“Socially neglected effect” in the implementation of energy technologies to mitigate climate change: Sustainable building program in social housing

The residential sector is the third largest energy-consuming sector in Mexico and an important contributor to energy related carbon dioxide emissions after transport and industry. The objective of this study is to evaluate the implementation and social acceptance of energy efficient technologies and renewable technologies in the so called sustainable social housing program in Mexico City, and compare the real reduction of CO2 emissions to the theoretical potential. To do so, two estimations are developed: 1) the technical and economic CO2 emission reduction potential of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in new social housing in Mexico City, and 2) the real avoided emissions based on social acceptance of technologies obtained by housing surveys and physical revision of performance status of implemented technologies. We found that due to lack of information and training to households an important part of dwellers ended up rejecting mitigation technologies developing what we called the socially neglected effect of mitigation technologies. These results were used to estimate three scenarios for year 2025: baseline, mitigation and neglected effect. Due to the neglected effect a reduction of 25% with respect to the baseline scenario was obtained instead of 45% of emission reduction in year 2025. In the case of efficient lighting and refrigerators, where Minimum Energy Efficient Standards are in place the socially neglected effect disappears once the replacement of old to new technologies takes place. This result shows that minimum energy performance standards are the main mitigation policy to eliminate socially neglected effect in the long run. Obligatory standards for installation of solar water heaters can be developed as well, although it is important to develop additional follow-up policies for adequate installation of these technologies.