CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 13 /PRNewswire/ --

While South Africa's green building market currently lacks formalised regulation, the private sector is quickly grasping its importance. Opportunities in providing innovative technologies for water, energy, and materials conservation are beginning to be exploited.

Eskom, the national electricity utility, is likely to struggle to meet demand for a number of years. Given that buildings are responsible for 50 per cent of energy consumption in South Africa, it is imperative that the country adopts resource-efficient building principles. The installation of equipment such as solar water heaters can reduce electricity consumption by as much as 50 per cent.

However, the regulatory environment in support of green building practices is still in its developmental stages. At the moment, South Africa has adopted the Green Star rating system, which Australia uses, with some adjustments required to make it more suitable for the country. The need for energy-efficient buildings in South Africa has been recognised, but the Government has not made any commitment to initiating policies in this regard.

The Green Building Council of South Africa has taken up the mandate of educating the public on the benefits of Green Building practices, remarks Frost Sullivan (http://www.environment.frost.com) Programme Manager David Winter. Its financial backbone is the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), because the government has not yet committed itself to this cause.

With green buildings being a fairly new concept, most people still need to be educated on what the technologies offer. A public awareness campaign backed by the relevant government departments could overcome this challenge.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users and other industry participants with an overview of the study, South Africa's Green Building Market, then send an e-mail to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at patrick.cairns@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

South Africa's Green Building Market is part of the Environmental Growth Partnership Services Programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Facilities Management Market, Wastewater Management Market and Low Voltage Switchgear Markets. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership(TM) empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost Sullivan's Growth Partnership Services, visit http://www.frost.com.

South Africa's Green Building Market M2CF Contact: Patrick Cairns Corporate Communications - Africa P: +27-18-468-2315 E: patrick.cairns@frost.com http://www.frost.com

Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications - Africa, of Frost Sullivan, +27-18-468-2315, patrick.cairns@frost.com