In Namibia, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector financing arm of the World Bank Group, is partnering with Bank Windhoek to launch Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (Edge) software. This software will enable the certification of green buildings to facilitate their financing.
How to certify sustainable construction in Namibia? The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of the World Bank Group, seems to have found a local solution that can be adapted to other countries on the African continent. As part of a partnership with Bank Windhoek, the IFC is launching “Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies” (Edge). This software is designed to facilitate the certification of green buildings, an important step in the quest for bank financing.
This initiative, which is revolutionizing the real estate sector, also aims to compensate for the lack of a local certification body. “Edge is a measurable way for builders to optimize their designs, leading to a more bankable and marketable product,” says Ruan Bestbier, sales and sustainability analyst at Bank Windhoek.
How the software works
The Edge software allows you to evaluate the solutions implemented to make buildings green. These solutions can reduce the building’s electricity consumption by implementing an energy efficiency system or a clean energy production system to reduce the carbon footprint of the house.
Edge also takes into account the thorny issue of water, through the installation of low-flow faucets to reduce the home’s water consumption, or the implementation of wastewater management systems. With the software, certified green real estate projects will have to achieve an expected 20% reduction in energy and water consumption compared to conventional buildings. It will also take into account the use of green building materials.
Most importantly, the system has been designed to provide opportunities for energy-efficient building design. These proposals will depend on the initial configuration of the building proposed by the project developer, as well as the geographical location of the future building. Edge is expected to primarily benefit clients and stakeholders in the construction industry.
The implementation of this digital green certification solution is part of the on-going Green Obligation program in Namibia. Through this incentive mechanism for financing sustainable development initiatives, Bank Windhoek has mobilized more than $4 million to finance clean energy projects for the private sector.
Jean Marie Takouleu
