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Efficency and Sustainability in Buildings. Name: Gabriel Ernesto Riaño León
Efficency and Sustainability in Buildings. Name: Gabriel Ernesto Riaño León
On September 9 seminar, Prof. Giulia Forestieri presented the issue of efficiency and
sustainability in buildings. Before discussing the central issue, which was buildings, was analyzed
why sustainability is important in a general way; in a global framework where the main drawbacks
are overpopulation and global warming, which are taken as the basis for setting the 17 global goals
to improve the world by 2030. Forestieri also noted that the carbon footprint produced by each
person contributes greatly to greenhouse gases, but another more striking fact is that buildings emit
about 50% of CO2 emissions (according to the words of Forestieri herself).
In the first instance, many houses have not been energetically reformed. In general, the
home of low-income people is related to energy poverty, which is the low capacity to maintain a
house with a pleasant temperature and meet the usual energy consumption at a feasible cost [1]. In
turn, this factor is related to poor physical health because changes in temperature reflect changes
in housing, which translates into the presence of mold and moisture, especially in cold countries
[2]. However, Capdevila et al. (2012), establishes three interventions in buildings: first, insulate
the elements with heat losses such as windows and pipes (passive elements); second, improve
heating systems (active elements); third, improve energy habits through information and education
to the inhabitants [3]; this way you can reduce heating fuel costs. It should be noted that the
interventions mentioned above do not apply to all cases, they may change in a tropical climate, for
example. Therefore, one of the factors to improve efficiently, in terms of energy, a home is the
right information.
Secondly, people with low resources have more limitations to reform the energy of their
homes. At this point, social inequality plays, since not all people can finance a change, "it is less
likely that tenants can undertake a modification, since the cost must be borne by the owner, rather
than the main beneficiary" (Camprubí et al., 2016, p.307) [4]. However, Asdrubali et al. (2015)
present a series of materials that can be recycled naturally, which mitigate the use of petrochemical
products such as polystyrene [5]. The materials mentioned in [5] are selected according to the
properties and the ease of obtaining them according to the place of the dwelling, but they also have
the problem of not being fully characterized. Hence, it is the responsibility of governments to
encourage and support energy improvement.
All in all, energy efficiency in homes is a topic of great importance for society in general
and for the government. First, we must reform the houses with the passive elements also, it is
possible, with the active elements; Second, consider the use of natural raw materials, taking into
account the cons and pros. The proper use of energy is everyone's responsibility, and not just the
government.
REFERENCES
[1] Colinas, H. (2011). Fuel Poverty: The Problem and its Measurement, Department for Energy
and Climate Change, London (2011)