Energy efficiency means that you are able to use less power for the same The answer is yes, Broadleaf Group is able to assess your power requirement and its output. From there, a range of solutions can be implemented in order to reduce the power requirement. Yes, funding solutions are available. If you are running lights extensively, in the case of a factory, an office building or any other light intensive environment, swapping halogen lights or fluorescent tubes with LED will make a big difference in the power demand of the building. Solar PV generates power during sunlight hours. Provided your business or home operations are during sunlight hours, solar will offset your power Power generated during the day can be stored in batteries for later use. The entire process is controlled by the inverter which is the brain of the system. Solar power is always used as priority power and whatever the short fall is, it will come from the grid. While Solar PV will reduce your kVA demand, it cannot be guaranteed. If production is low say for instance, due to a cloudy day and your demand remains constant, for this particular period, there would be less production and therefore less savings. Each municipality functions slightly differently and not all allow you to export excess power generated. Broadleaf Group will be able to assist you in that regard and advise what is possible. Accurate system sizing ensures that the plant meets your specific requirements to minimize exported power/energy losses. Weekends and holidays can pose a problem when consumption is low and production is high however this; power can be throttled. Yes as this power is not being used. Both commercially and on a residential level, solar PV is a viable option. Depending on the design elements, a typical ROI would be between year 3 – 5 for commercial and year 3-6 for residential. Yes as it is this cost per kWh unit that we base the return on investment. Broadleaf Group can advise you as to which tariff will be more advantageous for you depending on your operations and requirements. Yes, without using a grid approved inverter, your system is illegal and your local municipality will not sign off your system. Yes as without this your PV system will be illegal. There are many different options that can be explored in order to reduce * The most popular in Southern Africa remains to drill a borehole and treat the water to bring it to required standards. This method is very effective and is applied in many countries around the world to access aquifer water. Please note that this method does not reduce your water consumption but only where the water comes from. Ethical behavior is strongly recommended to avoid depletion of the aquifer. * Desalination is a fairly new reliable solution on the market that allows to treat/filter seawater and/or brackish water effectively, providing fresh water to the end-user. * Water recycling has become a very trendy method to reduce water usage This process allows our clients to re-use this treated effluent water for non-potable use such as irrigation, flushing toilets and other non-potable use (this extremely cost-effective method can reduce up to 65% of a building’s water requirements). * In Southern-Africa and throughout the world, freshwater is being lost This solution is often used by property managers and developers that will charge their tenants depending on water usage. Real-time data is sent to the property managers that do not need to physically check installations to be able to accurately bill their tenants and manage leaks. Two main elements determine the success of a filtration/water treatment plant. The first is to be certain of the source water quality, the second is the water requirements. The water quality at the source will determine the whole treatment process. Is it, therefore, crucial to have access to a detailed analysis provided by a certified laboratory. Broadleaf Group always recommends working with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, more stringent than the South African standards (SANS241). Once you have access to the detailed water analysis, you may ask your Depending on the water quality, the treatment process and associated costs will vary substantially. This is the case regardless of the nature of the source (borehole, wellpoint, sea or brackish water) The yield of a borehole must be measured before any investment is made, regardless of the usage (non/potable). If the infrastructure is to be substantially upgraded (pipes, tanks, pumps, filters, plumbing into buildings) it is necessary to first, not only test the water quality but also the borehole yield. This will give you amongst other things, an idea of the recovery rate of the borehole, the flow rate to be expected over a certain period, etc. This will in fact determine if your project is feasible or not. Broadleaf Group has installed a number of groundwater filtration plants The material requirements are greatly depending on the source water quality. Broadleaf Group has partnerships with several registered laboratories which allows us to reduce the cost by finding the most effective way to treat the water to your standard requirements. It is important when requesting a quotation that you ask for the treatment process and not only look at the numbers. Methods can vary between two service providers. The determining factor is the sample results that are provided to you at the end of the project. Typically, Broadleaf Group encourages its clients to withhold a 10% share of the whole project cost until a sample of the treated water is analyzed by the laboratory that initially tested the source water. Only then, the full payment can be made. This will ensure you or your company that your service provider is result driven and has indeed reached the requested standards. Our clients do not pay for material to be installed but to reach a certain standard, the installed equipment is only relevant if the outcome reached is in line with the pre-defined objective. Depending on the source quality and the requirements. For domestic purposes, our installations take close to one week. Our industrial installations can take up to 45 days depending on the project. Most water can be treated and reused/recycled, once again, it depends on the water source quality and the expected outcome. Please note that Broadleaf Group is focusing predominantly on sewerage treatment for irrigation and flushing toilets. Through chemical-free processes, we are able to assist you in order to re-use the water inside the building (non-drinking standards) and save up to 65% of your water usage. Broadleaf Group accompanies you throughout the duration of your project, from the exploratory phase to the designs, installation, commissioning and maintenance of your water treatment plant. At Broadleaf Group, we believe in the long term relationship with our clients. The fact that we insist on the maintenance aspect of the installation is important as it ensures the client that the desired outcome is achieved. If any problems occur, Broadleaf Group will have to solve the issue, we therefore always have the incentive to provide quality and durable solutions. Broadleaf Group has a range of expert partners throughout the whole supply chain which gives the client a single point of reference. We are a result and return on investment-driven. If you have any additional questions, our experts are here to help you throughout the whole process, contact our office and you will be directed to the most relevant expert. For any queries kindly contact our office
Frequently Asked Questions
Energy efficiency
output. Whether you are using power from the grid, Solar Photovoltaic
installation or a generator, your electrical appliances use power, the question is: can you achieve the same results with less power?
requirements and generate savings.
Water efficiency
water consumption, Broadleaf Group focuses mainly on the following four
solutions.
and associated costs. The sewage of a complex, industry, farm, building is
collected in a holding tank and treated through non-chemical processes.
because of leaks in existing infrastructure. Water meters that measure flow and pressure are able to detect leaks and allow you to address the issue before water damage is observed.
preferred service provider what treatment process is required in order to bring the water to potable standards. Take into account in your decision-making process, that the treatment plant needs to be maintained and monitored on a regular basis. Observing a variation of the different water constituents indicates a modification of the water quality at the source. This will induce to modify the treatment plant itself in order to reach the desired outcome. This highlights once more how important it is to know exactly the water source quality.
throughout the Western Cape and South Africa, the following is a quick guide for our clients and partners perusal.
