Green Homes

Designing Energy-Efficient Homes for the Poor

Efficient, livable and affordablethese are the key elements in designing mass housing projects. The rising
urban population of Puerto Princesa has congested the citys bay, threatening the peoples quality of life and
coastal reserves. In light of shelter and ecological integrity, the city is relocating eight-hundred twenty-four
families from Puerto Princesas Bay.
The prototype is designed to reduce energy demand from a mix of energy uses. By using an average of 5
compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescent bulbs, the households will cut its energy bills by 64
percent. Moreover, energy demand will also be reduced by 30-40% due to the abundance of natural
illumination, enhanced ventilation, the cooling effect of the roofing material, and the growing of at least 1 fruit
tree per household.
Other green features include the installation of rainwater catchment facility to reduce the demand for water
pumping; prohibition of use of wood for the roof and floor framing, doors and door/window jambs, and stairs
to decrease the demand for wood-cutting; an appropriate disposal system for non-recyclables and non-
biodegradables, as well as a market for recyclable items to encourage waste sorting; and backyard
composts to reduce waste.
The cost per unit is P150,000 (US$3,333).
Estimated annual energy savings upon project completion: 121,414 kWh
Potential annual carbon savings: at least 72 tonnes
Potential annual financial savings: 1.9 M Php or US$35,106
Puerto Princesa is a multi-awarded and pioneer city for environmental initiatives in
the Philippines. It is the capital and chief seaport and airport of the Province of
Palawan, Philippines Last Frontier. An eco-tourism area that aims to be a model for
sustainable urban development, the city is comprised of 66 baranggays, 35 of which
are urban and 31 are rural. Urban dwellers account for 23% of the total population.
The major economic activities revolve around tourism, commerce and agriculture.
Location: 306 miles southwest of Manila
Land Area: 235.89 sq. km.
Population: 161,912 (as of 2000)
ICLEI Member since 2001
CCP Participant since 1999
LA 21 Participant in 1996-1998
PROFILE
PUERTO
PRINCESA
Local
Energy Efficiency
SEA-CCP Case Outline No. 5 | October 2004
Puerto Princesa was the first to join the CCP in
Southeast Asia, to adopt an emissions avoidance
goal, and to implement a large-scale measure.
Source: Puerto Princesa City, Philippines. This case outline was first drafted as part of ICLEIs report to USAID in 2001.
Fig. 1. A view from the inside.
Fig. 3. Baseline
and Forecasted
GHG Emissions
from the
Residential
Subsector in
1994 & 2010
Co-Benefits
Apart from providing efficient and livable homes for the
marginalized sector of the city, the relocation project also
promotes the ecological soundness of the citys coastline.
The enhanced building design will cut the households energy
bills by 64 percent. Anticipated annual energy savings from the
use of CFL instead of incandescent bulbs alone, is 21,414 kWh,
equivalent to US$35,106.
Challenges
As of October 2004, 270 units have been completed and
160 are undergoing construction. Completing the project
would involve a significant amount in light of cost-cutting
measures that the city is going through.
CO-BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES
22,922
54,027
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20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
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2010 1994
The process of environmental education should start from
our own homes, through our homes. To be aware that the
water and electricity we use everyday come from finite
sources is the essence of environmentalism. A home
therefore, that has little uses for these resources, is the
embodiment of true cohabitation with nature.
Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, Puerto Princesa City
Fig. 2. A view from the outside.
The Green Homes Design maximizes the use of
natural illumination and ventilation, thereby reducing
demand for energy.
Milestones 1 and 2: Inventories, Forecast and Avoidance/Reduction Goals
In 1999, Puerto Princesa joined the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign as one of the pilot cities in the Philippines. Since
then, the city has pledged to reduce its Carbon dioxide emissions by 10% annually against its forecast in 2010 (equivalent to 16,535
tonnes a year). Carbon offsets will come from the corporate and community sectors covering transport, energy, and urban forestry
initiatives. The citys baseline community emission is 60,320 tonnes of equivalent Carbon dioxide (eCO
2
) in 1994, and is projected to
release 155,715 tonnes eCO
2
in 2010. Bulk of the emissions come from energy use of buildings. Residential energy use accounts
for 38% of these emissions.
In 2003, Puerto Princesa City completed the Five CCP Milestones after it has successfully initiated and quantified a number of
measures, particularly in urban forestry, energy efficiency, and transport. As of May 2004, the city has estimated an annual emission
reduction of about 8,017 tons of eCO
2
. This contributes to 48% of its avoidance goal of 10% annually.
Milestone 3 and 4: Local Climate Action Plan Drafted and Implemented
Milestone 5: Measures Monitored and Quantified
35,106 72 Energy-efficient design for a 1000-unit mass housing project w/c features the
use of CFL instead of incandescent bulbs, among others
Green Homes
3,382,298 17 This policy was applied from 1998 to 2001 in the Central Business District,
prohibiting operations for ten (10) hours a week, from 8am to 6pm to reduce
traffic congestion, mitigate air pollution, and increase the income potentials of
drivers through less competition for passenger occupancy and demand. It
took five hundred (500) units off the road for one day every week.
One-Day Rest for
Tricycles
-- 7,800 The Feast of the Forest is an annual massive tree planting activity at Irawan
and Magarwak Watersheds that draws 25,000 participants each year.
Piyesta Y Ang Kagueban
5,301 44 Promotion of alternative mode of transport through bicycle, instead of
motorcycle, for police officers; implies non-use of fuel (54 units)
Cops on Bikes
405 4 Turning off of lights & airconditioning units during lunchbreak, thereby
reducing electricity consumption from 9hrs to 8.5 hrs in government-owned
buildings
Energy Efficiency of
Government Buildings
7,796 80 Streetlights Operation Reduction from 11.5 hrs to 10.5 hours Streetlights Management
Annual Cost
Savings (in
US$)
Anticipated
Annual
eCO
2
Reduction
(in tonnes)
Brief Description of the Measure Title of Measure
**Actual GHG Emissions in 1994 from the Industrial Sector is 258 tonnes, its percentage distribution became negligible due to large emissions from other sectors.
CCP MILESTONE OVERVIEW
Fig. 4 Puerto Princesa City
Community Baseline (1994) CO
2
Emissions
Commercial
5%
Industrial
0%
Transportation
57%
Residential
38%
Puerto Princesa has implemented a mix of measures that are estimated to save 3.4 million US$ annually.
About ICLEI:
ICLEILocal Governments for Sustainability (formerly
founded as the International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives in 1990) is a global association of
over 400 local governments and their associations. It
fosters local sustainable actions. The twin goals of these
actions are to enable efficient access to services while
protecting global common goods such as air, water and
climate. ICLEIs offices worldwide provide technical services
to local governments to meet these goals.
The Cities for Climate Protection
TM
Campaign was
launched in 1993. It has enlisted more than 600 local
governments worldwide. Campaign participants adopt
policies and implement measures that improve air quality,
cut public expenditures, improve access to services, and
enhance the quality of life of communities reducing
greenhouse gas emissions locally.
At present, ICLEI Southeast Asia covers the Philippines,
Indonesia and Thailand with support to undertake capacity-
building activities for the Cities for Climate Protection
TM
(CCP) Campaign. Support is provided by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), United
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Local
Energy Efficiency
Sectoral Initiative
ICLEIs
Local
Energy Efficiency Initiative enhances local energy
governance through the cities efforts to improve energy
efficiency. ICLEI enables CCP participants enact measures
through better building design and procurement policies as well
as through establishing sustainability management system.
ICLEIs Tools
ICLEI's tools respond to the evolving needs of ICLEI members.
These tools aid benchmarking and forecasting, planning,
decision-making and reporting. The tools allow local
governments to characterize the air quality benefits and
financial savings of energy efficiency projects. The tools also
enable local governments to quantify carbon savings and report
their contribution to climate protection.
ICLEI's Services
ICLEI provides technical services for policy planning, inter-local
government exchanges, training and workshop design and
management, and technology transfer. In addition, ICLEI
Energy Services (IES) conceptualizes project proposals and
develops feasibility studies for local governments that wish to
implement energy efficiency projects.
To Learn More About ICLEI
Visit our website at www.iclei.org.
To Learn More About the CCP Campaign
Visit our websites at www.iclei.org/co2; www.iclei.org/sea
or email: intlccp@iclei.org for the CCP International Office
in Berkeley, USA or ccp-southeastasia@iclei.org for CCP
Activities in Southeast Asia based in Manila, Philippines.
This case outline was put together by the country and regional
ICLEI staff, with valuable assistance from the city staff.
When used as reference or training supplement, kindly
acknowledge the source.
Local Governments should strive to
demonstrate excellence at all times in the
delivery of services to its residents and in
response to critical environmental and social
problems. The pursuit of energy efficiency
helps fulfill their political mandate and
yields many other societal benefits. Firstly,
saving energy on utility bills in buildings
means government is exercising prudent
management over publicly-owned assets.
Secondly, reducing energy use in buildings
has a direct impact on lowering fossil fuel
emissions which are harmful to our
environment.
---ICLEI
Some local energy efficiency initiatives in Southeast Asia:
Local Energy Efficiency Action Plans in majority of the CCP cities in
Southeast Asia combine measures on energy conservation, building
and lamp/traffic signal retrofits, building plans that integrate energy
efficiency designs, and improvement of procurement policies.
Streetlight Retrofits (e.g., Semarang, Indonesia; Cagayan de Oro,
Cebu City, and Butuan City in the Philippines)
Energy Efficient Building Designs (e.g., Rayong, Thailand and
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines)
Traffic Light Retrofits to Light Emitting Diodes (LED) & Solar Cells
(e.g., in Muang Klang & Phuket, Thailand and Makati, Philippines)
Local Government Industrial Partnerships for Energy Efficiency
(e.g., Cebu City, Philippines and Bogor, Indonesia)
At least 12,000 tonnes of eCO
2
cumulative savings are anticipated
annually from these measures across cities in the region, saving at
least half a million US dollars.