In late 2020, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary but, due to COVID, the celebrations were severely subdued. In that year we also built our new office, which was completed in June 2021. 2020, which was supposed to be a year of twenty plenty, turned out to be one of the most difficult years for most companies. That year we also managed to achieve a milestone of 100 certified buildings in our 10 years of existence, across different rating systems from Green Star to LEED, EDGE and Net Zero.

As we were reading through the GBCSA’s Annual Integrated Report 2021 and looked at the table of certified buildings that year, some celebratory statistics came to the fore. A total of 139 projects were certified by the GBCSA in 2021 under the New Buildings, Existing Building Performance, Energy Water Performance, Interior, Net Zero, and EDGE tools.

Of the 34 Green Star New Building certifications in 2021, Solid Green was the Green Star accredited professional (AP) on 20 buildings – this is a 59% market share of all New Building certifications in 2021. There were 9 buildings that received Net Zero certifications, and Solid Green managed the certification process of 8 of these (89%). Below is an overview of the buildings that received certification managed by Solid Green. This is a major achievement. We are very grateful to our clients for trusting us with their Green Building aspirations, and to our team for managing the Green Star process for our clients so efficiently and effectively.

Green Star Tool Overhaul

The Green Star tool has been in existence since 2008 and Nedbank Phase II (135 Rivonia) was the first building that achieved a Green Star certification in 2009. Now, in 2022, the Green Star tool is undergoing a major renovation and update, which will bring a whole new dimension to green building certifications. There are some exciting and challenging changes coming. Several members of the Solid Green team are intimately involved in the Green Star V2 process as category leaders and category supports. Adrie is leading the Place Category and Annelide is category leader on the Health & Wellbeing Category; Alex and Dash are team members on the Positive Category, and Alex is also on the team of the Health & Wellbeing Category; Nomamfengu and Cebisa are on the People Category team, and Elri is a team member for the Resilient Category.

Solid Greeners seeking greener pastures

In the last year we have also had to say goodbye to some valued staff members who have decided to continue their green career elsewhere. Early in the year, Zendré Compion left Solid Green to seek greener pastures with her own company. Jeffy Pallamattan emigrated to New Zealand but is continuing his work with Solid Green, just on the other side of the world. In July we had to say goodbye to Alex Varughese, who is taking up a modeling role at the green department within WSP. And in August, Dash Coville left Solid Green after 10 years of being a Solid Greener; he is going to further his career at the GBCSA in the Technical Team. We wish Zendré, Alex and Dash all the best and we certainly going to miss them on the team. August also saw a new incoming Solid Greener – Thato Molapo joined as a junior modeling and simulation consultant; and we will also welcome some new faces in October, but more about that in the next Solid Green update.

28 Green Star Certified Buildings in 2021