“Previously, between 10am and 3pm, there was no way we could stay at home. My nine-year-old daughter complained a lot about headaches. Only now I realise it was because of the heat. This lining improved the temperature and our lives very much!”
The project was first implemented last summer. In the initial phase, the start-up installed thermal linings at eight houses roofed with tiles and asbestos in the Jardim Bom Retiro community, in São Gonçalo. The creator of Nossa Casa, Gustavo Camozzato, celebrates the initiative’s surprising results:
“We installed thermometers to measure the temperature of the residences before and after implementation. We established thus that the Tetra Pak containers can reduce the houses’ internal temperature by up to 9ºC. Now, with Enel’s financial and logistical support, we expanded the initiative to another 40 homes in the town of Magé”
An energy efficiency consultancy was hired to support the second phase of the project. The goal is to monitor the performance of the electrical equipment and identify whether the reduction in internal temperature can also cause a reduction in energy consumption, especially from devices such as refrigerators and air conditioning units.
“I spend a lot of time at home and, when I sat down to have lunch, I started sweating because of the heat. Now, I don’t need to turn the fan or air con on, which represented a big reduction in my energy bills”
In addition to Enel Group, the Nossa Casa project also has technological support from Flumat, the Fluids and Multiphase Polymer Materials Group from UFRJ’s Chemistry Institute.
Circular economy: everything happens within the community
During the implementation phase in Jardim Bom Retiro and the second phase in Magé, in addition to professional training, job creation and the involvement of local suppliers, the project reused more than 600kg of Tetra Pak packaging:
“I had worked with recycling before, but nothing like this project. It was surprising because I never thought that treating simple containers, such as milk cartons, could reduce the heat inside our community’s houses”
To conclude the lining installation in the 40 homes in Magé, 10 people were hired to select, open, cut and clean the containers, as well as seven carpenters and two professionals to work in the administrative part.
“I was unemployed and today I can pay for my son’s tuition and maintain my home. The best thing is that we are working in a sustainable way, taking rubbish from the streets. It has been very gratifying”
To install thermal lining in a 45sq m house around 900 Tetra Pak containers are required. Therefore, the local residents’ collaboration is essential. After all, the reuse of local waste benefits the community itself, as it avoids the proliferation of insects and rodents.
Start-up was approved through internal programme to promote employees’ ideas
Proposing innovative solutions and promoting the creation of new business models are part of Enel Group’s corporate strategy. The Nossa Casa start-up was founded by Gustavo Camozzato, then Enel Green Power Communications Coordinator. The employee presented the project in October 2016, during the Inspire Entrepreneurs programme selection stage.
“It is very rewarding to be able to innovate and endeavour within the company. In addition to validating our ideas, the internal entrepreneurship programme gives us valuable learnings on innovation. To me it is a pleasure to be part of this process”
Created in 2015, Inspire Entrepreneurs is an innovation programme targeting Enel’s employees, focusing on the development of new products or services with high growth potential. As well as a financial contribution, the selected initiatives receive consultancy from a start-up accelerator and employees can take sabbaticals of up to 18 months to invest in their projects.
