Thanks to Chilu, our Director and unofficial Head of EV, we had a meticulous “Extended Range EV Trip Plan”: a 367 km route from Parkhurst to Mbombela, complete with specific charging stops at the Alzu Petroport and Riverside Mall.

The plan was perfect on paper. However, the reality of the road proved that in the world of EVs, time is your most precious currency.

The Detour of Distraction

My journey began slightly behind schedule, reaching the Alzu Petroport at 09h00. While my plan allocated a crisp 29 minutes for a DC fast charge, I fell victim to the Petroport’s unique charm. Between the coffee and the wildlife enclosure, I spent extra time watching the rhinos, a delay that seemed harmless at the time but would later prove to be a pivotal mistake that would haunt my last few hours home.

Because of my leisurely stop, I arrived at the Riverside Mall at 11h26, which meant I didn’t have quite the right amount of time to charge before I stepped into the conference to present. I didn’t have the buffer I expected. I had to head straight to the conference venue, unable to get the full charge I’d hoped for before my session. And so my range anxiety started. Would I have enough time to charge to get home at a reasonable time? I decided it would be fine; I would charge after I presented and head out. I’d rather leave a bit later than find myself with a dead battery on the side of the road!

Presentation vs. Power

Despite the charging hiccup, the conference itself was a highlight. I took to the stage to present on the “Status of Green Buildings in South Africa”. It felt right to be discussing sustainability while my “office for the day” was a zero-emissions vehicle, even if its battery was sitting lower than I would have liked. Although the presentation was focused on Green Buildings, I had to share with the attendees that I had come with an EV that was waiting to be charged outside.

I managed to get the car back onto the 80 kW GridCars charger at Riverside Mall later that afternoon. With the car supposedly ready for the return leg, I felt my confidence returning.

The “Mid-Message” Meltdown

I pulled back into the Alzu Petroport in the late afternoon for the final charge home. I remember sitting there, feeling inspired and starting to imagine my own life as a fully EV Sustainability Champion. I was actually in the middle of texting a friend about how much I loved the EV experience and how I was ready to convert my personal life to electric.

Then, the charging screen went dark. Mid-charge, the station went offline, apparently for “scheduled maintenance”. What was supposed to be a routine 29-minute top-up turned into a technical support saga. With the station unresponsive, the next closest charging station was 30 minutes away, in the wrong direction. By the time I reached the alternative charger and got enough power to safely reach Johannesburg, I had added 1 hour and 30 minutes to my drive.

The Reality Check

In that moment, standing at a dark charging bollard in the fading light, I’ll admit I questioned the whole endeavour. When an EV plan works, it feels like the future. When it doesn’t, you feel the weight of every kilometre.

So I drove back 40km towards Nelspruit to Astron Energy Millys stop, where I charged and was joined by a Nelspruit local who was there to charge her fully EV vehicle. We chatted about our experience and she let me in on a secret I wish I had known that morning, that the Alzu charging station is known for being offline, so much so, that when she is driving between Nelspruit and Johannesburg, she avoids it completely and doesn’t consider it in her trip planning.

My takeaways for the “Changing Architectural Landscape”:

• Respect the Schedule: If the plan says 29 minutes, don’t give the rhinos 45.
• Infrastructure Resilience: We can design the greenest buildings in Africa, but our transport network needs the same level of commitment to reliability.
• Ask the locals: If I had taken some time to read reviews and speak to the attendants at Alzu, I might have been aware of the infrastructure challenges that affected my trip later.

And so, after charging and getting back on the road, it was me, the radio and an energy drink for another 4,5 hours! I eventually made it back to Johannesburg, much later than the estimated 17h54 arrival , but with a much deeper, more “boots-on-the-ground” perspective of the sustainability journey. Would I do it again? Absolutely. But next time, I’m waving to the rhinos from the driver’s seat while the car is already plugged in.

What I would say to those who are trying to make a decision on the EV vs Petrol engine for their new car: if you are thinking about it, the answer is already yes for your EV. Just know that when doing a long distance drive, plan, and make sure your plan has a backup plan!

The post The Electric Road to Nelspruit appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

When we moved into our new Parkhurst office, we set out to build on that legacy. The new space operates completely off-grid, powered entirely by renewable energy. It’s a living example of energy independence and resilience, a place that demonstrates what’s possible when sustainability is embedded in design and daily operation.

With our systems performing as designed, we began asking what comes next in the journey beyond Net Zero. For us, that next frontier is Net Positive — a space that doesn’t just balance its impact but actively contributes to positive change.

A New Approach to Net Positive

The GBCSA’s Net Zero / Net Positive certification defines “net positive” as producing more renewable energy than the building consumes, typically achieved by feeding surplus power back into the grid. But our building is not connected to the grid — it’s entirely self-sufficient.

That challenge inspired a creative solution. Two members of our team now drive fully electric vehicles, and we’ve installed an EV charging station at our office, powered directly by our solar system. This station is available to both staff and visitors, extending the benefits of our renewable energy system beyond the building itself.

EV charging station at our office

Redefining What It Means to Be Positive

By monitoring the energy used for vehicle charging — a load that falls outside the building’s operational boundary — we’re measuring how much additional renewable energy we generate beyond our own needs.

Our goal is clear: once EV charging accounts for 5% more energy use than our building consumes over a 12-month period, we will have achieved true Net Positive status. In doing so, our building won’t just sustain itself. It will help decarbonise another sector through clean mobility.

Follow the Journey

To make this milestone transparent and educational, we’ll be launching a live tracker on our website so that anyone can follow our progress toward the 5% target.

This initiative is about redefining what sustainability means in practice, using data, creativity and systems thinking to continually raise the bar.

At Solid Green, we believe that sustainability is a journey of continuous improvement. Becoming net positive is the next step in that journey, and we’re excited to share it with you.

Sample dashboard – To be updated with actual data

The post From Net Zero to Net Positive: Solid Green’s Next Frontier appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Centrally located for access to the city centre and major highways, the property is close to Brooklyn Mall, various embassies, the University of Pretoria, Loftus Versveld rugby stadium and the Gautrain bus routes. An electric vehicle (EV) charging station is available onsite with an EV for shuttle services; and shared Qhubeka Bicycles are available to guests for commuting within the neighbourhood.

The site houses older heritage buildings, newer existing buildings and new buildings. Paul Boshoff, the hotel’s architect and co-developer says:

Where we redevelop a building, we are sensitive to existing buildings, history, character and finishes. We seek to retain the best aspects of the building and then introduce new infrastructure, utilities, and more appropriate modern amenities and functions. Our aim is always to reduce utility demand and dependence. We work on both the older and newer existing buildings.

For the new buildings, a self-sufficient living pod was designed that allows for rapid deployment. The pod sits on top of a water reservoir concrete raft foundation that helps to modulate temperature in the units; and has a lightweight, highly insulated top structure, which makes for easier transport and also assists in temperature regulation and control. With a north orientation for good passive heating, the pod has a standardised ablution module (factory assembled and fitted); solar panels linked to Endless Power control modules; and an insulated hot water solar-powered vessel that was sized to accommodate water-based (in slab) heating in winter.

Zendré Compion, Sustainable Building Consultant at Solid Green, explains that a Net Zero Carbon building is defined as a building that is highly energy-efficient, with the remaining energy use being generated from renewable sources so that there are zero net carbon emissions on an annual basis. In the case of a Net Positive Carbon building, the energy from renewable sources results in more energy being produced than is used on site. Zendré says:

The building industry currently produces a third of the world’s CO2 emissions and should therefore take the lead in attempting to drastically reduce the amount of CO2 generated in the construction and operations of buildings. Net Zero/Net Positive is not about slowly pushing the building industry towards betterment, but rather about inspiring the end goal now.

Hotel Nieu aims to produce more energy on site than it will use. In addition to applying good passive design principles, this will be achieved through a rational design process that includes specifying high performance materials and active energy-producing systems like solar PV with battery back-up.

Paul explains that the Hotel Nieu philosophy revolves around six elements of sustainable net-zero living: human capital, water, energy, food, personal security and transport.

In addition to our energy-efficiency and generation measures, the project uses tested low-energy light fittings, water heating and appliances; and we monitor and audit our energy consumption to ensure continuous improvement.

We harvest and treat rainwater for reuse, offer onsite-purified drinking water and a public street drinking fountain, use borehole water instead of municipal water, and feed irrigation and stormwater overflow back into the system via our landscaped wetland. We also monitor and audit our water usage and use water-saving sanitaryware and appliances. All of this helps us to minimise our water footprint and ensure that not a drop is wasted.

Lucas Uys, landscape architect, explains that the hotel’s landscaping is designed for functionality and the gardens include edible elements and greenhouses, which contribute to the boutique hotel’s self-sustainability. Each suite offers a degree of self-catering functionality; while healthy and high-quality catering is also available onsite.

With a philosophy that is designed to inspire as well as contribute towards sustainability, Hotel Nieu is leading the local hospitality sector and providing a mindful ‘home-away-from-home’ for its guests.

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