Johannesburg: The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality has embarked on an ambitious Energy Efficiency Demand Side Management (EEDSM) project with the goal of enhancing energy efficiency across its operations.
According to South African Government News Agency, this initiative is spearheaded by the municipality’s Energy and Electricity Directorate, which has already achieved several milestones, including the completion of energy efficiency audits for 60 municipal buildings. This effort is in line with national regulations established in 2020 by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), mandating that all government-owned buildings exceeding 1,000 square meters display and submit Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) by December 2025.
An EPC measures a building’s energy performance in kilowatt-hours per square meter (kWh/m²), utilizing a rating scale from A (highly efficient) to G (least efficient). The energy performance is determined by how much energy is consumed per square meter, factoring in other fuel sources such as petrol from generators.
The municipality oversees numerous buildings across the metro area. Between 2022 and 2024, it screened over 200 buildings, audited 60 of them, and identified 24 that require EPC certification. So far, qualified assessors have verified energy performance data for six of these buildings.
Notably, the South End Fire Station complex, housing the Directorate of Safety and Security, emerged as the city’s most energy-efficient building. This recognition followed extensive retrofits, including energy-efficient lighting installations throughout the city from 2023 to 2025, and the implementation of inverter-type air-conditioning systems to minimize unnecessary power consumption.
The Energy and Electricity Directorate also leads the Municipal Energy Management System (MEMS), with several projects underway. These include retrofitting the Newton Park Swimming Pool, installing new floodlights, and upgrading the water treatment process at Fishwater Flats Wastewater Treatment Works. Funding has been secured for EPCs for an additional 19 municipal buildings.
During a recent meeting, project managers highlighted the evolving energy sector within Nelson Mandela Bay, emphasizing that the Energy and Electricity Directorate and the municipality must adapt to become facilitators and providers of alternative and sustainable energy solutions.