(ANSA) - While families' environmental awareness a decade ago
was limited to recycling trash and cutting down on water and
electricity use, it is now becoming increasingly easy to work
and live in properties that are totally sustainable, with a low
environmental impact.
Thanks to technological progress and people's desire for
better balanced lives in big cities, the construction market now
offers countless ecological solutions, going from interior
coverings to the harvesting of natural resources.
"Over the last 10 years we have seen a trend in which
families are concerned about offering sustainable experiences to
their children," Ana Rocha Melhado, a civil engineering
professor who coordinates the Armando Alvares Penteado
Foundation (FAAP) masters degree and is the director-partner of
proActive Consultoria, told ANSA.
"On top of this there is the fact that there is greater
international awareness about the issue.
"The media cover healthy eating, outdoor spaces, and organic
food a great deal. All this concern about the body leads people
to want to buy an sustainable property".
According to the expert, the design of sustainable buildings
should be based on three pillars: energy management, water
management and refuse management.
Melhado listed the type of solutions that can be incorporated
into a project for each of these areas.
When it comes to water management, the professor talked about
dual flush toilets, faucets with flow limitation and automatic
closure mechanisms, pressure reduction valves, individual
water-measurement systems and the harvesting of rain water.
As for trash, the recommendation is to create deposit areas
that are ready for refuse to separated and have a source of
water and a surface that makes it easy to clean. Rubbish
containers for composting can be added too.
With regards to energy management, Melhado recommended the
adoption of energy-efficiency systems for the property, which
monitor the annual consumption in terms of kilowatt hours per
square metre and make it possible to set specific targets.
He added that on top of this there is the adoption of
equipment to harvest renewable sources of energy, such as wind
and solar power, which can be made simpler via the solar
orientation of constructions, which also helps increase natural
lighting of the interiors.
As for existing buildings, benefits can be derived from
changes to their physical structures and to domestic appliances.
"If you change the whole lighting system, with ecological
light bulbs, all the showers, the faucets, the toilets, this is
a change that generates big savings in terms of water and
electricity," said Melhado.
"Then if have some extra money to invest, I'd suggest the
installation of a rain-water-harvesting system, as long as it is
installed by an expert".
The expert says that the replacement of the most frequently
used devices - fridges, dishwashers, irons etc - can lead to
more efficient management of water and energy too. "A programme
like this, combined with awareness about the use of water and
energy, can lead to a 30-40% reduction in water consumption and
a 20% reduction in energy consumption".
RENEWABLE ENERGY.
One of the most well known and widespread solutions on the
market remains the installation of solar panels.
"Any home can have a solar panel," Surya Mendonca, the CEO of
Origo Energia, told ANSA.
"There are some places and some properties that have greater
exposure to the sun, but sunlight gets everywhere.
"The roof of a residential home is usually big enough to
install solar panels capable of providing the energy needs of a
family".
The use of these technologies is at the centre of several
debates at Ecoenergy 2019 (the International Fair of Clean and
Renewable Technologies for Energy Generation) at Sao Paulo May
21-23. Organized by Cipa Fiera Milan, this year the event
includes debates on models for the financing of solar panels as
well as the management of the projects and the efficient use of
photovoltaic panels.
According to Mendonca, the minimum expenditure for the
installation of a solar panel is around 10,000 reais (just under
2,500 dollars) for a small property with a maximum of two
families.
"Many companies offer the design of the project and
installation, along with a connection to the electricity-supply
company," the expert said.
"The initial investment is recovered over the years with
savings in electricity spending.
"When a property with solar panels produces energy in excess,
the surplus can be redirected towards the energy grid and
registered as credit for the user".
Being as solar-panel systems require a starting investment,
sector firms - such as Origo - have started to think up simpler
and cheaper solutions for consumers.
These include the possibility of 'renting' solar panels.
"It's comparable to renting a home, where you just have to
pay a monthly amount without an initial investment," said
Mendonca, stressing that this model is being experimented in the
Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
"In the same way, the user can have access to solar panels,
renting them and saving around 10% on energy.
"The installation of solar panels is an investment and it
certainly isn't the least expensive option - it's an outlay that
pays off in the medium and long term.
"The rental option can offer a more accessible model and we
think that the market prospects are good".
According to Melhado, the main obstacle that the sector needs
to overcome is the cost of investing in sustainable projects.
"The market is waiting for the creation of a line of
financing for the acquisition of solar panels and other systems
of this type," said the FAAP academic.
"It would be significant if there were a public policy on
this, as there was for home appliances.
"Brazil is currently one of the countries with the biggest
number of sustainable properties, it is currently fourth in the
global ranking, with a high concentration of buildings in
Rio-Sao Paulo, although it is highly concentrated on company
offices.
"But residential buildings are starting to latch on to the
trend too.
"We still have lots of work to so and I believe a great deal
in the role education should have in knocking down barriers and
bringing about and full-blown cultural transformation".
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