qbrick is the brick what created the Neuquén Mauro Querejea that manages to reduce energy consumption in homes by up to 50 percent. The central idea is to contribute to energy efficiency and motivate climate change, in addition to reducing the cost of electricity and gas bills. “It’s where everyone is going,” he assured.
At 47 years old, Mauro assured that his whole life is focused on the construction industry. Among the concerns about generating sustainable products, he left his native San Martín de los Andes to go to the Federal Capital and create a company linked to solar panels. “There I had access to other information regarding how the mercado of construction in Argentina, which companies handled the entire industry. And there I realized that traditional construction has 90% of the market, ”she explained to an interview in LMNeuquén.
Between the routine and his day to day. Mauro asked himself: “What can I do to change what is happening, between the climate problem and the hegemony of traditional construction?” Among the answers, He imagined several prototypes to continue betting on sustainable construction, but he knew that bringing a totally new product to the market was “almost impossible”.
“There it occurred to me to apply technology to the oldest construction product: brick. I began to do trials and tests, until I managed to put together this tripad, which is two masonry joined to an insulating core. I did tests and trials, until I found a product. Since I saw that it did not exist, I started with a process of filing a patent, which was a very complex job”, he said.
To understand the importance, Mauro explained: “The drop in consumption occurs mainly in cooling and heating. It is an insulator and contributes a lot to the casa. In addition, you can make many types of combinations in thickness of insulating cores.”.
In addition, he assured that 4 thousand tons of brick are produced in the country per month. ”They are manufactured and sold, among all the brickyards. In other words, the idea we are working on is that we can enable the patent so that they can produce it. The factories have the power or the chance to put the product on the market quickly. And with low cost. The brick is the same, but it is even more insulating and will bring a lifelong change to the house”, he detailed.
“In the walls is where the cooling of the house is lost the most. I always did this example. If today you build 1,000 homes in the traditional way, with the best on the market, and next door you build 1,000 identical homes with this technology, this last neighborhood will consume 50% less energy for life. And that is what most moves me to spread all this. We are in contact with very important businessmen and they found it of great interest”, he exemplified.
> The solution to the increase in rates
Mauro states that there is a certain reluctance towards sustainable construction. “Many people believe that all energy costs have to do with energy in Argentina. Throughout the world, energy is expensive, we have no margin in the world to continue wasting energy. Now it is a necessity because a standard house, which is not properly insulated, from now on the rates and the cost of energy and gas are going to be tremendous. It will greatly impact the quality of life. It should not be taken as a matter of Argentina. Many countries are very careful about energy. In Europe it is forbidden to build a house, as you can think of. And it is a place that we have to go, ”he indicated.
Although he assured that many construction companies in the country are interested in the product, none is producing it yet. “Today the brick cannot be bought. The idea is patented and we continue betting that this is the way out. We believe that the big players in the market will be able to implement this type of brick and that Argentine houses will be able to choose this benefit”, he concluded.