Colombia. In Colombia there is the initiative "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Construction", which seeks to combat climate change and improve the quality of life from the sector.
Melting glaciers, poles and snow-capped mountains around the world are part of the alerts that the planet is giving to seek solutions to global warming. Global initiatives such as COP 21 in Paris or the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Construction" in Colombia, seek alternatives that safeguard the environment and contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
Regarding the importance of this type of projects for the planet, Daniela Rendón Ortega, Ecobuilding Manager and Construction Segment Andean Cluster of Schneider Electric, leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, commented: "Sustainable construction seeks to minimize the environmental impacts caused by constructions and add value to the quality of life, at the same time providing comfort to individuals and communities."
The expert indicated that in the country there are many challenges to work in this area, "Progress must be made in reducing and optimizing the consumption of materials and energy, reducing the generation of waste, preserving the natural environment and improving the quality of the built environment. On the other hand, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Housing, are supporting the issue of Sustainable Constructions and Infrastructure to fulfill the commitment assumed by Colombia to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030, important challenges to meet. "
How do you know if a building meets the requirements to be considered sustainable? There are organizations -national and international- that certify if the structure is sustainable, through specific sustainability criteria and verifying its application. The most relevant certification internationally is provided by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which is headquartered in the United States and analyzes how sustainable and efficient buildings are.
In addition, Colombia has a national guide to sustainable construction that initially covers the areas of energy efficiency and water consumption in buildings. The guidance should be reviewed periodically, expanded and amended in terms of its scope in order to develop a holistic approach to environmental sustainability.
The "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Construction" initiative, led by the Colombian Council for Sustainable Construction (CCCS), aims to promote the active participation of companies, academia and the community in a low-carbon development strategy in the construction sector, in order to define concrete actions to make the emission reduction goals promised and established in the COP21 Paris Agreement a reality.
Plans include strategies such as the U.S. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for Colombia, the Casa Referential and the CCCS Urban Development Guidelines Protocol (Plus), and the regulation of tax benefits for sustainable projects and buildings.
Good energy management
To achieve efficient and sustainable constructions, energy must be well managed, and in that Schneider Electric has been developing solutions. One of its actions is the training program for channels, designers and end users called EcoXperts Program, which has a training center in energy efficiency solutions, building automation, lighting control and energy quality to promote and increase the number of leaders who transmit information and be applied in different projects in this area.
Another of the tasks that have been applied is to supply 'Estate of the Art' technologies to materialize projects with high technological standards that are not obsolete over time and allow greater versatility. On the other hand, actions have been articulated to work with governments and organizations in the region and the energy sector to improve energy regulations and regulations.
Energy efficiency
The reduction of energy consumption is a very relevant aspect in a sustainable building, since it is proven that just by measuring and giving consumption information to users, they can take actions and be more rational with the use of energy; In addition, they will be able to analyze it to observe days and hours in which the highest consumption occurs and know the reason for it, they will also be able to identify the critical consumption systems to make improvements in the systems.
Panorama in Colombia
As of November 2016, Colombia had 6.1 million square meters of sustainable projects that have mobilized $23 billion pesos in investments in buildings, which are at different levels of certification.
"The success of LEED in Colombia is due to several factors. On the one hand, the sustainable construction movement in the country has benefited from the work of visionary leaders who have implemented sustainability principles into their business practices." On the other hand, the LEED construction and design guide has positioned itself as a vital tool that allows compliance with mandatory regulations from 2016, such as Resolution 549/15 of the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory, and also materialize real estate projects with minimum additional costs and high levels of energy efficiency and optimal periods of return on investment. " concluded Daniela Rendón.
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