A new invention is coming to the construction market. Buildings could become eligible for self-consumption after this. This is great news for the Spaniards who, in 2023, showed a great interest in self-sufficiency, as we explain in this article. When you find out what we’re talking about this time, you won’t believe it!
New buildings use different techniques to insulate heat and combat cold. However, there are a large number of old properties that are still habitable and do not have them. Thanks to the advance of telecommunications, it is easy to learn about the measures being implemented in other countries to address this problem.
For example, several alternatives have come from Berlin for the rapid rehabilitation of buildings and the reduction of electricity consumption by 90%. The European Union determines that homes are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions. They aim to reduce this expenditure by renovating 16% of the worst-performing buildings by 2030.
However, the idea of demolishing old buildings and constructing new, more efficient ones involves astronomical costs, but not all is lost. The proposal of Ecoobras, a Berlin-based initiative, has appeared promising to accelerate the rehabilitation of constructions.
Ecoworks claims to have the ideal solution to bring self-consumption to buildings. How will they achieve this? With a custom-made prefabricated cover and solar energy to supply the new heating system. Their way of working seeks to reduce energy demand by 85 to 90% by installing this second skin in four different initiatives in a few weeks.
The result after each work is a reduction in the energy expenditure of the houses. If a home consumed 292 kWh/m2 per year before the process, implementing this form of self-sufficiency will reduce it to 22 kWh/m2 per year.
The process to achieve self-consumption in buildings involves several steps in which cutting-edge technology is latent. The company starts by designing new covers with the desired style change for the building (using a 3D scan of the entire complex for this). The purpose is to create a digital twin of the building on which the renovation work will be carried out.
With the design completed, the pieces are manufactured. The prefabricated second skin includes windows, ventilation, heating, and hot water pipes. With the automation of much of the process by robots, the waiting time is minimal.
The installation also takes little time. According to their CEO, Emmanuel Heisenberg, it only takes 20 minutes to install a panel on the facade. The materials used to make these panels are cellulose and wood. 80% of the work is done in factories, a step prior to installation.
In this way, the renovation does not directly impact the lives of the users. Within two or three weeks, they see their new home finished.
The company has carried out four projects so far, but their intention is to renovate up to 850 flats in the next year. We are facing an initiative that could forever retire traditional solar panels, a highly used resource to save money on the bill and care for the environment.
Ecoobras aims to expand self-consumption in buildings to other areas of Europe, such as Austria and Switzerland. When some thought that the growth of self-sufficiency was slowing down, this new project appears that could change everything. Instead of dying out, it could take on a new form.