours (GWH) per annum,
which is equivalent to about a third of what a city the size of Durban or Cape Town uses. An
estimated 3,45 million tonnes of CO2 would be avoided per year from the electricity saving,
to reduce the country’s carbon footprint. For the purposes of generating revenue on
carbon markets, almost 10 million (9,720,000) tonnes worth of carbon credits are possible. In
terms of employment, it is estimated that about 36.5 million days of work could be created,
equivalent to employing over 165,000 people for a year of work.
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