Rio Tinto Reception Area Goes Natural - Rammed Earth

Architects from dsgn design have commissioned a  Rammed Earth Wall at the reception area for the new Rio Tinto Head Office in Illovo, Johannesburg.

We built this wall as decorative and as colourful as requested..   select stones and gravel have been embedded into the wall to give extra effect 'of a cross-section into a Mines bedrock'.

The Rammed Earth Wall in the future reception area.

Some of the embedded stones and aggregate in the wall.

Pictures of Rammed Earth Wall - Westcliff, JHB

InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd constructed the Rammed Earth Walls inside this home in Westcliff, Johannesburg in 2009/2010.

These are some of the photos of the completed project.

Contact InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd for more information.

Contact InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd for more information.

InSynch - Working the Difference

InSynch working the difference at the Green House Project.

Rammed Earth 'As Our Ancestors Did It!'

Architects 'Nicholas Whitcutt Architects' contracted InSynch to construct the Rammed Earth walls at the demonstration Centre on Sustainable Living at the Green House Project in Joubert Park, City Centre Johannesburg.

This is TRUE RAMMED EARTH.....  no stabiliser needed, the binder is the clay content of the soil, the soil is from site as per the original rammed earth technology dating back nearly 10 000 years.

The walls, as expected have turned out to be rather beautiful, all a single colour but the stratification being very visible, making up classic Rammed Earth.

Alastair & Charles from InSynch in front of one of the walls.

These walls have been built for YOU to see... go and visit the project!!

Either contact InSynch to arrange the visit for you or contact the Green House Project directly..

Green House Project:

1. http://inhabitat.com/the-greenhouse-project-sustainable-living-in-johannesburg/ 
2. http://www.urbansprout.co.za/the_greenhouse_project

PV & Wind Grid-Tie - Northcliff JHB

Design and installed a small grid-tied alternative energy system for a client in Northcliff Johannesburg.
The client lives on the North-Eastern slope of Nortcliff Hill, thereby getting a fair quantity of year-through wind, sufficient for the wind turbine, combined with the scalable Photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate an Alternative Power supply into the house supply (DB Board).
The system is designed to out supply the daily load, thereby reducing the overall electricity usage and cost.
The system also makes use on a small battery bank to supply backup power to key loads to the house if there is an ESKOM power failure.

Marlec Wind Turbine & Tower

SolarWorld 80W PV panels and SMA SunnyBoy PV Inverter

Integrated Solar Solutions - One Project - One Supplier

By AM Solar & InSynch

Here we have a project recently completed by AM Solar for a client in the Johannesburg, Kyalami area.
The project consists of a number of related but separate renewable and solar energy solutions including:

• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power  -  Medium Scale Residential (15kw Peak)
• Solar Hot Water - incl. various High Pressure & Low Pressure systems.
• Heat Pumps - various size systems on the main house and cottages.
• BioGas System - connected to the main house & cottages.
• Energy Savings - replacement of std lights & fittings to LED & CFL.

The Solar Photovotaic (PV) Array.
Using SolarWorld 260W Panels in Series Strings to generate the power from the sun.
Also a 200L Solar Hot Water (High Pressure) system.  All by AM Solar (InSynch Partners).
Note: All Solar Hot Water system used on the project qualified for the ESKOM Rebates.

Solar Power System (15kw Peak):
The Grid-Tied Solar Power system makes use of the following components:

• 3x 5kw Victron Grid-Tied Inverters
• 2x SMA Sunnyboy Inverters (between PV arrays and Grid-Tie)
• 2V Hoppecke Cells (Batteries) for Backup Power.
• On-Line (Web) System Monitoring (Real Time) & Performance Analysis system.

Heat Pumps:
Multiple Heat Pumps were used, all qualified for ESKOM rebates

Biogas System:
In-Situ Cast BioGas system, used for cooking on the plot.

Another Solar Hot Water System used in this project.

The Installation and overall System Design, Project Management and Implementation was done by AM Solar and their partners.

Contact AM Solar or InSynch for more information on this project or for technology enquiries..

Progress Photos - Sioc-CDT (Rammed Earth)

This project is unfolding in Kathu in the Northern Cape in South Africa.
InSynch is constructing the Sishan Iron Ore Companies (SIOC) new Head Office's Rammed Earth walls in partnership with the local community and affecting a skills transfer..

Here are some photographs of our progress on site:

Some of the local community Under-Training.