The way we mobilize is changing. Around the world, new initiatives emerge every day that open the space to innovative, more sustainable forms of transport, which contribute to improving the air quality of our cities, contributing to caring for the environment, and therefore improving the quality of life. of people. It is estimated that by 2020 the demand for buses will dominate the market globally, even the most ambitious reports dare to think that by 2040, 80% of the world fleet of municipal buses will be electric, or at least so. reflects the most recent study by BNEF (Bloomberg New Energy Finance).

BOGOTÁ PIONEER IN ELECTRIC MOBILITY

Bogotá has not been oblivious to this reality. As companies of the Enel Colombia Group, with the purpose of making our capital a smart city, which is a benchmark in Latin America, we have created, developed and implemented initiatives that allow cleaner and healthier mobility. An example of this is the 100% electric Articulated Bus that we have put into circulation in the city, a pilot plan that has been possible to carry out thanks to the joint support of the Bogotá Mayor’s Office and Transmilenio. This is undoubtedly one of the great advances in terms of electrical sustainability in Colombia since it is not only the first of its kind in the world, but it also generates a significant impact in improving the environment and the quality of the city ​​air: to date, in its more than 260 days of operation, it has stopped producing around 84 tons of CO2. (figures from June 2018).

We are convinced that electric mobility is the alternative that will allow us to advance in improving the quality of life in our cities. This motivated us to implement the first pilot plan of 40 completely electric taxis in 2014, being up to now the largest public transport fleet in all of Latin America. For these taxis, there are 4 charging stations with 34 connection points with an installed capacity to serve 308 vehicles per day, this in order to be able to satisfy the demand as electric taxis increase.

But this example that we have been giving is not limited exclusively to public transport, in favor of cleaner mobility, in the city of Bogotá more and more electric vehicles move, and in order to be able to satisfy the demand, we as Group companies At Enel Colombia, we have been working to provide an increasingly better service to the city, delivering more than 15 charging points, which are sustainable electrical installations.

In the second half of this year, together with Bicycle Capital, Supermercados Carulla and the sponsorship of Scotiabank Colpatria, we launched the electric bicycle sharing program called BiciCo, in which through a mobile application people can rent electric bicycles for move around the city.

COMMITTED FROM THE HEART

As a company we think that we must be an example of responsibility, which is why, motivating our employees to be the main ambassadors of sustainable mobility, we launched the ECOCAR program, with which 20 of our collaborators had access to the acquisition of a Renault electric vehicle, which has allowed them to significantly improve their quality of life, reducing CO2 emissions in the city, and offering them the possibility of moving freely around the city, at the time they wish.

In this same sense, we have wanted to impact the workers of our companies in their entirety, for which we have started the MoverNos program. With this initiative we seek to generate transportation habits that are friendly to the environment, health, and mobility in the city, which is why the program invites the employees of our companies to use a shared car or taxi, bike, or walk to commute from home to office.

In the same way, we have managed to continue the E bike to work program for more than seven years, where we have a fleet of 48 electric bicycles that have benefited more than 300 employees of the organization, totaling more than 11,600 trips. The positive learning from this experience prompted us to implement this shared bike concept externally.

Fountain:https://www.enel.com.co/es/medio-ambiente-desarrollo-sostenible/vehiculo-electrico-innovacion.html

About 36% of the planet’s energy consumption occurs in the construction sector. Buildings are also responsible for 40% of the total CO2 emissions that are emitted in the world according to data from the International Energy Agency (IRENA). It is for this reason that the energy transition urgently needs to accelerate the building model to one that promotes sustainable and carbon-neutral infrastructures. This construction model is called bioclimatic architecture and its projects are a fundamental piece to stop climate change. In this article we are going to learn about the importance of this type of building.

One of the keys to bioclimatic architecture is solar energy, so installing solar panels in your home or business is one of the most important steps towards the energy transition and the use of renewable energies.

What is bioclimatic architecture?

We understand by bioclimatic architecture the building construction that has been designed taking into account the weather of the place, reducing its environmental impact, taking advantage of local resources and with the maximum energy efficiency possible.

Its main characteristics are the use of elements that adapt to the environment, of local construction materials (the zero kilometer), just like an eco-friendly design including trees and/or plants, that is to say, that it does not make the construction stand out against natural elements. Therefore, it is a “green” architecture, which also differs from the so-called “sustainable” because it requires a detailed climate study unlike the latter.

The principles of this typology of architecture, therefore, are weather and location, the energy efficiency, that includes solar gain and insulation to minimize the loss of thermal comfort, and the naturally regulated ventilation. All these principles have the same objective; achieve that, without resorting to mechanical and/or electrical equipment, and the house will self-regulate your temperature for comfort. To do this, it seeks to make the most of the natural resources and so reduce electricity consumption, which otherwise can come from solar panels. Thermal isolation is achieved with hermetic closures on windows and doors, the same ones that will be part of the cross ventilation, a way of making the air in the installation renew constantly and naturally, improving the climatic conditions of its interior.

Although it seems like a modern trend, the origin of this way of building dates back to antiquity. In the 5th century BC, the philosopher Socrates was the first to anticipate how houses should be designed like that, with a text stating that “it is more pleasant to have the house cool in summer and warm in winter”. From this statement, it began the defense of building houses considering the incidence of the sun. Later, it was the Roman Empire which broke down what were the principles of bioclimatic architecture that would be used throughout its territory.

How does a bioclimatic home work?

Bioclimatic architecture contemplates the type of climate and adapts the spaces of the building to it.

First of all, in cold weather, larger spaces should face south and have the largest possible glazed area, which allows the passage of light to heat the environment.

Second, in hot climates, architecture seeks to minimize the number of rooms facing south and with less light, so that the shade cools the rooms.

Vegetation plays a fundamental role.Trees and plants outside the building will create a microclimate which, in turn, will provide an environment of nature. All this allows bioclimatic buildings to provide total comfort in terms of thermal sensations and environment with nature.

What materials are used and how is the wind harnessed?

Bioclimatic buildings are built with natural materials such as bamboo, wood, earth or stone, among others, and with processed materials such as polystyrene, a thermoplastic polymer with very good thermal insulation properties.

Apart from this type of materials, we must not forget the role of plants, as we have seen in the lines above. Strategically placed, they can help protect from the cold of the winter wind or offer shade in summer. Besides, control erosion and beautify the place.

Natural cross ventilation is the application that will help to take advantage of the wind. From two openings in the same space and with opposite or adjacent walls, the air will be able to flow naturally. This ventilation is extremely important to cool rooms in summer or in very hot places, since it will reduce the average temperature of the room helping to improve thermal comfort.

Knowing that the hottest air currents come from the southern orientations of the houses, as well as the fact that hot air tends to rise, to take advantage of natural cross ventilation it is important to install windows and doors on the south façade, since it is there from where the hot air will be extracted from the interior of the home. In the same way, outside air must enter through the windows located to the north of the house.

Bioclimatic urbanism and the house of the future  

Once the principles of bioclimatic architecture are understood, we can intuit what bioclimatic urban planning is. Is about rational and integral planning of a territory in which the constructions of houses and buildings will form a design consistent with the principles of bioclimatic architecture. That is to say, a comfortable environment at the thermal level and pleasant at the level of environmental impact, in which all the buildings have been designed considering the fundamental factors of the climate, such as temperature, humidity, wind and any other associated with it.

The trend is that, in the near future, more and more buildings will be built under these principles, both private and public. To this day, the commitment to this bioclimatic urbanism is evident on the part of numerous city councils, which seek to increase the “green areas” and the construction of public buildings with high levels of energy efficiency, solar panels and even cross ventilation when possible.

The “house of the future”, therefore, will be the one that considers all these principles that we have seen in this article.

1. Cross ventilation and thermal insulation, so maximum efficiency is achieved to maintain the interior temperature.
2. Renewable energy, especially solar energy with photovoltaic panels and type systems like aerotermia, for example.
3. Correct construction orientation to make the most of the available daylight hours, minimizing the need to use artificial light.
4. Construction with the maximum possible natural materials, recycled and zero proximity.
5. Installation of exterior elements that help, with shadows, to maintain the temperature. They can be awnings, blinds, pergolas, cornices, etc.
6. Paint the building with colors that match. The light ones will reflect the light and make the rooms larger and cooler, while the dark ones will absorb the heat, increasing the temperature of the room. Similarly, the exterior can be painted with colors that fit with the environment.
7. Having “green” spaces, whether they are terraces, gardens or windows with plants. The vegetation creates a natural ecosystem, protects from heat and increases the feeling of comfort.

Bioclimatic architecture is increasingly more present among us. It is part of the energy transition, given that to alleviate the effects of climate change we must minimize greenhouse gas emissions and the water footprint of our homes and buildings.

Source: https://www.edpenergia.es/es/blog/ahorro-y-eficiencia/arquitectura-bioclimatica/