Turning Growthpoint green

Growthpoint's solar farm at its Airport Industria building

Power for 2,500 homes

Werner van Antwerpen, head of sustainability, reports: “Growthpoint has already passed the halfway mark in achieving its goal to install rooftop solar farms capable of generating an impressive 6MWp. Or, in other words, enough solar energy to power nearly 2,500 average South African homes.”

Harnessing energy from the abundant South African sunshine, the company has already completed the installation of photovoltaic solar panels with the capacity to generate over 3,2MWp at seven of its office, retail and industrial properties.

Landmark assets

These solar farms are at its landmark assets across the country, including Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, Constantia Village, Bayside Mall and Airport Industria. Its InfoTech building in Pretoria, Waterfall Mall in Rustenburg and Lincoln on the Lake office building in Umhlanga also benefit from solar power generating installations.

A further four projects are underway, expected to generate some 2,7MWp of renewable energy. Besides its Northgate and Brooklyn Mall installations, it is also establishing solar farms at Kolonnade Shopping Centre in Pretoria and its office property at 33 Bree and De Waterkant in Cape Town.

And this is only the beginning, over 70 buildings have been identified across its portfolio for possible future solar PV installations.

A more sustainable built environment

“Our solar farms are one way we are creating a more sustainable built environment for South Africa. It also delivers on our ambitious commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency and green building, made on Buildings Day at COP21 in Paris last December”

“We are committed to increasing solar energy generation, making all our 185 office buildings energy and water efficient, and ensuring all our long-term office investments and new developments are certified green buildings. We’re already putting our commitment into action.”

“We want to create buildings and workplaces that support the health, happiness and well-being of the people who use them – places for people and businesses to thrive,” Rudolf Pienaar, divisional director: office sector says.