From Smog to Sunshine: Mongolia

Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar suffers from severe air pollution. New designs use sunlight to ensure warm, smoke-free homes. We explore the technology and its challenges.

On winter mornings, Ulaanbaatar is enveloped in a layer of smoke
Architectural designer Bat-Erdene is on a mission to change Ulaanbaatar's Ger districts through smoke-free homes
A south-facing sunroom captures sunlight at the optimal angle to heat the entire home
Bat-Erdene started an NGO to conduct regular surveys and teach people efficient ways to retain warmth

Transcript

00:17

Morning in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.

00:22

A thick haze of smoke covers the city throughout the winter, causing serious air pollution.

00:37

The biggest contributor is smoke rising from coal and wood-burning stoves, used in the impoverished ger districts.

00:48

With temperatures falling as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, residents must keep their stoves burning.

00:59

In 2018, the city recorded a daily concentration of PM2.5, 133 times higher than that recommended by the WHO.

01:14

To tackle the serious pollution, the Mongolian government spent a considerable budget on developing refined coal briquettes.

01:22

It also outlawed ordinary coal.

01:31

However, the new fuel has led to a stream of carbon monoxide poisonings.

01:36

Over a hundred people died from this in 2023 alone.

01:45

There's less smoke but people don't really understand the situation.

01:52

They don't ventilate because they don't realize there's still pollution.

02:01

The spotlight has now fallen on a new kind of home, that produces no smoke, but stays warm throughout Mongolia's bitter winter.

02:13

The design is the work of architectural designer Bat-Erdene.

02:19

There is electricity but no heaters.

02:27

New technology makes efficient use of sunlight to ensure warmth throughout the winter.

02:34

It's hot!

02:41

Bat-Erdene has also founded an NGO with journalists, that works with other professionals hoping to tackle the pollution problem.

02:50

He provides ger district residents with technology and ideas for reducing smoke.

02:57

I work with people who want to change this country.

03:01

In 30 years, we'll see a clean Ulaanbaatar.

03:08

Meet the people fighting Ulaanbaatar's air pollution.

03:27

1.7 million people, around half of Mongolia's population, live in Ulaanbaatar.

03:35

The ger districts stretch out from the city's central skyscrapers.

03:41

Many nomads came to these districts after losing their herds to cold waves or heavy snow, living in mobile ger tents and simple houses.

03:55

An office building in the city.

03:57

It's the home of Bat-Erdene's company.

04:03

He founded it in 2017 to plan, build, and sell smoke-free homes.

04:08

Today it has a staff of 35.

04:18

This is a ger district to the north of the city.

04:26

Among the tents and simple one-story buildings, an almost shopping-mall-like structure stands out.

04:33

It's the site of the first smoke-free homes that Bat-Erdene built.

04:40

It's a two-story building with seven units.

04:43

The south side of each unit is entirely glass, from floor to ceiling.

04:51

This couple is interested in buying a smoke-free home.

05:00

Bat-Erdene shows them a currently occupied unit.

05:04

The residents have agreed to show what it's like to live here.

05:12

It's an apartment home of 60 square meters.

05:15

The living, dining, and kitchen areas are downstairs, with two bedrooms upstairs.

05:24

There is no heater in this room.

05:28

Amazing.

05:31

The secret behind this smokeless home lies beyond this door.

05:37

It's warm.

05:41

This is the sunroom.

05:45

It's hot!

05:49

This part gets hot.

05:53

The sun is shining here today so this part is hot.

05:57

The higher part isn't hot.

06:01

In winter, the sun shines directly on this area.

06:07

It becomes too hot to touch.

06:14

The sunroom on the south side of the building is heated by sunlight.

06:19

Warm air is sent to the rest of the unit.

06:25

This black wall plays a major role in ensuring the home stays warm throughout the winter.

06:37

It's made from a special clay, developed by the firm through extensive experimentation.

06:47

The details are a trade secret, but it's a mixture of earth and various minerals, which make it perfect for storing heat.

06:59

Fresh air from the outside is also thoroughly heated by the walls before entering the home.

07:12

Because the sun sits lower in the sky during the winter, the black wall receives a direct dose of sunlight.

07:20

On especially sunny days, the sunroom can get as hot as 90 degrees Celsius.

07:28

Even when there's no sun, the heat in the wall doesn't escape.

07:32

It keeps the average interior temperature at around 26 degrees.

07:39

The windows also incorporate triple-glazed glass to prevent heat from escaping.

07:49

A key part of the process happens before construction even begins.

07:54

To maximize heat from sunlight, it's vital to measure the exact angle of the sun for that specific plot.

08:06

In summer, meanwhile, the height of the sun means the black wall receives little direct light.

08:12

Residents can open the sunroom windows and stay comfortable.

08:21

Not only do residents not need to spend time and energy operating stoves or heaters, they also save on fuel costs.

08:28

They need only pay the electricity bill for the ventilation system.

08:40

You can buy a 2900-dollar, 3kW solar panel.

08:47

You'll never pay a penny for heat again.

08:53

We really like it.

08:59

Using the angle of sunlight.

09:06

It's such a smart approach to solving the problem.

09:18

It's cloudy and windy today.

09:22

But that wall was really hot.

09:43

Wanting to explore the pollution issue from different perspectives, Bat-Erdene started an NGO with environmental journalists in 2022.

09:52

It's called Shinchilgee, which means "Updating the City."

10:03

Now and then he invites university professors and construction firm owners, who share his goals, to take part in workshops.

10:19

Today, they're talking about a summer awareness event.

10:23

Bat-Erdene and his guests feel that many Ulaanbaatar residents forget all about the pollution during spring and summer,

10:30

when the stove smoke clears.

10:32

This removes any sense of urgency.

10:39

So they plan to chill a huge storage container, recreating a minus 30-degree Celsius environment.

10:47

Visitors will enter a ger tent inside the container, giving them a vivid reminder of the bitter cold and pollution of winter.

10:56

This box is a model of the container.

11:02

In spring, everyone forgets about the smoke.

11:07

We have to work on this all year round. Especially in the summer.

11:12

I want people to see that's how we get rid of the winter smoke.

11:17

So we'll have to reassemble it?

11:21

The ground will be frozen.

11:25

At -25°C it'll be completely solid. How do we work with that?

11:32

The NGO carries out regular interviews in ger districts.

11:37

It uses social media to report on current air pollution, and offers ideas on how to reduce smoke while staying warm.

11:51

This video shows simple ways to stay warm in a ger, without spending much money.

12:00

In the bitter cold of winter, heat escapes a ger, regardless of how much it's warmed.

12:08

But using insulation and covering gaps helps maintain the warmth for longer.

12:18

First, buy a 1.5m by 1.8m piece of felt for $12.

12:25

Cut it to the size of your door.

12:29

Screw it in place.

12:32

Make sure to stretch the felt properly before attaching it.

12:42

The first smoke-free homes were built on the land where Bat-Erdene once lived.

12:51

It was a small house on quite a steep slope.

12:59

We built it along with some relatives.

13:04

But it was so cold.

13:07

Most ger homes receive very little sunlight.

13:14

Living conditions are bad.

13:18

Very different from the city itself.

13:23

I wanted to start in the place I grew up.

13:28

And change Ulaanbaatar from here.

13:34

Bat-Erdene was born in a village in central Mongolia.

13:38

His parents divorced soon after, and he moved to a ger district in Ulaanbaatar with his mother.

13:48

She was an elementary school teacher, and raised four children on a limited income.

13:58

Our biggest cost was always heating.

14:03

Savings there means more money.

14:08

Better food to eat.

14:12

Nice clothes to wear.

14:14

After-school activities.

14:18

But all the money went to staying warm.

14:25

After graduating university, Bat-Erdene spent seven years in Russia, working for heater manufacturers and construction firms.

14:34

There, he hoped to learn about heating in cold countries.

14:44

In Russia, it's standard practice to keep the heating on in empty homes, to prevent building cracks in the winter.

14:52

Bat-Erdene thought this was a waste, and came up with a new idea.

15:02

My apartment faced south.

15:07

I turned my balcony into a sunroom, painting the walls black.

15:11

It stayed warm without heating.

15:16

This was the foundation for his smoke-free home design.

15:20

In 2017, Bat-Erdene returned to Mongolia and founded his company with the money he'd saved abroad.

15:32

But the development turned into a series of failures.

15:36

He couldn't find the optimal angle for sunlight.

15:39

Walls would freeze, or grow large amounts of mold.

15:44

He soon ran out of money.

15:55

Bat-Erdene was saved by his sister, who is three years younger.

16:05

Urantsetseg is a legend in the Mongolian judo world.

16:09

She won gold in the 2013 World Championships, and bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

16:23

Fall like this.

16:25

Can you get free? Watch your legs.

16:32

I'm getting your legs.

16:36

She'll die!

16:40

You can't let up!

16:44

We did Mongolian wrestling as kids, boys and girls together.

16:50

Bat-Erdene taught me various moves.

16:55

I wanted to show the world what he taught me.

17:02

I won several competitions with the moves I'd learned.

17:08

Urantsetseg had no reservations about offering her brother her competition winnings.

17:17

It's strange, but knowing she's on my side fills me with courage.

17:24

I feel that I can do anything.

17:29

She's always with me in spirit. She gives me courage.

17:36

I can tackle any challenge.

17:45

His sister's support helped Bat-Erdene complete the first housing complex in 2022, five years after founding his company.

17:56

He submitted it to a contest run by the German government for highly energy-efficient homes.

18:02

It won, and he received subsidies to cover part of the construction cost.

18:08

But it wasn't all smooth sailing.

18:12

People said it was impossible.

18:16

They thought I was lying.

18:20

People posted on social media that I was making it up.

18:28

Bat-Erdene wanted people to learn about his project.

18:31

He decided to use social media to stream a live explanation of his smoke-free homes.

18:44

This model room is 100m2. Let's go inside and take a look.

18:51

Inside there is a sunroom.

18:56

It sends warm air to the rest of the house.

19:00

Let's check the temperature of the wall. 54°C.

19:08

Air pollution is a major problem for everyone living in Ulaanbaatar.

19:12

It was a simple live-stream, but it was the first step on the road to wider acceptance.

19:30

Undarmaa has lived in the smoke-free complex for two years.

19:34

Her family of six includes two grandchildren.

19:43

As the first family to buy a smoke-free home, they're also the first to experience life in one.

19:50

Bat-Erdene asked for their help in reporting little things they notice every day.

20:02

It's a 15-year loan, with monthly $100 repayments.

20:07

It used to cost more than that to buy coal and wood.

20:11

No more lighting fires early in the morning, or coal dirtying the home.

20:20

No splitting logs outside either. My life is much easier. I love it.

20:37

Bat-Erdene continues to improve the quality of his smoke-free homes, adjusting building structure and construction materials.

20:49

Today he's visiting the only factory in Mongolia that makes insulation out of sheep's wool.

21:01

Most sheep in Mongolia are raised for eating.

21:04

Their wool is stiff and hard to process, so it's usually discarded rather than sold.

21:17

However, factory owner Bat-Ild learned that sheep's wool is excellent at retaining heat and humidity.

21:24

He began collecting wool from nomads to process into insulation.

21:34

Compared to standard insulation, which uses glass wool, his product helps prevent condensation inside the home.

21:41

As a natural product, it's also a greener choice.

21:49

The two men met in 2022.

21:52

Bat-Ild was excited by the idea of smoke-free homes, and provides his insulation at a discount.

22:02

It was fate that brought us together.

22:07

Our hour-long meeting turned into an all-night conversation.

22:15

His ideas inspired me.

22:19

I knew I had to help.

22:29

Today, the government is driving a regeneration program in Ulaanbaatar.

22:38

But most of the ger districts around the city are not part of the plan.

22:43

They remain all but ignored.

22:51

Bat-Erdene says these districts face many problems in addition to air pollution.

22:56

Something has to be done.

23:01

There is no basic infrastructure provided for residents here.

23:08

People simply dig their own pit toilets.

23:14

This is a toilet.

23:17

It's hilly, so when it rains, water pours into these pits.

23:25

It washes feces out onto the ground, and children play here.

23:34

They eat without washing their hands and get hepatitis A.

23:44

The ger districts keep expanding, as more people arrive from the countryside.

23:49

The provision of water and sewage systems has fallen far behind, and the government hasn't allocated a budget for the work.

24:01

Sewage is treated here.

24:08

In an effort to further popularize smoke-free homes in ger districts,

24:12

Bat-Erdene has begun adding small septic tanks into his house designs.

24:21

Enzymes and microorganisms break down the dirty water.

24:27

We water plants with this. It goes back to the environment.

24:38

Digging a well on the property also provides safe drinking water.

24:46

However, the septic tank alone costs around 8,400 dollars, making the smoke-free homes more expensive.

24:59

At the moment, a standard 60-square-meter detached home costs around 58,000 dollars.

25:05

The average annual income in Mongolia is just 4,500 dollars.

25:11

Since ger-district residents earn far less than average, this is well out of their reach.

25:24

To ensure as many people as possible can buy a smoke-free home, Bat-Erdene talked to a major bank.

25:37

After some negotiating, the bank agreed to a special, low-interest loan.

25:42

They're betting on Bat-Erdene's eco-friendly, smoke-free homes, and lowering their interest rate from 20 to 12%.

25:55

Ger-district residents need homes with green heat and sewage solutions.

26:03

With a government aid system, I could make the homes cheaper.

26:16

Work has started on new smoke-free homes.

26:20

A public housing organization called NOSK has requested eight units.

26:30

Bat-Erdene's smoke-free homes were highly rated by NOSK's research.

26:35

Elderly and disabled ger-district residents and their families will live in the units for a low rent.

26:47

The sun's light and energy should fall on all people, equally.

26:52

Even in ger districts, we should get good light, good schools, good services.

26:58

Why should where we're born make a difference?

27:05

I want to build a fairer society through construction.

27:11

I'm making that dream a reality.

27:23

The fight continues to solve Ulaanbaatar's air pollution problems and provide a healthy life, under bright, sunny skies.