Improving the thermal performance of Mongolian ger through innovation
Dulaan Ger
Why?
Timeline
2017 - Present
Partners
Stanford University
University of Pennsylvania CEBT Center
UNICEF
Designers from North Face and Arc'teryx
Location
Ulaanbaatar
Winter air pollution levels in Ulaanbaatar are among the highest in the world, and exceed the WHO safe threshold by 6.5 times. Since 2017, GerHub has been working to improve indoor and outdoor air quality through experimental and innovative approaches. The main solution is to make Mongolian ger energy efficient by improving its thermal performance and reducing heat loss.
80% of winter air pollution in Ulaanbaatar is caused by coal-burning stoves (SwitchAsia Winter Monitoring 2022).
GerHub, in partnership with international experts and local residents, designed affordable ger insulation products (door and skirt) adoptable within ger communities, helping combat low indoor air quality gers and self-built homes typical during winter.
The Dulaan Ger Project started with thermal loss analysis and expanded to create low-cost insulation prototypes using local materials. The Design Studio program involved community members in designing these solutions, aiming to improve living conditions and reduce pollution.
Development
HubCap
HubCap is an innovative and low-cost product to reduce heat loss in gers for
ger toono (the oculus). Upon its completion, it was a “ground-breaking” initiative for GerHub to improve ger thermal performance through insulation and design approaches in collaboration with institutions of the likes of UPenn and Stanford.
Partners
Stanford University’s d.school course Design for Extreme Affordability
Year
2017
Partners
University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Environmental Building and Design
Year
2017
Ger Energy and Comfort Assessment
This initial assessment project laid the groundwork for years ahead in collaboration with other partners, including the UNICEF Office of Innovation. It was the first attempt to audit the comfort and energy use of ger to develop ways to enhance energy performance.
Designing the 21st Century Ger
Partners
UNICEF Office of Innovation, and UNICEF Mongolia Country Office
Year
2018
While a number of programs have focused on housing insulation and improving the stoves used by ger dwellers, only a few initiatives specifically seek solutions to improve the thermal performance of gers.
To bridge this gap, GerHub, the UNICEF Office of Innovation, and the UNICEF Mongolia Country Office teamed up with members from the University of Pennsylvania, KieranTimberlake, Arc’Teryx, and The North Face to develop innovative insulation designs for improving specific components of the ger while testing and collecting data on baseline and intervention gers. As a result, insulation prototypes were developed for the toono (the oculus), the door, and the floor of a ger.
GerHub continues to re-iterate these prototypes, involving youth and community members and seek opportunities for scale-up under the Dulaan Ger Campaign, through the Ger Data Project.
Ger Data
GerHub, with CEBD, created and disseminated “Design Recommendations for Ger,” a public document aimed towards ger area residents, through social and local media outlets to help them decrease heat loss and maximize heat retention of their gers during the extremely cold winter. Ger Data Project works with community members, including seamstresses and handymen, building their capacity to produce ger insulations and generate additional sources of income for themselves.
Partners
U.S. Department of State
Year
2020
Impact
Through the Dulaan Ger Project, GerHub has directly reached 83 community members from Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet, insulating their gers. Additionally, the project trained 4 seamstresses and 2 handymen, helping them diversify their income sources and providing valuable skills to the community.
When I first started making low-cost ger insulation, it was challenging but also a valuable learning experience. In the beginning, I made some sizing mistakes, and the process took longer than expected. I even wondered if I would be able to complete the ger insulation at all. But over time, with each finished ger insulation, I improved, and my efficiency increased significantly.”
T. Tsolmon,
insulation seamstress