Rabie, the main developers of Century City, has recently been awarded its first EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certification for its residential development, Nine Palms.
Launched in May 2022 and completed at the end of 2023, this development was the first in the Rabie portfolio to have been designed and constructed with the goal of receiving an EDGE certification.
“To receive this certification was no small feat, and we are incredibly proud of all involved in the entire life cycle of the project for this achievement,” says Mariska Auret, CEO of Rabie Property Developers. “It is worth mentioning that Nine Palms surpassed its original certification submission for EDGE standard certification and achieved EDGE Advanced Final certification. This means that our energy measures exceed 40% improved compared to the base. To achieve EDGE, you must obtain a minimum of 20% improvements in the three categories, energy, water, and embodied carbon in materials.”
Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) offers the EDGE certification, a green building design tool, a certification system, and a global standard developed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group member. EDGE-certified projects reduce carbon emissions, reduce energy usage, save water, and lower living costs for occupants and lower living costs for occupants.
To achieve an EDGE rating, a minimum saving of 20% in energy, water and embodied carbon in materials must be proven through initiatives implemented in the design phase and confirmed during construction.
EDGE Certification is ideal for various building typologies. Whether it’s residential, commercial, hospitality, or retail, EDGE helps optimise your building’s resource efficiency
We asked Auret a few more questions on their EDGE certification journey thus far.
What were some of the things that Rabie had to comply with in Nine Palms to be awarded an EDGE certification?
- Energy and material efficient glazing
- Energy efficient lighting both internal & external
- Energy efficient hot water generation system
- Water-wise faucets, showerheads, water closets and irrigation systems.
- Cored bricks to reduce the material usage.
- Material-efficient concrete slabs
- Material-efficient roof insulation
- Many more measures implemented
What are some of the challenges that arose?
The entire process was new to the project team of Nine Palms, as it is the first Rabie project to aim for and achieve EDGE certification. Furthermore, the EDGE certification system is designed by the IFC on an international standard, which made it challenging for us to implement certain measures in a local context.
Your next development currently under construction is On Park, with Park Place and Junxion Park, a commercial development, recently launched. Are there any new initiatives you are implementing in On Park or Park Place?
We are aiming for an EDGE certification for Park Place and Junxion Park with the latter also aiming for a Green Star certification.
We are implementing a new brick specification in On Park that will be used in Park Place too. The new brick allows us to reduce the amount of embodied energy used in building construction, reducing our carbon footprint.
Do any of these developments qualify for green bonds and how does it work?
We are in the process of working with the major banks (Absa, Nedbank, FNB, Standard Bank) to activate ‘green’ bonds for our purchasers. Park Place would be the first development for which we implement this benefit and is something we hope to roll out to all our new developments doing EDGE certification. Once we secure the banks’ buy-in it would mean purchasers can receive a 0.25% reduction on their bond interest rates.
Absa also provides a further rebate benefit:
- Rebate of up to 3% of the Home Loan amount applied for, to a maximum amount of R55 000 (purchase price not exceeding R5m):
- Developments with Preliminary Edge Certification: 50% of the rebate, up to a maximum amount of R27 500, on activation of the Home Loan account.
- Developments with Final Edge Certification: Remaining 50% of the rebate, up to a maximum amount of R27 500, within 60 (sixty) days of Absa receiving the Final Edge Certificate from the developer.
- The rebate will be paid into clients’ Home Loan accounts to reduce the outstanding balance.
Auret concludes “It is our intention to continue our strive for excellence in green building practices and we look forward to embracing and testing new and innovative methods of construction, not only achieving certifications, but ultimately ensuring that we play our part in environmental sustainability.”
