Copernicus Climate Change Service Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Paterson Park’s Building Infrastructure: City of Johannesburg (South Africa)

This report evaluates the building infrastructure of the Paterson Park Precinct in Johannesburg, South Africa, using the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool and Copernicus climate data. It compares business-as-usual (BAU) building designs with green, climate-resilient designs over a 40-year life cycle. The analysis finds that green buildings significantly reduce total net costs through lower energy and maintenance expenditures and reduced GHG emissions. While climate change generally increases energy costs and GHG externalities, the RCP 8.5 scenario specifically reduces irrigation costs due to higher predicted precipitation. Additionally, the report concludes that solar panel investments are highly profitable in the South African context, particularly when accounting for electricity price inflation.

• Green building designs offer significant life-cycle cost savings compared to business-as-usual (BAU) designs. Over a 40-year life cycle, the total net cost for green buildings ranges between ZAR 311,859,445 and ZAR 312,132,753, whereas BAU buildings cost between ZAR 461,367,293 and ZAR 462,000,596. These savings are primarily driven by lower energy expenditure, reduced maintenance costs, and lower costs associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Climate change increases life-cycle costs for both building types, with the most significant impact seen in energy expenditures. Under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, energy costs increase for both BAU and green designs. Additionally, GHG emission costs increase under both scenarios for both building types.
• Investment in solar panels is financially viable for buildings in South Africa, providing a positive return on investment. This profitability is further enhanced by rising electricity prices (inflation). While climate change has a minor negative impact on the internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV) in RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios compared to BAU, solar installations remain worthwhile.
• Climate scenarios affect water expenditures differently based on precipitation patterns. In the RCP 4.5 scenario, lower precipitation relative to RCP 2.6 leads to higher irrigation needs and costs. Conversely, the RCP 8.5 scenario predicts higher average precipitation, which reduces the need for irrigation and results in cost savings.
• The RCP 8.5 scenario introduces specific externalities related to heat stress that are not present in other scenarios. This includes costs associated with lost labour productivity and indoor air quality, although these impacts are primarily noted for the BAU scenario.

APA

Uzsoki, D. (2021). Copernicus Climate Change Service Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Paterson Park’s Building Infrastructure: City of Johannesburg (South Africa). International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/savi-paterson-park-johnannesburg-south-africa.pdf

Chicago

Uzsoki, David. Copernicus Climate Change Service Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Paterson Park’s Building Infrastructure: City of Johannesburg (South Africa). International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/savi-paterson-park-johnannesburg-south-africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Uzsoki |first1=David |title=Copernicus Climate Change Service Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Paterson Park’s Building Infrastructure: City of Johannesburg (South Africa) |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/savi-paterson-park-johnannesburg-south-africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{uzsoki2021copernicus, author = {Uzsoki, David}, title = {{Copernicus Climate Change Service Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Paterson Park’s Building Infrastructure: City of Johannesburg (South Africa)}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-04/savi-paterson-park-johnannesburg-south-africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }