The designer and builder of Northern Mindanao’s first green building shares its advocacy for energy efficiency at the 1st Mindanao Energy Efficiency Forum (MEEF) scheduled for 23 July 2013 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City.

Architect Romolo V. Nati, Chairman and CEO of Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation, will present “Energy Efficiency in the Real Estate Industry” as a ‘first mover’ designer and builder of Primavera Residences, a twin 10-story condominium at the Pueblo de Oro Business Park in Cagayan de Oro City.

“With Eco-Logic Architecture, the global warming and climate change compels us to move towards Energy Plus Buildings which are net producers, rather than net users of energy,” Arch. Nati said.

“Around 25-40 percent of total energy produced worldwide is consumed by buildings and their air conditioners,” he noted. “Buildings also produce seventy percent of the total volume of carbon dioxide in cities.”

Arch. Nati believes the real estate sector, particularly the architecture, engineering and energy sub-sectors can substantially contribute to the attainment of energy security in the country as demonstrated by the Italpinas experience in the Philippines.

“Italpinas is an Italian-Filipino joint venture which designs and develops innovative green buildings with unique energy features in efficiency and generation,” said Atty. Jose D. Leviste III, President. “By integrating renewable energy features with real estate through innovative architecture (passive green design to reduce energy consumption; active green designs with solar photovoltaic panels to generate its own energy; and power cost optimization to ensure maximum benefits to end users and investors).”

These unique value propositions have been amply demonstrated in the 10-storey twin tower P450-million Primavera Residences which features an inner courtyard to increase ventilation, solar panels and cross ventilation, and overhang shading to maximize shade from the building’s orientation to lessen aircon use.

“We aim to prove that architecture and urban planning can design sustainable cities only if they start from different and more responsible values,” Arch. Nati said. “A conscientious development is the main challenge of our generation, the only way to achieve a sustainable world.”

An Asian Development Bank (ADB) study (“Same Energy, More Power: Accelerating Energy Efficiency in Asia”) recently estimated the Philippines needs some $601 million worth of investments to address energy efficiency challenges.

ADB Energy Committee chairman Anthony Jude said that implementing proper policies that support private sector initiatives toward energy efficiency, as well as upgrading public buildings, improvements in street lighting, and enhancement of electricity meter devices can help ramp up much needed investment. Investments like these are equivalent to 1 to 2 percent of the total energy sector investments, and could meet as much as 25 percent of the projected increase in global energy consumption (with Asia’s share set to rise 56% in 2035 from 34% in 2010).

Organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the Energy Efficiency Forum aims to be an annual event to convene key decision makers and business leaders from the energy, commercial and industrial sectors; enlist top management commitment to implement energy efficiency programs at the enterprise level; build strategic alliances among business, government, international donor organizations, environmental organizations and other public interest groups in the Philippines; and set a common climate action agenda in reducing carbon footprint through energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is proving to be a key strategy for increasing business competitiveness not only in terms of improving the operational bottom line but also in terms of the added value created for the company as it promotes corporate social responsibility. Through energy efficient operations companies are able to reduce costs significantly, thus making companies more competitive.

Moreover, energy efficiency allows reduced use of energy resources thus eases the impact of operations on the planet (environment) and people.

With Mindanao unable to consistently secure its energy supply and attract sufficient investments in energy, the need for energy conservation and energy efficiency has become increasingly paramount.

Under the leadership of Arch. Nati, Italpinas has been cited three times internationally:

1. As one of the most promising clean energy investment opportunities in the Philippines by the Climate Technology Initiative- Private Financing Advisory Networks (CTI-PFAN) Asia Forum for Clean Energy Financing during the 2nd annual Philippines Clean Energy Investor Forum held in Manila in 2011 (for Primavera Residences);

2. As one of the Best Condo Developments in the Philippines by the South East Asia Property Awards in 2011 (for Primavera Residences);

3. And most recently, as one of the top 10 (among 41) and only entry from the Philippines qualified for the finals of the CTI PFAN Asia Forum for Clean Energy Financing (AFCEF-3) Business Plan Competition held February 22, 2013 in Singapore (for a new project).

Arch. Nati was also personally recognized with a “Special Energy Award” in the 2011 Design Against the Elements (DAtE) global architectural design competition, which aims to build the first green, livable, affordable, and disaster-resistant village in the Philippines that will serve as the blueprint for other communities threatened by climate change. Some 119 entries from 30 countries joined the competition.

The winning entry was inspired by the geometry of corals which the team transformed into manageable architectural shapes, through the use of Voronoi geometry .

Source: Business Week Mindanao (www.businessweekmindanao.com); News; 07 July 2013