Why should I consider staying at Rozelle Estate?

Where else in South Africa can you enjoy peaceful Cape Country living in an upmarket security village which offers you – at no extra cost - the additional benefits of solar water heating, solar power back up, rain water harvesting, filtered water in every tap, grey water irrigation, your own alarm system - even your own veggie plot in the common area?

While regular domestic power cuts and at least a 100% increase in the price of electricity are predicted for
2009, Rozelle Estate guests and homeowners will seldom (if ever) be affected by power cuts.

Eminent water engineers are extremely concerned about the rapid deterioration of the quality and security of our water supply.

Wellington’s rainfall figures over the past 50 years show that Rozelle Estate is assured of ample, predictable winter rainfall. Our rainwater harvesting and grey water systems ensure that our guests and homeowners will largely (if not wholly) be unaffected by concerns about the quality, the security or the cost of their water supply. This will, of course result in the additional benefit of a lower levy.

To top it all, our homeowners can expect to comfortably beat the average appreciation in market value, as
proven over many years by similar developments in the US and Australia.

How does the Solar Power/Escom System work?

The system consists of three components as shown in the diagram below:
Photo-Voltaic (PV) Panels: These panels convert energy from the sun into electricity and supply the
electricity to the inverter.
Batteries: Energy from Escom and/or the PV panels are stored in batteries until required, e.g. during an
Escom power outage.
Inverter: The inverter is the control centre of the system. It receives energy from the PV panels and Escom,
supplies this energy to the household and charges the batteries when required. In the event of an Escom
power outage, the inverter supplies the household with electricity stored in the batteries and/or generated by the PV panels. The inverter also increases the quality of the electricity supplied to the household by filtering out unwanted spikes and noise, and keeping the voltage constant. As shown in the diagram to the left, not all electrical appliances are connected to the inverter. High energy, nonessential appliances like swimming pool pumps, ovens and tumble dryers are typically connected directly to Escom, and will not be protected against an Escom power failure. This configuration allows the back up power to be saved for more essential appliances, like lights, kettles, microwaves, computersand entertainment.

For how many hours will I be protected in case of an Escom power outage?

The number of hours of back up power depends largely on how efficiently the household uses electricity. If
high-energy consumption appliances, like heaters, microwaves and electric blankets are used, the back up
power may be limited to 6 hours. If, however, electricity is used sparingly, the backup power may last for 24- hours. If required, additional PV panels and batteries can easily be added to the system to increase the
amount of backup power.

As a Homeowner, by how much will the solar system reduce my monthly electricity bill?

The system is primarily designed to protect you against power cuts and the inconvenience, and often costly, repairs to electrical equipment that this entail. Nevertheless, some households manage to reduce their electricity bill by 25% over a 12-month period. What your saving would amount to, would be largely
determined by your lifestyle.

Also keep in mind that the municipal tariffs are based on a sliding scale, i.e. the less power you use the lower your tariff. As power is first drawn from the solar system you will most likely be billed at a lower tariff.

What is the lifespan of the elements involved in the solar system?

The PV panels and the inverter are guaranteed for 20 years, while the batteries are guaranteed for 5 years.
Please note that the PV panels are guaranteed to still deliver at 80% capacity after 20 years.

What upkeep does the solar system require?

None.

As a Homeowner, by how much will the rainwater system reduce my water bill?

As in the case of electricity, your saving is largely determined by your lifestyle. Based on the rainfall figures
for Wellington, it should be possible for the average household to live on rainwater alone for 6 – 7 months of
the year.
As in the case of electricity, water tariffs are also based on a sliding scale. As the system first uses all the
rainwater before switching to council supply, you will most likely be billed at a lower tariff. All in all, it should
be possible to achieve a saving of at least 50% on your water bill.
Remember also that rainwater harvesting should make the common area almost entirely independent of
municipal water. This will lead to a further monthly saving in terms of a lower levy.

What is the lifespan of the elements involved in the rainwater system?

As the rainwater and grey water tanks are made of UV protected polyethylene, and both are protected from
the elements, their life expectancy is 20 years. The life expectancy of the submersible rainwater pump is
approximately 5 years, while it’s advisable to replace the filter every 3 years.

What upkeep does the rain and grey water systems require?

The grey water filter requires a quick rinse in clean water once a month, and the rainwater filter every three
months.

What are the security measures?

Despite Wellington being a low crime area, the following security features are provided:

• A 2 meter perimeter wall around the entire village
• Only one entrance to the village, guarded by a solid steel entrance gate controlled via an intercom
  and keypad system
• Individual alarm systems installed in every home
• Security lighting at the entrance and all around the common area