Did you know that currently, Does the building sector consume more electricity than industry? Well, data from the 2017 National Energy Balance indicate that the building sector represents 51% of the total electricity consumption in the country, while the industrial sector represents 38%.
But how is this possible?
Due to the economic crisis, Brazilian industry has seen a reduction in production activities, registering a drop of 4.7% compared to last year. Furthermore, although buildings have a lower intensity of energy use per area, they are on a larger numerical scale.
It is also important to note that electricity consumption in buildings in the country increased by 52% in the last 10 years. Buildings are bigger and more complex, with more technologies and electrical equipment. In addition, the demand for comfort has also increased, which resulted in increased use of air conditioning.
With so much demand for electricity and amid the water crisis, we see an increase in energy tariffs every year, which results in more expensive electricity bills for consumers.
And now, what can be done to save energy?
Below we list some measures to help:
Step 1: Identify your building's consumption profile
Knowing is the first step to reducing! It is necessary to make a evaluation of your building to find out which are the biggest energy-consuming systems and equipment and how much this represents in terms of costs throughout the year. Having individual energy meters makes the process easier.
In homes, for example, the consumption of showers, refrigerators, and, recently, air conditioning, is quite significant. In commercial buildings, the air conditioning and lighting represent more than half of the building's consumption.
There are also free tools that can make the process easier, such as consumption simulator offered on the LIGHT website and the SEBRAE self-assessment tool. There is also a platform that offers energy diagnostics services for small and medium-sized properties, free of charge, and already suggests some energy efficiency measures with simplified calculations of investment costs, savings and payback.
If the building is new, the buyer or tenant needs to check What is the level of energy efficiency of the building?, and whether it has any sustainable construction certification or labeling, such as PBE Edifica, AQUA, LEED or others. This information is usually included in the owner's manual.
This way, it is possible to know whether the building was designed to be efficient. If the building has not been assessed, simply request an assessment to verify compliance with performance methodologies, such as PBE edifica. To obtain this label, it is necessary to hire an accredited company. For more information, click here!
2nd step: Energy management
Every building needs to have a person responsible for monitoring energy consumption. Someone who knows the building systems and take care of the day to day operation. Among his duties, the manager must organize the invoices, monthly, in spreadsheets and check whether they match the meter readings.
Other important tips:
- Identify consumption anomalies;
- Check and request equipment maintenance;
- Ensure that electrical panels are always safe and well identified;
- Establish procedures and schedules for the use of equipment and shared spaces.
3rd step: Changing habits
There is no denying it: It is people who consume energy! Therefore, good habits and customs need to be encouraged. There is no way to have an efficient building without the support of users. Therefore, it is very important to carry out awareness campaigns that encourage the reduction of operating hours and/or power used.
Here are some examples:
- Do not leave the lights on 24 hours a day in parking lots, since, depending on the type of building, it is possible to take advantage of natural lighting during the day, avoiding unnecessary consumption.
- Do not leave the sauna on when it is unoccupied.
- Only run the pool pump for the time necessary to filter the volume of water.
- Try to keep the air conditioning at temperatures between 22 and 24ºC.
- Turn off the lights and do not leave equipment on, such as computers and air conditioning, after leaving the room.
Step 4: Purchasing efficient equipment
Nowadays, many electrical equipment already have the Inmetro label, whichwhich indicates its level of efficiency, classified from A to E. It is very important to acquire equipment Inmetro level A, with the Procel Seal. This is a guarantee that the equipment performs well and consumes less energy.
To check the energy rating and consumption of the most varied products on the market, Click here.
Step 5: Establish plans and set goals (benchmarking)
How can you know if your building is consuming more or less than it should?
Simple: there is already an online platform that has a building consumption database that compares the energy consumption of your building with that of other buildings of similar use in the market – this is called operational energy benchmarking. Click here and find out what your building’s consumption level is!
Benchmarks are currently available for bank branches and commercial buildings, and will soon be launched for public buildings and other types. In the residential sector, there are also interesting works of collection of data that can be consulted like that of Secovi-SP.
Through the benchmarking result, it is possible to know what the consumption level considered would be “good practice” or “efficient” and set performance goals for the coming years.
As we have seen, there are several ways to save energy, often at zero or low cost. It is necessary evaluate each case to define the building's potential savings. For all these steps, in more complex buildings, it is also possible to hire a specialist to perform the service, called energy diagnosis and energy management.
So, you already know! Follow these steps and reduce your building's energy consumption! 🙂
(*) Post originally published on Green Condominiums Blog.
