Chilean teacher presents innovations to improve energy efficiency in educational spaces
Professor Andrea Martínez Arias, from the University of Concepción, shared her research on the use of natural light and the improvement of environmental conditions in schools with students from the Engineering Area of INTEC.
SANTO DOMINGO. – With the aim of promoting energy efficiency and well-being in learning spaces, the teacher and researcher Andrea Martínez Arias, University of Concepción, Chile, presented his work on improvement of educational buildings to students of Engineering Area of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).
During the meeting organized by Deyslen Mariano, coordinator of the Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Electronics programs Martínez, from INTEC, explained that the optimization of indoor environmental conditions in schools it is a key factor both for reduce the impacts of climate change as if to to promote the well-being of students and teachers.
Martínez pointed out that, despite technological advances, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) The quality of education in many schools in Latin America remains deficient, especially in vulnerable communities. Therefore, university students and faculty are developing low-cost solutions allowing make better use of natural light, reduce energy consumption and improve the health and thermal comfort of the occupants.
Among the projects, promoted by the University of Concepción, is an applied research project that evaluates the current conditions of schools and proposes improvement strategies based on scientific evidenceSome of the case studies presented at INTEC showed simple prototypes for integrating outdoor lightingdesigned to be replicable in educational centers with limited resources.
“With the prototype we’ve designed, we are now able to control the distribution of lighting in the classroom much better,” the researcher noted.
As part of the next stepsThe research team will continue to monitor the intervened spaces, implement new low-cost solutions, and will conduct surveys and interviews to know the user perception about the changes implemented.