In an energy-starved country where consumers of electricity and gas are struggling to cope with the lack of supply, any steps toward mitigating this supply-demand gap are welcome. One such initiative in this direction is Ghonsla – a business providing insulation services in Pakistan.
Energy Efficiency in Buildings
The brick and mortar building material used in the Pakistan and the lack of insulation in old and new buildings causes a great deal of energy wastage. While the developed world is trying to make homes and buildings as energy efficient as possible, Pakistan and other developing countries seem to focus on keeping the short-term cost of construction low at the price of having higher long term operational cost.
Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings can have a significant impact on the total electricity and gas demand of the country as the real estate sector uses a high percentage of these commodities.
Mandate and Recognition
By installing insulation in buildings and homes, Ghonsla aims to provide green building products, improve the quality of life for people at every level of the society, conserve precious environmental resources and reduce vulnerability to climate change and create green collar employment. They claim to have already installed over 150,000 square feet of insulation in 300+ buildings in Pakistan.
The company website claims that Ghonsla’s products are already being used by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Packages, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Nestle. Moreover, the initiative has been acknowledged by D-Lab, UN HABITAT, National Geographic and Unreasonable Institute as well as other recognized institutions.
The Head Office address listed on the website is the Packages headquarters in Lahore, which means that there is an association between the two organizations beyond being a client for Ghonsla’s services. The exact nature of that relationship is unclear from the website.
Product Features
The Ghonsla team hits all the right points in positioning their product – comfortable interiors, save up to 30% of energy costs and improved interior design. It also claims to assess your insulation needs, help with exploring financing options and provide quick installation services. This represents a comprehensive suite of services that cater to all the needs of the customers. Financing options in investment options with high upfront costs and low but consistent long term benefits is key to help customers align those cash flows.
A bit more math would be helpful in making that comparison for households and commercial buildings. For example, if your utility bills add up to be PKR 150,000 a year, insulation can save you up to PKR 45,000 and the cost of insulation is so and so. Like the case of selling solar power installations, helping the customer equate savings with what they are spending is key. It is conceivable that the comfort and design aspects of the product will appeal to a few potential customers but at the end of the day everyone wants to improve their bottom line.
Fighting Climate Change
Ghonsla’s team rightly points out the dire need for a mass adoption of insulation solutions in residential and commercial buildings. Reducing demand for electricity is one undeniable benefit for everyone’s individual needs, but reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change through this process is equally critical for Pakistan. Pakistan needs to play its part in climate change mitigation, and solutions like insulation can assist in that cause and have a positive return on investment for the individual adapters.
Ghonsla aims to reach over 25,000 households and install 10 million square feet of insulation in the region. It isn’t clear what the pricing of their products is, whether it’s reasonably priced or is beyond the reach of an average household, but it is definitely recommended for people building new houses or open to renovating their old ones to explore this opportunity and save money and the world in the process.
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