Nigerian engineer, Mr Victor Ojo, is advancing a new approach to building design and energy efficiency through data-driven innovation aimed at aligning engineering practice with local climatic realities.
Mr Ojo, who began his career as an HVAC Design Engineer intern in 2019, has developed CoolCalc, a home-grown software that estimates cooling loads based on Nigerian environmental data. The tool is now gaining wide adoption among HVAC professionals seeking to improve energy performance in residential and commercial buildings.
In an interview with The Guardian, Mr Ojo explained that the project emerged from a persistent challenge faced by engineers in tropical regions — the use of imported software designed for different climates. “My goal was to solve a practical problem that every HVAC engineer in Nigeria faces, which is the challenge of accurately calculating cooling loads using data that truly reflects our climate,” he said. “We built a tool that could ‘think locally’ — a digital model that uses our own environmental data so engineers can make better, data-driven decisions.”
He said the innovation addresses a long-standing problem of precision in air-conditioning design, noting that even minor miscalculations can lead to major inefficiencies. “Oversized HVAC systems waste energy, while undersized ones underperform. Every building is its own ecosystem,” he said. “Modelling cooling behaviour using local data allows engineers to move from rough estimation to true precision, saving both energy and cost.”
Mr Ojo credited his university education for providing a strong theoretical base in thermodynamics and heat transfer but emphasised that practical problem-solving required more than academic knowledge. “University gave me the fundamentals, but real buildings don’t behave like equations on paper,” he said. “CoolCalc grew out of that realisation — we needed to make those theoretical models practical using real data.”
He also highlighted the collaborative nature of the project, describing teamwork as central to its success. “I worked with programmers, HVAC designers, and mentors who helped validate the models,” he explained. “Everyone brought something vital — from coding efficiency to ensuring compliance with engineering standards. CoolCalc succeeded because it was built collectively, not individually.”
Reflecting on his professional journey, Mr Ojo said the experience had reinforced his belief in lifelong learning. “The classroom gives you tools, but innovation begins when you question what’s missing,” he observed. “Learning to code and understand data are essential skills today. Curiosity and persistence will take you further than any textbook.”
He called for closer collaboration between senior professionals and younger engineers, arguing that experience and data-driven tools should complement each other. “No software can replace intuition built over decades,” he said. “But data tools like CoolCalc can enhance that intuition, helping visualise inefficiencies or risks that were once invisible. The real breakthrough happens when traditional expertise and modern analytics work together.”
Beyond individual innovation, Mr Ojo urged policymakers to prioritise data as a strategic resource for sustainable development. “Many inefficiencies in building design come from the absence of reliable, localised data,” he said. “Policies should support systematic collection and sharing of environmental information across regions.”
He added that evidence-based planning should form the basis of future infrastructure design. “When we measure first, model second, and build last, every project becomes a smarter investment,” he said. “Empowering local engineers with the right tools ensures sustainable, long-term development.”
As Nigeria intensifies efforts to reduce energy waste and promote climate-resilient infrastructure, Mr Ojo’s work illustrates how local innovation and data-driven thinking can redefine the future of sustainable engineering in the country.
