Sustainable Housing Calculator

Why do we need a sustainable housing calculator?

◦ Compare conventional and sustainable building method costs

◦ Calculate the break-even point
◦ Identify funders and beneficiaries
◦ Calculate the ecological benefits of various interventions
◦ Compare various combinations of interventions for initial planning

Sustainable Housing Calculator

Costing Requirements for the calculator:

Capital expenses (up-front costs)

◦ land cost
◦ building cost for basic top structure
◦ civil services infrastructure (i.e. hookup costs for water/sewerage)
◦ electrical infrastructure (i.e. hookup costs for electricity)
◦ capital costs of sustainable interventions vs. conventional
alternative (e.g. solar water geyser vs. electric water geyser)

Sustainable Housing Calculator

Costing Requirements for the calculator:

Operating expense (maintenance, usage charges)

◦ household rates/fees for electricity
◦ household rates/fees for water & sanitation
◦ household maintenance costs
◦ city maintenance costs for water/sanitation infrastructure
◦ maintenance costs for electrical infrastructure

Sustainable Housing Calculator

Also inputted are the ecological benefits of the various
possible interventions.

◦ KwH reduction of electrical use

◦ associated reduction in CO2 emissions
◦ litres/yr of water consumption reduction
◦ litres/yr of sewer outflow reduction

Sustainable Housing Calculator

Input Screen:
This input screen is used to enter which sustainable interventions will be used in two potential
development mixes for a project
-Allows comparison of development mixes with up to five types of housing
-User selects which sustainable interventions will be used in each of the scenarios being
compared. The last few interventions have yet to be defined but will be added later in the project
- For developments with only RDP housing, the input screen can be greatly simplified, bringing it
down to just two columns of sustainable interventions that you choose from to compare the cost
effectiveness over time
Funding and Costs:
-In this section you can define a list of potential funding sources. We have listed the most
common ones and added another to cover other possibilities
-Users of the calculator can edit the cost assumptions to adjust to their local situation. For
example, there may be a local supplier of solar water geysers that is cheaper so the cost
here can be reduced
- It is also possible to change the sources of funding depending on the individual
development being considered
 Base Development Costs - Scenario 1 Cost Source of Funding
Land Cost/Unit R 6,000.00 Dept of Human Settlements
Top Structure Cost/Unit - RDP R 45,000.00 Dept of Human Settlements
RDP
Civil Services Infrastructure R 250.00 Municipality
Electrical Infrastructure R 2,500.00 Municipality
Land Cost/Unit R 7,500.00 Dept of Human Settlements
Top Structure Cost/Unit - RDP R 75,000.00 Dept of Human Settlements
GAP
Civil Services Infrastructure R 250.00 Municipality
Electrical Infrastructure R 2,500.00 Municipality
Land Cost/Unit R -
Top Structure Cost/Unit - RDP R -
GAP1
Civil Services Infrastructure R -
Electrical Infrastructure R -
Land Cost/Unit R -
Top Structure Cost/Unit - RDP R -
GAP2
Civil Services Infrastructure R -
Electrical Infrastructure R -
Land Cost/Unit R 9,500.00 Dept of Human Settlements
Top Structure Cost/Unit - RDP R 110,000.00 Dept of Human Settlements
MID
Civil Services Infrastructure R 250.00 Municipality
Electrical Infrastructure R 2,500.00 Municipality

Development Costs:
-This area allows you to input the underlying land costs and the cost of the basic top
structure and infrastructure costs as well as the funding source for each item
-There is a similar screen for Scenario 2 that is being compared against this scenario
- There is a similar screen for inputting the Operating expenses for electricity, water, etc.
 Total Cost Effectiveness
CO2 Emissions
Comparison
R 600 000.00 180000 Solar Water
160000 Heaters
R 500 000.00 CFL Lights
140000

R 400 000.00 120000 North-facing

100000 Orientation
R 300 000.00 Conventional Ceilings
80000
Sustainable
R 200 000.00 60000
Larger overhangs
40000 on north side
R 100 000.00
20000 Solar Roof Tiles

R- 0
On-site Sanitation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2

Output Screens:
-Output is now ready! A series of charts and a set of data tables are linked live to the input
screens and immediately updated when the inputs are changed. This allows you to quickly
compare the impact of leaving out or adding in a specific sustainable intervention
-Additional graphs will be created for electricity usage, water usage, sewage outflows, etc.
- Also includes a household affordability index. This demonstrates the impact on the
recipient household’s finances and alerts stakeholders to future affordability problems, e.g.
If too much of income goes to electricity and water costs the city may end up with bad
debts.
Potential uses for the calculator:

 Planning tool for developments – explore which interventions are

most economic
 Planning tool for developments – explore which interventions have
the most ecological benefits
 Make preliminary calculations to use when applying for additional
funding from alternative sources – i.e. other governments, Eskom,
carbon credits

Sustainable Housing Calculator