Modelling Energy Efficient and Climate Resilient Buildings - Ecuador

Modelling Energy Efficient and Climate Resilient Buildings in Ecuador is raising awareness about the need for energy efficient buildings. This activity is focusing on developing strategies for resilient buildings by gathering all relevant information about the best materials to be used in a specific context after considering weather variables.

Fast facts:

This activity modeled a prototype called “City of Knowledge: Yachay” which provided valuable information to validate the results obtained;
A mix of the virtual model with a physical model will develop the ideal energy efficient building model.

The problem

The residential sector is one of the largest energy consuming sectors in Ecuador. Weather variability, aggravated by climate change, also affects the efficiency and resilience of city infrastructure.

The solution

This activity provides guidelines for efficient buildings that will reduce energy consumption and reduce CO2 emissions generated by the residential sector. Currently, this activity is focusing its efforts on gathering information and determining the strategies that will lead to emissions reductions. A specific software will then be used as the platform that integrates all relevant information about emissions reductions and then will provide results that are the basis for the strategies and recommendations to be given.

Helping the planet

This activity will help the residential sector reduce greenhouse gas emissions via energy efficient building technologies.

Helping people

The main beneficiaries of this activity are Yachay University and the municipality of Urcuquí where the strategies and recommendations provided through the ICT solution will be applied.

Scaling Up

This ICT solution can be used in different contexts. The know-how and capacities to adapt the tool will be in place and only political will, along with enough resources for research, will be needed to scale up the activity and generate inputs for policy making that will involve other cities in the country, with the resulting increase in the impact related to energy efficiency and climate change mitigation and adaptation.