Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Building boom in Brazil needs a Green Plan

Sao Paulo is one of the mega-cities which are becoming the world’s dominant economic force. The São Paulo Metropolitan Region actually consists of 39 cities, with São Paulo (and about 11 million people) at its heart. Greater Sao Paulo has experienced intense growth in the last few decades. The building industry is trying to catch up with a doubling of the population between 1967 and 2002.

This growth implies more and more energy. Brazil got an energy “wake-up call“back in 2001 when a black-out paralyzed the southern part of the country. They quickly cut energy demand by about a quarter but the drive to save energy is fading. If steps are not taken they might face a second “wake-up call” in a few years time. The Brazilian footprint is increasing rapidly. Brazil will need more energy but without an elaborated policy of “controlled energy growth" , there is a risk that Brazil moves away from its sustainable hydro electricity production towards considering fossil (carbon) derived energy sources to support their rapid expansion - they might go from good to worse!

The EEB project went to Brazil for our fourth Outreach event, in Rio de Janeiro on April 3. This follows events in Beijing, Brussels and New Delhi, where we have shared our findings, enjoyed a dialogue with stakeholders and learned more about the building market in each country.

EEB in San Francisco

As guest blogger for this entry, I'm pleased to share thoughts on the EEB's recent workshop at Lawrence Berkeley Labs (LBL) in Berkeley, California. But first, a bit of background.

Berkeley is not just a beautiful place (east of San Francisco on the outskirts of Oakland) – the brain power of Lawrence Berkeley Labs has helped California's policy-makers develop some of the most aggressive and leading-edge energy policies in the US, if not in the world.

Our direct contact there, Steve Selkowitz, heads up the Building Technologies Group at the Labs and has been quite involved with EEB since its inception. Christian and I met Steve at the 2006 ACEEE Summer Session in Monterey, and knew we had found an exceptional resource. On the subject of buildings and energy efficiency, Steve is probably one of the most knowledgeable people around. If he doesn't have direct knowledge, I will guarantee he knows someone who does. Steve and his team at LBL are leading experts on the subjects of building energy use, modeling, human behavior, policy options, systems and controls, and much more.