Primavera Residences closes 'Green Loop' between SM's Green Retail Agenda and Pueblo de Oro

Cagayan de Oro´s first eco-friendly condominium stood tall as one the strong links between SM´s Green Retail Agenda and Pueblo de Oro Township´s Green Initiatives during the former´s launching last August 4 in SM Cagayan de Oro.

Ms. Clara Marie Asuncion G. Elizaga, SM Cagayan de Oro Mall Manager, said the SM Green Retail Agenda is an annual event where mall tenant owners and business planners gather for a yearly conference on trends, materials, sustainability strategies and green architecture.

"SM aims to encourage all business owners and mall partners to contribute and keep our natural world a clean and safe environment for the future," Ms. Elizaga said in her welcome remarks. "In doing so, we integrate the environmental advocacy in the business industry to make a significant impact."

Among the projects undertaken by SM under its Green Retail Agenda are its Trash to Cash recycling market, SM Supermalls Green Bag featuring prints by artist Manuel Baldemor, the SM Green Film Festival and hosting the annual celebration of Earth Hour.

"With all systems go for the Italpinas Primavera Residences, the Pueblo de Oro Township has the prestige of having the first green building in Mindanao," said Pueblo de Oro Vice President-General Manager Rodolfo L. Meñes. "These residential condo buildings will be eco-friendly and are to be constructed along the principles of sustainable architecture, such as generating renewable energy, reduce internal units temperature, maximizing shading and natural ventilation."

Pueblo de Oro Township is a 360-hectere master planned mixed use project which hosts both SM Cagayan de Oro and Primavera Residences.

"Primavera Residences complements other green initiatives of the Pueblo de Oro Township, including the 40-hectare Pueblo Urban Rainforest, electric jeepneys that are now serving Township residents, and rainwater harvesting and recycling ponds at Pueblo de Oro golf course making Pueblo the benchmark for eco-friendly developments in Cagayan de Oro," Mr. Meñes added.

"As the first truly eco-friendly condominium in Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao, Primavera Residences is happy to share SM´s Green Retail Agenda and Pueblo de Oro´s Green Initiatives," said Architect Romolo V. Nati, president and CEO of Italpinas Euro-Design and

Eco-Development Corporation (Italpinas).

Mr. Nati said Primavera Residences is a 10-storey twin-tower Italian-designed condominium designed by ITA PROJECT, an Italian architectural design firm based in Rome with a solid reputation for award winning eco-friendly buildings, and developed Italpinas, a sustaining member of the Philippines Green Building Council.

"We use passive elements for Primavera like cross-ventilation, building orientation, an inner green courtyard and terrace, brise soleil (louvers) and extended awnings to maximize natural light and shadow," said Mr. Nati. "These elements combine to complement each other to bring down the temperature in the building that it remains cooler even in hot summer months to lessen the need for air conditioning."

Mr. Nati estimates Primavera´s passive design elements could reduce energy consumption for air conditioning by approximately 32% or around 20% of total energy consumption, directly benefitting condominium residents.

On top of these passive design elements, Mr. Nati said Primavera Residences would also be tapping solar energy on its rooftop with the use of photovoltaic cells that would produce around 150 kilowatts peak renewable energy from its two towers.

When the "Net Metering Law" will be implemented in Mindanao, the photovoltaic cells will feed electricity to the local distribution utility grid, Mr. Nati said.

"At the end of each billing period, this electricity produced will be deducted from the condominium´s electric bill, further reducing the individual electric bill of each resident," he said. "While waiting for the Net Metering Law to be approved, we will be using the energy produced from the solar cells to directly power the common and shared areas of Primavera."

Engr. Cecilio U. Sumaoy, manager of the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co.´s (CEPALCO) head of systems operations department and concurrent plant manager of its solar photovoltaic PV plant, concurs with Primavera´s choice of its solar component.

"Solar energy is the best renewable energy option for Mindanao," Mr. Sumaoy said during his presentation. "It is easily and quickly installed on rooftops, prices for PV cells are coming down, and it makes anyone an independent power producer."

CEPALCO set up Mindanao´s first and largest on-grid solar PV power plant in Barangay Indahag in 2004 and plans to set up a larger 10 megawatt (MW) solar facility soon.

Besides complementing Mindanao´s predominantly hydroelectric power plants during the dry season, Mr. Sumaoy said it is also socially equitable since all consumers share the cost of the feed-in tariff in their electric bills.

"The issue of solar power pricing is not a valid one since the issue here is not price, but our responsibility for life," Mr. Sumaoy said.

Meantime, Pueblo de Oro Sr. Sales Manager Ma. Arabelle. B. Solidum, Sr. Product Manager, confirmed sales for Primavera continue to be brisk despite additional units in the inventory.

"We´re already 50 percent sold and we expect sales to continue to be brisk when the showroom and model unit are launched this September," Ms. Solidum noted.

"Construction is now over 30 percent complete and will now be much faster with the tower crane and additional manpower onsite," said Engr. Arsenio B. Manuta, vice president for operations of AVP Trading & Construction, Primavera´s contractor.