Incentive for property developers who save energy

The Department of Energy plans to offer a rebate for property developers who fit energy saving features in buildings.

Tabling the department's Budget Vote, Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters said there were still many hotels that didn't have energy efficient systems that, for example, turned off power automatically in a guest's room when they left to go out.

She said the offer presented an opportunity for businesses and homeowners to invest in metering systems which could automatically switch off electricity when it wasn't needed.

Nelisiwe Magubane, the department's director general, said R5.3 billion had been set aside in allowances.

The idea was for government to pay out the subsidy to developers for each megawatt hour of power they saved through implementing energy efficient measures.

Magubane expected the rebate to be rolled out by the end of May and said the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) would call for public hearings to discuss the extent of the subsidies that would be paid out.

BuaNews
20 April 2010