Best Policy Practices
Best Policy Practices
Best Policy Practices
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<strong>Best</strong> <strong>Policy</strong> <strong>Practices</strong><br />
Solar Water Heater By-Law<br />
City of Cape Town, South Africa<br />
A project to install solar water heaters in<br />
10% of houses by 2010 and in 50% by 2020.<br />
Name of policy: Solar Water Heater By-Law<br />
Lead institution: City of Cape Town<br />
Other institutions: Sustainable Energy Africa<br />
Timeline: 2004 – 2007<br />
Status: Work in progress, on track to be adopted in July 2007<br />
Main objectives<br />
• Substantially reduce electricity consumption in<br />
the residential sector<br />
• Improve Cape Town’s energy security<br />
• Reduce Cape Town’s greenhouse gas emissions<br />
Proposed implementation: The installation of solar water<br />
heaters will be required in:<br />
• All new buildings built in the city from the date of enactment,<br />
except for in industrial buildings which require a water<br />
temperature higher than that which a solar water heater can<br />
provide, and in any privately funded residential building<br />
which is below the current subsidy level (approx. R3600)<br />
• All existing buildings in the city, where additions are made<br />
which require the use of hot water (e.g. new kitchens, bathrooms)<br />
from the date of enactment.<br />
Benefits: The By-Law is the implementation mechanism to assist<br />
in meeting the target of the City’s Energy and Climate<br />
Change Strategy, of having 10% of houses fitted with solar<br />
water heaters by 2010 and 50% by 2020.<br />
In South Africa, the residential sector uses 17% of electricity<br />
consumed. The largest consumer of electricity in the<br />
residential sector is the electric water heater. It makes up 40<br />
– 50% of the total electricity used in a household (or 8% of<br />
the country’s energy consumption).<br />
Using a solar water heater is a way to reduce this energy<br />
by half or more. By replacing the conventional geyser with a<br />
solar water heating system, a large portion (60%) of water<br />
heating costs can be saved. This amounts to 40% of the electricity<br />
bill and a reduction of household carbon dioxide emis-<br />
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