Just like an increasing number of us, Jesús is worried about the state of the planet. “I’m passionate about the environment,” he explains. “And right now, I’m worried. I have three children who will be here in the future after us, so we all have to do what we can right now.”
As a Business Developer for the Digital Grid at Siemens Chile, Jesús focuses on energy efficiency, energy quality, electromobility, and micro-networks. But, technical terms aside, he’s busy carving out new opportunities to help clean up his home city of Santiago. “Our government’s strategy is to have 100% electric buses in Chile by 2040,” he explains, adding it’s a new venture he’s hoping Siemens will have the opportunity to assist with. “The buses will not only have zero emissions, they’ll also reduce noise pollution.”
But Jesús doesn’t only care about the planet during office hours — he’s gone one step further than most in his quest to lower his carbon footprint. He has totally transformed his home and car in a bid to protect the planet.
Last year, Jesús paid just $7 for gas, $5 for electricity and $21 for water. Thanks to a combination of clever technology and innovative use of energy, he’s managed to create a home that provides shelter for his family without damaging the environment.
Sustainable solutions
“We waste so many resources without realizing,” he explains. “But if we use energy efficiently then we can consume less and still get the same amount of light, water, and heating.” It all began in 2016 and now his home is an energy-saving marvel. On the roof are nine solar panels turning electromagnetic radiation into energy to fuel the house’s centralized heating and water system. “It’s called a heat pump,” he explains. “The system replaces the need for a boiler and can heat up the whole home without releasing a single particle of CO₂ into the atmosphere.”
In each room is a low H2O convection radiator — designed to warm the surrounding air and not just whatever happens to be next to it. “It contains 90% less water than a conventional radiator,” he adds. “Working through convection means the radiator itself doesn’t actually heat up, so you can put furniture right up against it.”
Dotted around his home are IOT sensors that monitor systems such as the photovoltaic generation, the heat pumps and electric vehicle charger, and send consumption information directly to the cloud so that it can be downloaded to his phone: “It helps me make better decisions about how much energy I use.”
Jesús also has an electric car: “It’s one of around 500 we have in the city,” he explains. Electric cars aren’t easy to come by in Santiago, it was only after a failed attempt at getting taxi drivers to use them (they were worried about a lack of charging points in the city) that Jesús managed to get his hands on one at an auction. Both his home and workplace are fitted with charging stations.
Transforming your house, changing your car, and deciding where to live based on the environment might seem like an extreme lifestyle to some, but Jesús wants to set a precedent. “My colleagues, neighbours, and friends are now beginning to pay attention to my eco-lifestyle,” he says. “I’m hoping they’ll feel inspired.”
Jesús Tello lives just outside the centre of Santiago, Chile with his wife and three children. Find out more about working at Siemens.
Jesús is one of the many talented people working with us to make real what matters.
Photography: Franz Grünewald
Video: Mattias Matoq
