In the Judicial District, a residential complex is being built with a focus on sustainability.The chemical company Dow, from the US, and the local company Friolatina will invest in a Conicet study of the property.If one hears about the "energy cost" of a residence, one can think of how much one would have to spend on heating in winter or being able to cool down in summer.To that you can add something else: how much energy was spent on building that residence.The two factors are part of the idea behind a real estate development that focuses on energy efficiency and that will be studied by Conicet with the help of two large companies.Facundo Vacas and Jorge Chirino are the ones who run this residential complex of 6 duplex apartments and a commercial space in the Judicial District, City.Although there are still two months left for the inauguration of “Moncloa”, this Tuesday the 28th they received the visit of businessmen from Friolatina and Dow Chemical, a US chemical company that produces polyurethane, an essential material to provide thermal insulation to the complex.The private ones will finance a study to measure their energy savings and thus propose other constructions.Regarding energy consumption each day, Vacas explained that most of the energy expenditure has to do with thermal comfort (gas or electric heating), but that heat is often "lost" through windows, openings or by housing materials.With his panel system, he estimates that the loss will be much lower and he can save half the cost of a bill.Dante Bragoni, consultant and postgraduate professor at UNCuyo specializing in water and energy, also participates in the Moncloa project: “When you buy an appliance, by law you have to report the quality of energy consumption it has.That way, in countries like Spain, when you rent a home or make a purchase or sale, they have to present you with that certification, so that you know how much you are going to spend on energy afterwards”.If you think that in Argentina energy consumption is divided into three (transport, industry and residences/businesses), improving the energy efficiency of buildings would help reduce the lack of energy or fuel imports.“That a house consumes less energy implies a general benefit that impacts the whole society.It implies investing less in producing, transporting and distributing energy through electrical networks or gas pipelines”, said Bragoni.The Conicet measurement will help to measure the properties of the Moncloa complex in order to determine exactly how much the savings are compared to a house built in the traditional way with brick.For this, two periods will be taken into account, winter and summer and, depending on how the construction progresses, it remains to be defined whether the measurements will begin this winter or next summer.How is the construction of “Moncloa” different?The horizontal and roof enclosures (system envelope) were materialized by metal panels with injected polyurethane insulating cores, covered on both sides with prepainted galvanized steel sheet, provided with a hidden fixing system.In addition, the interior divisions were made with plasterboard partitions and a metal structure, with acoustic and fireproof insulation.Beyond the savings in daily consumption, Chirino and Vacas explained that "the carbon footprint of the materials that make up this construction is significantly lower than that of a traditional construction with bricks and cement."There are studies carried out in the United Kingdom that support a significant energy reduction when building with panels instead of the traditional system.Chirino also pointed out that in a work like the one in Moncloa, 20 rubble containers are used, while they have only used 3 in this project that is nearing completion.“I have been in construction for many years and a lot of wood is always burned and thrown away;but in this case we have consumed very little and what we have left over we use as reinforcement and support”, commented this person in charge of the architectural part.In terms of costs and times, Vacas stated that there is not a great variation in terms of cost, but there is in terms: “An apartment of this nature with panels can be assembled up to 50% faster than with the traditional way.And with a finish that does not require plastering or repainting”.While that means getting full investment capital faster, it also allows for a quicker flow of returns.In short, both Vacas and Chirino and Bragoni agreed on the importance of energy efficiency for development, and how the form of construction plays a key role in this regard.Ideas that are adding followers among those who seek to take care of the environment and also take care of their pockets when paying the bills.With your subscription you browse without limits, access exclusive content and much more.You can also add Los Andes Pass to save at hundreds of stores!Members of Grupo Clarín:The Andes.Founded on October 20, 1883 by Dr. 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