By Iris C.
Gonzales (The Philippine Star) | Updated August 20, 2013 - 12:00am
MANILA,
Philippines - Property developer Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development
Corp. (ITPI) is putting up green buildings in Mindanao to help residents save
on power costs.
ITPI chairman
and CEO Romolo Nati said ITPI is putting up green buildings in Cagayan de Oro
City to help residents save as much as 32 percent on air-con energy consumption
cost.
“People in
Mindanao either suffer from the full force and effect of the tropical heat due
to blackouts, or the high energy cost of running air-conditioning units,” said
Nati, an Italian who designed and built his green Primavera Residences condominium
in Mindanao.
The initial
plan would comprise of two towers of mixed-used 10-story green buildings each.
It would have an inner courtyard and a cross-ventilation layout to increase the
natural airflow and light.
Nati said the
structure would also have shaded facades to reduce direct sun illumination on
the windows and to reduce the internal temperature of each unit.
“Through our
inner courtyard design, the hot air goes up and creates a depression that sucks
the cold air outside the building, making the internal temperature cooler,” he
said.
With the
design, unit owners are expected to save on aircon consumption by 32 percent.
“In the
Philippines, 60 percent of energy consumption is for aircon, so through this we
can reduce 32 out of 60, which is about 20 to 32 percent less energy,” Nati
said.
Jose D.
Leviste III, president of ITPI, said the recent blackouts in Mindanao
underscores the importance of conserving energy.
Leviste
teamed up with Nati as they both share the same vision and passion in promoting
sustainable development projects in the Philippines.
Mindanao is
currently suffering from power outages which range from eight to 10 hours last
summer depending on the area. The situation is expected to continue until 2105
when new power plants come in.
ITPI also
offers services such as concept development, architectural design, engineering
solutions and business planning for new projects, building restoration and town
planning.
Additionally,
ITPI has ventures in renewable energy such as hydro, geothermal, and wind
through its affiliate company, Constellation Energy Corp. (CEC), according to
its profile.
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