The Ecocasa Program supports the construction of 27,000 efficient homes that will help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in Mexico, while improving the quality of life of the low-income families who live in these houses. The program also provides financial incentives and technical assistance to housing developers to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency, and thus contribute to transform the housing sector in line with the country’s objectives on climate change.
The ecocasas incorporate technologies that reduce greenhouse gases emissions by at least 20 per cent compared to conventional homes. These technologies include insulation in ceilings and walls, the use of reflective paint, efficient gas heaters, efficient refrigerators or energy-saving windows. The activity intends to reduce about one million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the first seven years.
The EcoCasa Progam won the Ashden Award for Sustainable Buildings and was features as a winner case study.
The challenge: Mexico has a significant housing shortage with an estimated deficit of 9.6 million homes. Many of these are needed by families on low incomes. The urgent need for new housing could be the chance to improve energy efficiency in the housing sector, bringing lower bills and CO2 reductions. However, neither housing developers with tight margins nor purchasers with low incomes can cover the extra cost of energy efficiency measures.
The EcoCasa approach: EcoCasa is a partnership between the Mexican National housing bank, SHF, and international banks IDB and KfW. The programme provides low-interest construction loans to developers to build ‘EcoCasas’ – affordable new homes that cut CO2 emissions by at least 20% – without passing on extra costs to purchasers. Developers may cut CO2 emissions in whatever way they chose, but are encouraged to focus on the building fabric, for example through insulation and shading. SHF supports them with guidance and training, and uses an energy model to check that sufficient CO2 savings will be achieved. After a loan has been awarded, SHF regularly checks the construction progress, to ensure that efficiency measures are used correctly.
Already nearly 9,000 families are enjoying the benefits of EcoCasas, with greater thermal comfort as well as around US$200/year saving on energy bills . The energy model estimates that these homes save in total around 7,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, or at least 280,000 tonnes of CO2 over their lifetime, a significant contribution to Mexico’s commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions . Detailed monitoring will soon provide more insight into the benefits achieved.
Why they won: The 2015 Ashden Award to EcoCasa recognises how the partnership is not just providing new homes that are sustainable as well as affordable, but is also transforming the whole construction sector through its support to housing developers. The approach has great potential for replication.
Sources
UN and Climate Change. Ecocasa low-carbon housing in Mexico. 2014
Savings Narrative:
EcoCasas that have been contracted to date save about 0.8 tonnes/year CO2 on average, according to the energy model. This is equivalent to 7,000 tonnes/year CO2 saving for the EcoCasas built to date. With an expected lifetime of 40 years or more, they should provide a total saving of at least 280,000 tonnes CO2. This makes an important contribution to Mexico’s commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.