VODAFONE SITE SOLUTIONS INNOVATION CENTRE
The Vodafone Site Solutions Innovation Centre has been awarded South Africa’s first six-star Green Star rating. The building is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2012.
The six-star rating makes the Site Solution Innovation Centre one of Africa’s most environmentally sustainable buildings. Located at the Vodacom Campus in Midrand, South Africa, it will be powered with renewable solar energy, use passive and thermal
cooling / heating technologies. WSP Group commissioned REHAU South Africa to design a Concrete Core Tempering (also referred to as Thermally Activated Building Systems or simply TABS) to augment and operate in conjunction with the airconditioning
system. Concrete Core Tempering (CCT) is a method of introducing heating or cooling
into a concrete structure by means of embedding a series of pipes in the concrete floor or ceiling slab. The heating or cooling energy thus produced is used to substitute the heating or cooling load generated by a central airconditioning plant. Studies have shown that as much as 70% of the airconditioned air can be replaced in this way through passive radiant heating/cooling, saving on the electricity costs used to drive the air-conditioning system, as well as the size of the air-conditioning plant.
CCT design was done by REHAU in Ross-on-Wye, UK, whilst the REHAU office in Johannesburg did the installation. The system design consists of 18 loops, culminating
in 2 x 9 port manifolds, generating approx 24.3 kW/m2 of cooling energy and 63 kW/m2
of heating energy. Approximately 2500m of 20 x 2mm PE-Xa pipes were used on the project.
The single fl oor slab resulted in a relatively simple installation. Rolls of PE-Xa cross-linked polymer) pipes were decoiled on site and fi xed to a steel mesh. The loop lengths were designed in such a way that there were no joints required. Prior to casting
the concrete layer, the system was tested at 6bar pressure. The system was placed under pressure the entire time it took to pour the concrete. In this way we were able to monitor the work activity and check for leaks. As a testimony to years of global
development and experience the installation was leakproof and the concreting operation went smoothly.
“This is the second design, supply and install project undertaken by REHAU Johannesburg and served as a learning curve for the fledgeling CCT industry in South
Africa. This has enabled REHAU in Johannesburg to confidently present its credentials and, with its second successful project complete, go into the market with an installed base.” says Cliff Barnard, Business Development Manager at REHAU.
The CCT (passive heating/cooling) industry is in its infancy in RSA and requires a paradigm shift in thinking by architects and consulting mechanical engineers.
A recent article in the “Earthworks” magazine states that buildings use up to 15% of
the world’s energy usage with HVAC accounting for 40% of this amount. With world-class
technology REHAU is well placed to play a leading role in the reduction of these levels using CCT technology.
The six-star rating makes the Site Solution Innovation Centre one of Africa’s most environmentally sustainable buildings. Located at the Vodacom Campus in Midrand, South Africa, it will be powered with renewable solar energy, use passive and thermal
cooling / heating technologies. WSP Group commissioned REHAU South Africa to design a Concrete Core Tempering (also referred to as Thermally Activated Building Systems or simply TABS) to augment and operate in conjunction with the airconditioning
system. Concrete Core Tempering (CCT) is a method of introducing heating or cooling
into a concrete structure by means of embedding a series of pipes in the concrete floor or ceiling slab. The heating or cooling energy thus produced is used to substitute the heating or cooling load generated by a central airconditioning plant. Studies have shown that as much as 70% of the airconditioned air can be replaced in this way through passive radiant heating/cooling, saving on the electricity costs used to drive the air-conditioning system, as well as the size of the air-conditioning plant.
CCT design was done by REHAU in Ross-on-Wye, UK, whilst the REHAU office in Johannesburg did the installation. The system design consists of 18 loops, culminating
in 2 x 9 port manifolds, generating approx 24.3 kW/m2 of cooling energy and 63 kW/m2
of heating energy. Approximately 2500m of 20 x 2mm PE-Xa pipes were used on the project.
The single fl oor slab resulted in a relatively simple installation. Rolls of PE-Xa cross-linked polymer) pipes were decoiled on site and fi xed to a steel mesh. The loop lengths were designed in such a way that there were no joints required. Prior to casting
the concrete layer, the system was tested at 6bar pressure. The system was placed under pressure the entire time it took to pour the concrete. In this way we were able to monitor the work activity and check for leaks. As a testimony to years of global
development and experience the installation was leakproof and the concreting operation went smoothly.
“This is the second design, supply and install project undertaken by REHAU Johannesburg and served as a learning curve for the fledgeling CCT industry in South
Africa. This has enabled REHAU in Johannesburg to confidently present its credentials and, with its second successful project complete, go into the market with an installed base.” says Cliff Barnard, Business Development Manager at REHAU.
The CCT (passive heating/cooling) industry is in its infancy in RSA and requires a paradigm shift in thinking by architects and consulting mechanical engineers.
A recent article in the “Earthworks” magazine states that buildings use up to 15% of
the world’s energy usage with HVAC accounting for 40% of this amount. With world-class
technology REHAU is well placed to play a leading role in the reduction of these levels using CCT technology.
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© REHAU Polymer (Pty) Ltd, 2011
© REHAU Polymer (Pty) Ltd, 2011