The engineer Manuel González assured that 18.3% of the energy consumption of the Dominican Republic comes from buildings, ranking third after the consumption of the industrial sector (44.8%) and transportation (26.8%). “Energy efficiency in buildings is not a trivial matter, since they constitute a high percentage of the country’s consumption.”
In a talk on energy efficiency in buildings, given by the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC) through the Directorate of Permanent Education, González addressed the importance of managing energy consumption in homes through changes in design structures.
He explained that When buildings are in the design stage, it is pertinent to take certain measures that allow it not to be an energy-consuming building and that guarantees comfort conditions from the point of view of air conditioning for its inhabitants.
To do this, he mentioned several factors to take into account: the orientation of the house with respect to the sun, the implementation of shading elements in the designs of new buildings such as awnings, projections, canopies, among others; the use of protective glass against the sun and insulated roofs.
He also advised using polystyrene sheets or blocks instead of concrete plates in infrastructures and avoiding promoting glass buildings. “Glass allows radiation to pass through, so you would have to invest in air conditioning to maintain a suitable temperature inside,” he explained, which would increase energy consumption levels in the home.
In the case of houses already built, he recommended the use of passive strategies such as covering roofs with plants, using sheets made of polyurethane that cover the roof and lower the temperature, cover the windows with solar control films to prevent the entry of sunlight into the space and guarantee temperature control.
The expert stated that Since 1971, the demand for electricity and gas in homes in Latin America and the Caribbean has tripled. In turn, he cited the latest figures recorded by the Green Building Council (GBC), in which it is revealed that buildings maintain 72% of electricity consumption, use 48.7% of energy and emit 46.7% of CO2increasing the levels of environmental contamination.
Regulations of the electrical sector and buildings
Gonzalez recalled the General Electricity Law 125-01 to establish standards, policies and programs to promote energy efficiency in the Dominican Republic. However, he revealed that There is still no regulation that controls energy consumption in buildings. “These regulations are highly necessary to point to a more sustainable energy future in the most environmentally and economically friendly framework.”
Diploma of Management Systems and Energy Audits
The content of this webinar is based on the Diploma in Management Systems and Energy Audits from INTECwhose offer will soon be available on the university’s Permanent Education portal.
Aimed at creating skills to apply the fundamental principles and procedures for the evaluation, diagnosis, organization, execution and supervision of energy management in companies and in the service sector, in order to reduce their energy costs and increase their competitiveness. It also seeks to promote mastery of the tools and software of total efficient energy management technology.
The program is aimed at professionals related to managerial, economic, administrative, energy, environmental management, corporate social responsibility, maintenance and project management. In turn, managers of energy departments, energy auditors linked to different sectors or independent can take advantage of the content of this training.
The course will start on August 15 of the current year.
