Spanish version posted on my medium
“You will want to live in Geneva, at least in the summer,” was what my friend Jerome told me when I went to visit him in the city.
He was right. Even though the temperature in the city was hitting 30 degrees, in Jerome’s office I was feeling a cool wave. I walked around, looking to find the air conditioning system, but to my surprise there was none. I looked at Jerome, and he smiled and pointed at the window towards the lake.
“This is our AC,” he said.
If you’ve ever had the luck to visit Geneva, you will quickly realize that water is the focus of the city’s landmarks. The beautiful and famous Lake Geneva is the largest lake in the Alps and Western Europe. The Jet d’Eau, visited by tourists worldwide and known as the Geneva Water Fountain, is a fountain on the lake that jets water to an altitude of 140 meters. Not only do Geneva residents have the pleasure of enjoying the lake’s beauty, but they can also drink lake water from their taps, as it is potable.
However, for the Genevans, it’s not enough to have water be the main attraction of their landmarks. They have made water the starting point of a significant environmental movement and commitment to achieving an energy transition. This is not an overnight success; it has required strong collaboration between key public and private stakeholders for it to be achieved.
The GeniLac hydrothermal network offers the city a 100% renewable, innovative solution by utilizing Lake Geneva water to heat and cool the city’s downtown buildings, including buildings occupied by United Nations agencies, hotels, companies, and numerous boutiques.
This alternative has allowed some Genevans to discontinue the use of air conditioning, cooling fans, and similar products and reduce their electricity consumption by incredible amounts. The GeniLac network has also affected the real estate industry, given that the installation of air conditioning is not allowed in most new constructions. For these residents, the days of electricity bill surprises are over!
But how does this hydrothermal system work, and why can’t all countries with lakes benefit from this model? To explain without getting too technical, water is drawn up from 45 meters down in the lake at a temperature of 7 degrees. This water is then transported from a pumping station to an exchanger, where it reaches the buildings through a network of pipelines under the lake to achieve the cooling effect.
In winter, the same mechanism heats the buildings, except the water goes through a heating pump. This process reduces electricity consumption by 80%. It is estimated that by 2035, the GeniLac network will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70,000 tons and limit the oil dependency that feeds gasoil boilers. This is just the beginning for Geneva, as many of homes still use other types of systems that will be changed.
We are all aware today, more than ever, that climate change is real, and it is a worldwide threat. Without going too far, I look at my native Mexico, one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. I think of all the beautiful 70+ lakes that Mexico has and how we can use Geneva’s know-how and expertise in this area to implement a similar system in our big cities or smart villages. Such actions are necessary for the long term, so that we can leave a sustainable world for our children.
I look at Jerome, in his environmentally friendly cooled office in Geneva, and I see how similar we are as people. At the same time, I’m wondering if we in Mexico will ever have the courage to think and propose innovative solutions like Geneva?
The answer is clear in my mind: WE MUST.
-Manuel Barreiro Castañeda-
References
https://elpais.com/eps/el-pulso/2021-08-22/ginebra-en-estado-liquido.html
https://www.genie.ch/project/h/genilac-a-major-sustainable-energy-innovation-for-geneva.html
https://the-rsgroup.com/genilac-use-of-lake-water-to-cool-and-heat-buildings/
https://www.sgigroupe.com/projet-hydrothermique-genilac-geneve-suisse/
https://www.genie.ch/project/h/genilac-a-major-sustainable-energy-innovation-for-geneva.html