Campaigning is important to encourage energy savings in condominiums
Encourage conscious consumption of electricity in your condominium, in addition to preserving the environment, residents will save on bills
Image: Ecobrasilia
To achieve a rational use of electricity in everyday life, as with water, it is necessary to encourage energy savings in condominiums. The high consumption of electricity is an indicator of the non-rational use of the tenants and results in high expenses in the bills at the end of the month. The technique of using solar panels, installing green roofs or simply replacing light bulbs with more efficient ones will not be as effective if the consumer behind the energy use is inconsequential. The importance of reducing waste is not just in financial savings, but also in preserving ecosystem services.
Can you imagine how? Well, Brazil's energy matrix is still poorly diversified, more than 66% of the electricity we use comes from hydroelectric plants. The hydroelectric plant, despite being considered a renewable source of energy, has a great impact on the environment due to its construction. With deforestation and flooding of large areas, the ecosystem services of forests, rivers and lakes change completely. Every kilowatt we consume is emitting CO2 into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. Therefore, the more energy we use, the more demand there will be on hydroelectric plants, increasing the possibility of new construction and CO2 emissions.
We must also remember the water crisis that hit the country and could hit the country again in the future and with greater force. Without water, we don't have energy. Therefore, it is essential to adopt energy saving practices, and above all, change our habits so that we do not suffer another blackout.
But how to make the residents of the condominium aware? Trying to change the habits of residents is difficult, but nowadays there is already a predisposition to collaborate towards sustainable attitudes due to the constant pressure imposed by society. In addition to the more complex strategies to save energy, there are simple attitudes that each resident can take and make a big difference in the use of electricity, such as the correct use of the shower, iron, refrigerator, elevators...(learn in "Saving energy makes all the difference").
Educational campaigns in your condominiums can be created through lectures, on the internet, with digital media and social networks, or with print media, as in the case of the newsletters on the conscious use of electricity and on energy saving. It is also important to highlight the economic gains; the reduction in the bill for the entire month is an attraction and an incentive to save electricity.
Another tip is to use the condominium's visual media. Distribute posters on murals, elevators and send letters to apartments with information on controlled energy use and proposals for improvements showing the benefits of saving electricity. But awareness should not only be aimed at residents. Employees play an important role in condominium consumption, especially in common areas. They must also participate in awareness actions and abolish attitudes such as leaving lights on unnecessarily. Therefore, talk to the manager or person in charge of the administration to implement an environmental education project and encourage the conscientious consumption of energy in your condominium.
