Technical Assistance for EE Projects in Buildings and the Public Lighting Sector

Under the framework of promoting EE activities in the buildings sector, the IDB wished to obtain the support of a consultancy to analyze the feasibility of introducing EE measures in the IDB corporate building located in Asunción, Paraguay as well as in the country’s public-sector buildings. More specifically, the IDB wished to analyze the options, costs and schedules necessary to obtain an internationally recognized energy certification, such as EDGE or LEED, for one of these buildings. Furthermore, to promote EE activities in the streetlighting sector, the IDB wished to carry out a critical analysis of the current PPP model developed by the Government of Argentina. In addition, the IDB asked Econoler to participate in an event in Paraguay regarding efficient cooking in the residential sector.

The Econoler mandate was twofold, notably to provide assistance in the buildings sector and in the streetlighting sector. Therefore, the following activities were carried out:

• Optimization of public buildings in Paraguay: The base situation was analyzed, which included an analysis of the energy situation, both electric and thermal, and an estimation of total consumption disaggregated by type of service (air conditioning, interior and exterior lighting, office equipment, water heating, etc.);
• Environmental/energy certifications – IDB corporate building: Existing and available certifications were analyzed. Existing information about the building was compiled and reviewed in relation to variables included in the energy/environmental certifications most likely to be utilized (LEED, EDGE, WELL and others). Then, a certification strategy was established, and finally a certification plan was presented;
• Assistance in the streetlighting sector – PPP Argentina: Reviews and analyses of a set of energy sector documents developed by the Argentine government were carried out to promote the introduction of efficient streetlighting systems in municipalities of the Province of Buenos Aires;
• Assistance in the streetlighting sector – Paraguay: A preliminary document was developed on the savings potential in the streetlighting sector, whereby general recommendations were issued about the implementation of a pilot to replace inefficient technologies with LED systems through a project intended to improve the efficiency of streetlighting networks;
• Analysis of efficient cooking options in Paraguay: The different options for residential cooking were analyzed, including wood, coal briquets, LPG, and electricity, which led to the conclusion that induction (electric) cooking was the most efficient, economic and environmentally friendly form of cooking for Paraguay. The conclusions of this analysis were presented at an event organized by the IDB on this specific topic.