The main objective of #YCL2019Immersion was to create an experience where young people could learn climate change in theory, understand it in practice, and work on hands-on projects to start their careers in this field. Therefore, the participants' main assignment to be delivered in the journey was to develop a project that consisted of a solution to be implemented to improve our cities.
Hereby we are proud to present the projects developed during the immersion - they are 4 main projects focused on 4 sub-themes related to Sustainable Cities: urban mobility, energy, food & agriculture, and urban planning. On this post, you will find the details related to the Energy project.
We thank all the experts for their inputs and recommendations to make sure that the projects were meaningful and had great potential of being implemented after the journey. Additionally, thank you ICLEI Jury for helping our participants with your critics and suggestions. All our participants left this journey eager to make them to the next level.
Authors
Anna Klaffschenkel, Daniel Kim, Flávia Perucci, Karima El Azhary, and Sara Nyberg
The Problem
Tenants (user) living in apartment buildings who care about climate change and would like to produce their own electricity need a way to produce renewable electricity for their apartment in combination with measures to increase energy efficiency Because (insight) they are not allowed to make changes to the buildings envelope. Some tenants want to produce electricity themselves/ want to make sure more renewable electricity capacity is built, but they live in an apartment building and therefore cannot make changes on the building envelope.
Many studies delved into the feasibility of implementing energy efficiency measures and renewable energy systems in apartment buildings. Although the information is publically available, it may not be enough for tenants to persuade landlords to make their apartment buildings more environmentally-friendly. The background of the need of renewable electricity production and increased energy efficiency is that the buildings and construction sector represent the largest share (40% in 2017) of total global energy-related CO2 emissions. In addition, buildings construction and operations accounted for 36% of global final energy use in 2017. (Global Status Report 2018 by UN environment). According to Dodge Data & Analytics in 2018, 77% of the respondents want green buildings to curb greenhouse emissions. Furthermore, the report “indicates an increase in the percentage of industry respondents who expect to do the majority (more than 60%) of their projects green – jumping from 27% in 2018 to almost half (47%) by 2021.” (World Green Building Council).
Indifference to private house owners, they cannot install e.g. solar panels on the roof themselves since the building is owned by the landlord. Therefore, they need help/ support to convince the landowner to install renewable energy (and make energy efficiency measures). In addition, tenants pay a lot of money (depending on the country...) for their energy consumption, but they can’t do so much to reduce their energy consumption with the building envelope. This can only the landlord do - but it is not the landlord who “suffers” from the high energy costs, so the landlord doesn’t have any incentive to make energy efficiency measures.
The Solution proposed
The Green Building Guide - a Communication Toolkit is for tenants to convince their landlords to increase energy efficiency and implement renewable energy solutions, therefore it will be possible to reduce the GHG emissions associated with the energy consumption in buildings. The Communication Toolkit takes form of a brochure and a website. Data shows an increase of people worldwide demanding for energy efficient apartments. Therefore, this guide will assist tenants with helpful advice on how they can convince their landlords that green buildings are the way to go.
We are going to provide technical information regarding the reduction of energy consumption and the generation of renewable energy in an apartment building. The tenants (users) are already concerned about climate change. Through the brochure, they will have the information to produce their own renewable electricity and have access to more energy-efficient alternatives. Furthermore, the brochure contains arguments and advise which support the tenant in communicating with the landlord. Through the implementation of some of the measures, the building will also be more attractive for other tenants (benefit for the landlord). Through increasing the demand for solar cells, there will be more job opportunities for the installers of renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions.
Impact
If the tenants can convince the landlord to install renewable electricity production and implement energy efficiency measures, energy costs will be reduced and emissions from electricity consumption will decrease. It will also be attractive for new tenants to move in to an energy efficient apartment with renewable electricity. For both the landlord and the tenants it will be an advantage since the value of the building increases. Through a project of improving energy sustainability and performance, the tenants are brought together, and possibly tenants with other stakeholders, which contributes to SDG 17 about partnerships.
On a broader level, there will be more job opportunities for the installers of renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. In addition, reducing carbon emissions contributes to decreasing the negative effects of global warming, which causes large negative impacts on society. Furthermore, if waste is used as insulation material, it reduces resource inefficiency (so the society has to take care of less waste).
Prototyping
The group developed a website to present their idea of how the final product would look like - you can access it on this link.
Check the Energy pitch & solution canvas HERE.
Check also the remaining Group projects developed in YCL2019Immersion:
URBAN MOBILITY: A browser extension that can be incorporated into current route planning software (i.e.: Google Maps) to improve its suggestions with new and improved parameters. hOw2gO supports and encourages behavioral changes towards alternative modes of transport by including new parameters and improving existing ones (by Felipe Sá, Gereon Fju Mewes, Gerald Imo, Luciana Brandão, and Sibu Szymanowska)
FOOD & AGRICULTURE: A proposed program that enables the children to impart knowledge about food production through methodologies like the gamification of the farming process as well as real-life experience. We aim to mitigate climate change by spreading awareness among future generations and within their social environment. (by Ana Carolina Corrêa, Flávia Christo, Manoj Kumar, Rachel Shi, and Silmarie Crespo-Vélez)
URBAN PLANNING: A training program in solar panel installation for environmental migrants in the city, that would give them formal employment, at the same time contribute to a more sustainable society with fewer carbon emissions (By Anna Yuruyeva, Ana Carsalarde, Daniel Patrick Howard, Evelyn Salas and Zara Amer)
