Month: January 2019

The greenhouse effect caused by the emission of gases, is a factor that significantly influences the climate change of the planet and thus the formation of “black holes” in the ozone layer that allow the passage of greater amount of ultraviolet rays (UV), causing problems in the body such as skin cancer and the damage of many materials that degrade by the effects of solar radiation and even more so, if we add chemical agents that cause corrosion in the materials.

The need to protect roofs and walls in industrial buildings, houses, garages, service yards, etc., has made it necessary to develop products of PVC and polycarbonates (PC) of second generation to withstand even the onslaughts of the nature like Hurricanes, hails and fire claims.

The products of “second generation” are called thus because their composition has been improved so that they are not affected by the ultraviolet rays (UV) providing an economic benefit thanks to their physical, mechanical and thermal properties.

They are designed to have a better thermal comfort and with this achieve electric energy savings by air conditioning, since these films do not absorb the solar rays, but what is done is that they reflect that heat in addition to assuring their resistance to the winds , Hurricanes and hails.

The advantage over traditional metal sheets is that, by very good coating or paint, ends rotting away, besides being very hot.

Compared to the fiberglass sheets, these are degraded by the action of UV rays, in less than a year they begin to yellow and surface the fiberglass as a sign that they already lost their properties, besides being highly flammable.
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It prevents thermal inversion, which means that in greenhouses there is always an internal temperature higher than that given outside.

The project was created via Verde with a main objective: “to convert from grey to green the city of Mexico” through the construction of vertical gardens in the columns along the peripheral. These more than 40.000 m2 Green have been a focus for countless videos in local and international media, where they emphasize the change in the priorities of the city.

There is a fear of some that with this kind of proambiental actions is limited the space in the city that is dedicated to automobiles. However, there are activist groups who argue that government support for Greenway indicates its willingness to double the car culture in a city suffocated by traffic and smog. Although some believe that the “greening” of the track is simply to make the possession of a car slightly “less culpable.”

“In Mexico City, almost all of our local pollution and mobility problems can be attributed to the excessive use of private cars,” says Sergio Andrade-Ochoa, public health coordinator for the NGO Pedestrian League. “We could simply plant trees, but there is a political fear of limiting the space in the city that is currently dedicated to cars.”

The idea of Greenway arose in 2016, when the architect Fernando Ortiz Monasterio, of the green Vertical firm, who initiated a petition through the portal of Change.org to evaluate public support. The petition described the project’s specific objectives, where it promises to: “produce enough oxygen for more than 25.000 residents, filter more than 27.000 tons of harmful gas each year, capture more than 5.000 kg of dust and process more than 10.000 kg of heavy metals “.

He also assured the project’s minimal impact: “Vertical garden technology does not jeopardize the structural integrity of a wall, while drip irrigation uses rainwater and other non-potable sources.” Actor Luis Gerardo Méndez helped spread the petition and quickly accumulated the 80.000 signatures needed to attract the attention of the Government. Greenway was approved.

“All these groups participated in this citizen proposal because it looked like something that would do well for Mexico City,” said the former head of the Government of Mexico City, Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa, in 2016. “Greenway could simultaneously change the appearance of the city and help meet today’s greatest commitment: the fight against climate change.”

As for financing, it was also based on public opinion. The organizers conducted a survey with several financing options: Government financing through taxes, citizen financing through donations to a public trust or private financing through corporations (with condition that 10% of the columns would be used for corporate advertising. The idea of private financing won, with almost 47% of the 2,440 votes. Subsequently, a group of corporations invested the 300 million pesos needed.

The green construction on the 1.038 columns of concrete began later in 2016 and, until now, the plants have prospered.

We must remember that improving air quality and combating climate change is not the same. While plants are crucial to combating climate change, using plants to mitigate air pollution through the phytoremediation process (converting carbon into oxygen) is somewhat more complex and the level of pollution every day requires Parallel actions in favor of this objective.

The ceilings of Hope Project, began on August 18 in the Community Altos de Las Torres, in the district of San Miguelito, Panama, to transform the life of 606 Panamanian families who for years have inhabited homes in precarious conditions, this sector being one of The most vulnerable in that community. In addition, this program has been a growing source of jobs for staff from the community itself.

Dignified housing for a better quality of life through actions of:

• Reconstruction: In homes that have ground floor, improvised walls and ceilings of wood and old zinc. They will be built a basic unit of 40.8 square meters, 2 bedrooms, dining room kitchen, toilet with septic tank (septic biodigestor).

• Repair: In houses that have ceilings in poor condition, unflattened walls, no internal divisions, ground floor. They will be repaired with zinc roof, flattened walls, divisions, paint and toilet with septic tank.

The improvements also contemplate the adaptations to the access roads to the sector such as sidewalks, streets and drainage. The beneficiaries were evaluated through a census that made the MIVIOT to families in areas of risk by landslide, flooding and some with possibility of relocation.

This social initiative is planned to be executed in 5 years, and with this one seeks to give a comprehensive housing response to 20000 families throughout Panama.

In Mexico 6 million of families with income less than 5 minimum wages are a potential market; The shortage of homes for low-income people represents a niche business.

The deficit of up to six million houses for the population of the so-called Pyramid base – made up of households with lower income than five minimum wages – has aroused the interest of housing developers who are betting on self-construction as Business model, they assured specialists.

The total deficit of Mexican households amounts to nine million families, of which three million can be served by government institutions such as the Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers (INFONAVIT) or the Housing Fund of Institute of Security and Social services of state workers (Fovissste), while for the remaining six million have begun to create alternatives.

65% of the homes built in Mexico are the product of the work of the residents themselves, according to studies of organisms released this week in the country. According to private consultancy Softec, of the million units built in the country a year, only 350,000 correspond to construction works.

According to the consultancy, this fact makes that most of the residential constructions in Mexico do not comply with legal, territorial and technical requirements. Which opens up a series of legal and security risks for its residents.

To heal this problem, social organizations such as Habitat for Humanity provide advice to what is called in Mexico self-construction of homes, so as to reduce the dangers by a poorly built structure.

The self-construction averages at 62 square meters of built area, while construction firms specializing in housing produce units with an average of 39 square meters.

The manufacturer of cement Holcim says that the total of 33 million tons of cement sold per year in Mexico, between 10 and 11 million are destined to the construction works.

PROPERTIES OF BUILDING MATERIALS
Stone materials:
The most common are limestones, marble, granite, slate and aggregates. It is true that the properties of the stone construction materials can be several, however they share some common as the impermeability in most cases, varied coloration and a great hardness. In the case of the arids their characteristics make them special to support the construction.
Ceramics and glass:
Tiles, tiles, bricks, earthenware or tiles are the main ceramics that are used in construction. It is true that the prices of construction materials of this type can be decisive, however we also have to attend to features such as hardness, corrosion resistance, transparency, compression and bending, all especially Present in ceramics and glass, which makes them suitable for outdoor materials.
Metallic materials:
Aluminums, steels and irons. These materials are not only used as auxiliaries during the construction, as in the case of scaffoldings, many parts of the construction are installed with irons as the slab that serves as a base. Its hardness and general resistance allows the metal to be used as part of the structure.
Composed materials:
Mortars, Concretes, tars and aggregates are the main components of the composite group. The forging capacity makes them work as binders, and can be used for the manufacture of beams, pillars or coatings. These materials are fire resistant, waterproof in most cases and elastic, which not only provides hardness but also resistance to different agents that are often harmful to other materials.
Binder Materials:
These are plasters and cements in general, materials used for constructions around the world as they are able to unite and fix other materials. They forge very fast and harden when mixed with the water, in addition its finish is perfect for any type of construction.

These are the main properties of the most used building materials, the reason why they are used both indoor and outdoor throughout the world. The choice of building materials depends essentially on their suitability, local availability and the amount of money they are willing to invest.

Through the Directorate of Urban Development and ecology, the citizens are invited to carry out the use of various thermal insulators in their homes, thanks to the potential of improvement in energy efficiency and the saving of electrical energy that can suppose the use of these Isolates up to 60 percent less.

Among the recommended materials is cellulose, ecological insulator that elaborates with recycled newsprint that conserves the heat and isolates the sound, the mineral wool, also known rock wool is used as insulator and passive protection against the fire, They also recommend the use of expanded polystyrene, which has great resistance to compression, is light and has good thermal protection.

Products of PVC and polycarbonates (PC) of second generation because of their composition are not affected by the UV rays providing an economic benefit thanks to its physical, mechanical and thermal properties. They are designed to have a better thermal comfort and with this achieve savings of electric energy by heating. The advantage over traditional metal sheets is that, by very good coating or paint, ends rotting away, besides being very hot.

Compared to the fiberglass sheets, these are degraded by the action of UV rays, in less than a year they begin to yellow and surface the fiberglass as a sign that they already lost their properties, besides being highly flammable.

It prevents thermal inversion, which means that in greenhouses there is always an internal temperature higher than that given outside.

Its high surface area index in relation to its weight, it traps air between blocks and that allows it to have low thermal conductivity, they get more efficiency than other materials, its use is very widespread in the construction as thermal insulating, acoustic and filling to streamline the conditioning system.

The implementation of some of the above-mentioned materials in households not only implies energy savings, but also economic savings, inner comfort and contributes to the reduction of 30% of carbon dioxide emissions in households.

For the 2019, new trends are expected, not only in design, but in the application of technology that will continue to test the sector’s entrepreneurs. Among these are:
3D printing and use of Drones
When 3d printing technology was born it was only used to make basic plastic models, but now you can even build concrete houses as it happens in China.

This is why it is natural for construction managers to explore more and more different options that allow them to gain more profits. The same goes for the drones that were considered toys, but now they allow to inspect remote areas and construction projects that have spaces that are difficult to examine on foot because of their size or accessibility
Modular and prefabricated structures
Prefabrication at this time is no longer limited to the creation of cheap and badly constructed designs. The best architects are getting involved in these trends and are using them to create something similar to 3d printing.

Modular and prefabricated structures can help build managers expand their profit margins with innovative ways that reduce construction costs and times.
Green Projects
A study by the Green Construction Council of the United States affirmed that the ecological construction is surpassing the growth figure so they predict that by the 2019 the green construction would exceed the more than $300 billion of 2018 Dollars.
Virtual Reality and Apps for security
Is launching in the world a series of technology with innovative concepts that seeks to mitigate the safety risks of workers in the work, as this sector remains a very dangerous industry for employees.

Virtual reality simulators can help workers get a full training of what they need in a safe environment before using dangerous heavy equipment. There are even software options as an auditor that is dedicated to inspecting the site and providing security audits or FallSafety Pro that detects falls and sends alerts to emergency contacts.
Software for the administration and management of the work
Software development companies have been placed on the sidelines to make new programs and applications that help to meet the needs of construction managers to improve their operation and optimize their resources.

If you have not yet implemented any of these technologies and trends, we remind you that you have all of the 2019 to start doing it and be at the forefront of the world. Staying behind can mean a setback in your growth curve.

1. Energy storage.
Energy storage plays an important role in the balance between supply and demand for energy, and is key to addressing the intermittent problems of renewable energies. Matching a storage system with a renewable energy source ensures a smooth and steady supply of power, even when weather conditions are not optimal for power generation.

The batteries are the most common storage devices used in renewable energy systems and their use is increasing both on the residential scale and the entire network. Energy storage technologies are expected to continue to improve, making their use more viable and affordable.

It is projected that storage will represent a central component of all new energy technologies moving into the future, as utility-scale energy storage solutions become more competitive in At prices, eroding the advantages of traditional energy sources.

On the Caribbean island of Barbados, old electric car batteries are being reused to provide network energy storage and extend their useful life.
2. Micropanels and Artificial intelligence
Micro panels are local energy panels or grids that can operate independently or while connected to a larger traditional panel. They provide energy independence, efficiency and protection during emergencies. The use of automatic artificial intelligence (AI) learning capabilities with Micro panel controllers allows for continuous adaptation and improvement of the operation.

From California to the Pacific Islands, Micro nets are taking center stage. Palau is an insular nation of the Pacific and the thirteenth smallest country in the world, but is committed to building what would be the world’s largest microgrid-35mw of solar panels paired with 45 megawatt-hours of energy storage. This effort is part of the transition nation’s goal to 70 percent renewable energy for 2050, recognizing that the islands are at the forefront of experiencing the effects of climate change and stand out as Earth Zero for energy transition Global.
3. Energía Blockchain e IoT (Internet of Things) 
Originally developed to register Criptomonedas transactions, blockchain technology is being adapted for use in the energy market.

Blockchain is an incorruptible digital accounting book that carries out and registers transactions through a peer-to-peer network. The lack of centralization in blockchain leaves it as ideal to eliminate the intermediaries of the suppliers of electricity. It reduces energy inequality and inefficiency and empowers consumers to buy and sell energy from other consumers directly.

Linking Blockchain’s distributed accounting technology with the everyday devices we use to receive and transmit information, now commonly referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), means having a profound impact on systems Energy. With the right applications, devices can buy and sell energy autonomously at optimal times, optimize power-system configuration in a real-time context, and monitor and analyze the performance of devices that consume energy.

These technologies are beginning to be used for innovative projects, such as the Brooklyn microgrid. The project involves a community-driven microgrid whose owners buy and sell energy to each other through blockchain technology. The success of projects like this ensures that they will be implemented on a broader scale
4. Panel parity and drop costs 
Grid parity occurs when an alternative energy can generate energy at a cost and performance level equal to or less than the electricity generated from conventional methods. Solar and wind power have reached parity in both price and performance in many regions, and new technologies continue to hone their competitive edge.

The traditional model of large, downstream and centrally distributed energy production is being replaced by modular, consumer-driven and evenly distributed power generation. Once it was thought to be difficult to integrate into the network, renewable energies are now serving to strengthen the reliability and resilience of the network. The use of blockchain, IA and other automation technologies make renewable energies self-optimizing and increasing their efficiency.

Solar and wind energy are already more efficient and profitable than conventional sources, and evolving technologies will continue to improve their price and performance. By combining the economic benefits with a low environmental impact, we can expect renewable energies to move from being an acceptable energy source to a preferred one.
5. Large commitments of Social responsibility 
An increasing number of corporations, cities and countries are adopting emission reduction targets and climate action plans to meet the goal of limiting the temperature rise World.

To date, more than 100 cities around the World report that at least 70 percent of their energy production is renewable, and more than 40 are currently operating at 100 percent of renewable electricity. Hundreds more have pledged to work towards the goal of energy generation which is 100 percent based on renewable energies. Recognizing its impact on climate change, 158 companies have also committed to the transition to 100 percent of renewable energies.

Many of these corporations and municipalities were inspired to make these commitments after the Paris Agreement 2015. With the new information provided by the IPCC report 2018, we can expect to see an increase in bold commitments to change fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
6. Advances in access to energy in developing countries
By talking about new exciting innovations in energy technology, it can be easy to forget that a significant percentage of the world’s population remains without access to energy at all. One billion people live without electricity and hundreds of millions have unreliable energy sources or costly prohibitively.

Achieving universal access to energy is a key component in addressing the challenges of global development. The changes that occur in the energy market offer a solution to the problem of access to energy. Community Micronets could represent the most profitable way to offer affordable and reliable power to those currently living without it. Clean, modular, and renewable energy systems are ideal for many of the communities that have not been able to benefit from the conventional centralized forms of energy generation and delivery.

While politics often gets in the way of progress, new energy technologies and commitments by international groups such as the World Bank and the United Nations establish a basis for providing energy access to developing countries. With its increasing cost and performance metrics, we can expect to see that renewable energies are increasingly deployed to provide energy to communities and regions that have been in the dark for a long time.
Source: FORBES