KPDA PREMIUM MEMBER PROFILE 3 HFGS Offers Giza Systems’ Entire Product Family HF Giza Systems, which was fully acquired by Giza Systems last March, continues <strong>to</strong> serve the Kenyan market with a wider, more comprehensive portfolio of services and solutions. <strong>The</strong> acquisition opens up new markets <strong>to</strong> HFGS Kenya through offices in Egypt, Saud Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. This fact coupled with Giza Systems’ vast geographic footprint in Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria, will surely accelerate and ensure the growth of the company and position it as a global integrated smart solutions provider. Our broad-based family of products and services enable us <strong>to</strong> cater <strong>to</strong> various sec<strong>to</strong>rs including: • Power • Telecom • Water • Transportation • Enterprise • Smart Cities • Manufacturing • Airports • Healthcare, Hospitality and Real Estate • Retail Outlets and Shopping Malls • Oil and Gas During the past two decades, HFGS has implemented various successful projects for a number of its cus<strong>to</strong>mers, installing state-of-the-art solutions including energy management systems, multimedia systems, fire and security systems. With this acquisition, the company now also benefits from in-house applications <strong>to</strong> serve the vision of new smart city projects like home au<strong>to</strong>mation, smart metering, and emergency response centers. Among HFGS’ clients are Golf Course Hotel Nairobi, Tamarind Tree Hotel, Airtel Tanzania, Julius Nyerere International Airport T3 Phase 1, Ramada Resort Dar Es Salaam, Ngalawa Beach Resort, Public Service Pension Fund Towers, and others. Our Offices • Egypt • Saudi Arabia • United Arab Emirates • Qatar Address: Kitisuru Rd., off Peponi Rd., opposite Thigiri Ridge Rd. P.O. Box 73825-00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 203 862 737, Mobile: +254 722 741 645 Email: hfgizasystems@gizasystems.com www.hfgizasystems.com • Tanzania • Uganda • Nigeria • Kenya SAVE ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT WITH GREEN BUILIDINGS By Arthur Mijumbi, a Civil and Structural Engineer with Sampar Ltd, Uganda <strong>The</strong>re have been so many posts on social media describing the infamous Kampala heat; global warming is no longer an abstract <strong>to</strong>pic taught in schools, Ugandans are living it. Unlike what people define as heat back in the 1960s when trees were still in plenty, the current Ugandan heat is more severe. A warm shower in the morning is no longer necessary and in the evening, you will get a warm shower without asking for it. Uganda is one of the 196 countries in the world facing the overwhelming elements of climate change. <strong>The</strong> devastating effects of pollution on the environment have become more obvious in recent years, sparking a movement <strong>to</strong> promote energy efficiency, less reliance on fossil fuels, and a reduction in air and water pollution through a concept called green building. A green building, also known as a sustainable building is, according <strong>to</strong> Sampar Projects Engineer, Arthur Mijumbi, ‘a building that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. It is designed <strong>to</strong> meet certain objectives such as protecting the occupants’ health; using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact on the environment.’ CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SETTING UP A GREEN BUILDING: 1. Resource Efficiency This is done by selecting sustainable construction materials and products by evaluating several characteristics such as reused and recycled content, zero or low off-gassing of harmful air emissions. It may also be zero or low <strong>to</strong>xicity, sustainably harvested materials, high recyclability, durability, longevity, and local production; promotion of resource conservation and efficiency. Reusing and recycling construction and demolition materials, for example, using inert demolition materials as a base course for most of our parking lots and residential home slab-bases, minimizes the costs of construction. 2. Air Quality and Safety Choosing construction materials and interior finishing products with zero or low emissions improves indoor air quality. According <strong>to</strong> the Environment Protection Agency, many building materials and maintenance products emit <strong>to</strong>xic gases, such as volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde. <strong>The</strong>se gases can have detrimental effects on the occupants’ health and productivity. <strong>The</strong> research says providing adequate ventilation and a highefficiency, in-duct filtration system can have a positive impact on indoor air quality. Preventing indoor microbial contamination through the selection of materials resistant <strong>to</strong> microbial growth provides effective drainage from the roof and surrounding landscape. Green building requires installation of adequate ventilation in bathrooms and allows proper drainage of airconditioning coils. Design other building systems <strong>to</strong> control humidity. Buildings with good overall environmental quality can reduce the rate of respira<strong>to</strong>ry disease, allergies, asthma, sick building symp<strong>to</strong>ms and enhance performance. “<strong>The</strong> potential financial benefits of improving indoor environments exceed costs by a fac<strong>to</strong>r of eight and 14,” reads a Fisk and Rosenfeld research. 3. Energy Efficiency Passive design strategies can FOCUS ON POLICY dramatically affect a building’s energy performance. <strong>The</strong>se include building shape and orientation, passive solar design, and the use of natural lighting. Studies have shown that natural lighting has a positive impact on productivity and wellbeing. Depending on which part of Uganda you may be living in, using a properly sized and energy efficient heat or cooling system with a thermally efficient building shell is a good choice. Consider alternative energy sources such as pho<strong>to</strong>voltaics and fuel cells that are now available in new electronics. Buildings with properly thought-out and executed measures can consume from 40% <strong>to</strong> up <strong>to</strong> 90% less energy than similar building structures of conventional construction. 4. Water Conservation Uganda’s climate is tropical and generally rainy, with two dry seasons of December <strong>to</strong> February and <strong>June</strong> <strong>to</strong> August. This means Ugandans who harvest rainwater are able <strong>to</strong> depend on it for most of the year. Designing for dual plumbing <strong>to</strong> use recycled water for <strong>to</strong>ilet flushing or a gray-water system that recovers rainwater or other non-potable water for site irrigation, is a sure way <strong>to</strong> be mostly independent from the national water grid. Minimizing waste water by using ultra low-flush <strong>to</strong>ilets, low-flow shower heads and other water conserving fixtures, will cut your water budget by half. 5. Site Set Up and Management Protecting and retaining existing landscaping and natural features foils the need for irrigation and the use of fertilizers. Although a green building may cost more up front, it saves through lower operating costs over the life of the building. <strong>The</strong>se cost saving measures can be met with professional help. Kenya Property Developers Association... Development brings Development! 4