Abstract
As the world population increases exponentially, urban areas are seeing the most significant expansion in terms of infrastructure and construction of new residential buildings. Cities around the world are now attracting more people as they provide better living conditions and work opportunities and are centres of economic concentration. This growth of cities has seen a sharp rise in the demand for low-cost housing, also known in South Africa as affordable housing. Furthermore, with the growing evidence of climate change, there is need for cities to re-emphasize the need to adapt to the use of cleaner and renewable energy in low-cost residential buildings where use of fossil fuels for energy is very prevalent. This will ensure that less Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) are emitted into the atmosphere and prevent further damage to the ozone layer.
This research focused on energy efficiency in low-cost or affordable housing within Alexandra and Cosmo City, two townships in the City of Johannesburg. The aim of the research was to establish the major barriers affecting the efficient implementation of energy efficient systems in low-cost or affordable housing. The City of Johannesburg is rapidly growing because of multiple factors which include population growth, rural to urban migration and immigration from other African countries. The rapid growth has left the city with a huge backlog of affordable residential housing. This is true especially for most of black communities who for the longest time, were denied access to opportunities by the apartheid system which ended in 1994. Although the city has made strides in curbing climate change, the affordable housing sector can play an important role through the adaptation of energy efficient systems during and after construction.
Three different methods of data collection, namely a literature review, an online questionnaire survey and face to face interviews were utilised. The method of coding in qualitative analysis was used to identify common challenges in the implementation of energy efficient systems in low-cost housing. Some of the identified challenges include high costs of implementation, lack of technical expertise and awareness, lack of information, lack of skilled personnel during installation and lack of spares backup for installed systems. The research identified existing policies and stakeholders that are critical in the implementation of energy efficient systems in low-cost housing within the City of Johannesburg. Among the identified stakeholders are Eskom, City Power, the Green Building Council, private sector, and homeowners.
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Part of the recommendations from the research findings include a framework that enables a more impactful and efficient way of implementing energy efficiency in low-cost housing. The framework is compiled by assigning applicable policies and stakeholders to each identified challenge. Further recommendations to eradicate identified barriers are also included in the framework. The research concludes that once these identified barriers are addressed, the City of Johannesburg will see an increased adaptation of energy efficient systems in low-cost housing.