Solar heating system for a home for the disabled

Pevensey Place aspires to create a happy and safe environment resulting in a productive, purposeful life for cerebral palsied and similarly afflicted adults.

OVERVIEW

Pevensey Place is a residential farm for 76 adults with cerebral palsy situated at the foot of the Southern Drakensberg. The farm operates on a Kibbutz system, where residents are responsible for tasks suited to their abilities. Thirty-two staff also live at the farm and provide the necessary care and support to the residents. Examples of tasks include working with cattle and chickens on the farm; assisting other residents with more severe disabilities; or helping in the kitchen and the laundry. Pevensey believes that these activities serve to give residents a sense of purpose and self-worth.

Pevensey Place has decided to convert its whole heating system to renewable energy in order to avoid the frequent power cuts and increasing cost of electricity. The conversion will start with the installation of four of the 13 units required for the several buildings that accommodate the residents. The four units will serve specifically identified areas that use the most power, namely the ladies bathrooms and the farm’s kitchen and laundry.

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT

• The supply of electricity to Pevensey Place is unreliable and escalating in cost. This project will make the home more self-sufficient and reduce costs.
• Solar energy is a clean and sustainable source of power.
• The home will save money on electricity, which can be used to provide better care for the residents.

EXPECTED LIFE CHANGE

An investment of R56,300 will fund four panel units of solar power. Two units will be installed at two of the ladies bathrooms and the other two will serve the kitchen/laundry. The 76 residents plus the 32 staff members living in the house will be positively impacted, at a cost of R521 per direct life change.

NEED

While South Africa has some of the world most comprehensive legislation and policy protecting and promoting the rights of disabled people, there remains a lack of funding to implement policies. The inextricable link between disability and poverty remains a threat. Only over 0.5% of the disabled in South Africa are formally employed, with the overwhelming majority relying on grants. This puts a huge burden on families, since care and support must often be provided for life. Funds are necessary to support community-based infrastructure, which can provide quality care and support for the disabled while reducing the burden on the families.

ACTION PLAN

Preparation

• Four complete solar units will be ordered from a local supplier. These will be delivered to Pevensey Place, where they will be stored until they can be installed.

Implementation

• Existing heating facilities will be removed by sub-contracted builders;
• The four units will be installed.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The work will be monitored on site by the Director. He will make sure that installation works align with quality standards and do not cause unnecessary disruption for the residents. Long-term maintenance of the panels will be a priority for the management.

Monetary savings in electricity consumption will be monitored by the financial administrator upon installation.

ORGANISATION ASSESSMENT

Pevensey Place Association is a unique model of participative and integrative living for adults with cerebral palsy. By offering a sheltered environment where residents who could not cope alone in the outside world are given practical opportunities for self-development and to contribute to a common good, the organisation addresses a major and often neglected social issue.

The staff, management and board are highly committed to the organisation’s mission. Good planning structures are in place and the organisation has demonstrated an ability to mobilise resources (human, intellectual and financial) where necessary in order to sustain operations and expand capacity when required.

The organisation collaborates well with relevant government departments, the Natal Cerebral Palsy Association and other local entities. Despite the improbability of government cutting subsidies, excessive dependence on this source of funding could pose a potential risk for the sustainability of the organisation.

RISK PROFILE

Key Strengths

• Concept: The project uses the available natural resources in the region as a clean and sustainable source of energy. Aside from the environmental benefit, this will also serve to reduce the farm’s dependency on the overburdened national power supplier and to reduce spending on electricity.
• Design: The home has requested extensive advice to maximise the benefit of the solar units.
• Capability: The staff have previous experience of overseeing renovations in existing buildings as well as construction of new wings.
• Control: Pevensey Place has good financial controls and oversight in place. Apart from the staff and the board of directors, the parents and families of the residents are also a good resource of skills. Two members in particular provide input around fiduciary responsibilities and one mother has made available her professional experience on fundraising to the home.
• Sustainability: Solar water heaters are typically designed to last long with little or no maintenance involved. The benefits of this capital investment will thus extend well into the future.

Key Risks - Medium Low

• Concept: The efficiency and effectiveness of the new water heating system will depend on the good use that the residents make of the new facilities
• Sustainability: Quality of workmanship and reliability of the building contractor can only be determined once the work has been completed.
• External: The cost of the project, according to quotation, might change due to price increases, prior to project start.