Standard Bank’s LookSee and Sanedi Launch Energy & Carbon Certification for Existing Homes
LookSee, Standard Bank’s home-efficiency platform, has partnered with the South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) to introduce energy and carbon certification for existing homes—a first for South Africa.
Why This Matters
Kabelo Makeke, head of personal and private banking at Standard Bank, explains that this certification provides homeowners with key insights into their energy consumption, helping them reduce emissions and cut electricity costs.
Previously, certification programs in South Africa only applied to newly built homes. The new LookSee certification allows homeowners to assess, improve, and gain recognition for the energy performance of their existing properties.
A Major Climate Action Initiative
With over six million residential properties in South Africa, Makeke believes this initiative could become one of the largest household-level climate action efforts in the country.
How the Certification Works
The certification uses a custom methodology developed by Standard Bank’s energy specialists and LookSee. Marc du Plessis, executive head of LookSee, explains:
“We built a solution that assesses homes in a practical, data-driven, and scalable way, without costly inspections or disruptive processes.”
The system analyzes data such as:
- Electricity bills
- Satellite imagery
- Inverter logs
These insights create a detailed energy profile for each home, benchmarked against industry standards.
Supporting South Africa’s Energy Goals
Faith Mkhacwa, general manager for energy efficiency at Sanedi, says the program aligns with South Africa’s 2030 residential energy targets, which aim to reduce CO2 emissions to between 350 and 420 million tons annually.
She adds that the data collected could also help shape future energy policies.
Pilot Program Underway
LookSee and Sanedi are now running an official pilot program to test the certification process before a full market rollout.
Benefits for Homeowners
Du Plessis highlights key advantages:
- Energy insights – Helps homeowners compare consumption with similar households.
- Carbon awareness – Measures environmental impact, encouraging sustainable decisions.
- Green funding access – Could open doors to international sustainability financing.
This initiative marks a significant step toward a more energy-efficient residential market in South Africa.
Source: Moneyweb