12 gov't agencies getting energy-efficient lighting

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Energy yesterday signed a Memorandum of Agreement with 12 government agencies from the Visayas, two of them in Cebu, providing for the retrofitting of existing light systems of the said agencies with energy efficient alternatives.

This initiative is part of the Philippine Energy Efficiency Project being implemented by the DOE, which aims to improve the lighting systems of government offices and at the same time save on electricity expenditures and help reduce the country’s carbon emissions.

These 12 government buildings in the Visayas, made up of government buildings, educational institutions and state-owned hospitals, are expected to generate potential energy savings of about 222Mwh and would translate to around P2.22 million in monetary savings and 120 TCO2 (Total Carbon Dioxide) annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The 12 agencies are the cities of Cebu, Silay and Tacloban, the municipality of Malay in Aklan, Leyte Normal University, West Visayas State University, Visayas State University, Aklan State University, Capiz State University, Cebu Technological University, Eastern Visayas State University and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital.

The MOA signing was graced by the respective city and municipal mayors and school heads together with PEEP director DOE Undersecretary Loreta Ayson at the Rajah Park Hotel in Cebu City.

The PEEP aims to lower power demand in the country by influencing the consumption behavior of consumers both in the public and private sectors.

“Electricity is a commodity and its price is subject to availability of supply and consumer demand. We should always be mindful that energy wastage effectively reduces total available energy supply, artificially lifts demand and promotes high prices,” Ayson said in a press statement.

The DOE has expanded the retrofitting component of the PEEP to include 100 more government buildings from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with an additional potential savings of six GWh in energy corresponding to P60 million in savings and annual avoidance of 3,246 metric tons of carbon. - THE FREEMAN