Goverment saves P205 million in power consumption

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) has reported on Tuesday a cumulative electricity savings of P205 million by implementing energy efficiency and conservation programs.

The amount is equivalent to 20 million kilowatt-hours of electricity savings as of the first quarter of 2023.

DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla commended all government agencies for their efforts to ensure the efficient implementation of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP).

“Small acts and what appears to be minor could indeed drive significant impact, especially when the entire bureaucracy, including the local government units and State Universities and Colleges would adopt behavioral changes and imbibe energy conservation as a way of life," said Lotilla, in a statement.

The GEMP implementation is guided by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) created by Republic Act (RA) No. 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.

It aims to reduce the whole government's electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10% through energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) strategies.

Prior to the EEC Act, the government's cumulative electricity savings stood at 5 million kWh or equivalent to over P51 million.

The EEC Act, enacted on April 12, 2019, seeks to institutionalize EEC and grant incentives to EEC projects. Its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) was signed on 22 November 2019 and became effective on 21 December 2019.

The IAEECC is empowered to prepare an annual assessment of opportunities for energy cost reduction in state-owned and leased buildings and facilities and mandating the adoption of energy-efficient measures and technologies.

This includes the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, inverter-type air-conditioners, and other energy-efficient technologies in government facilities.

The EE&C Public Sector Management Division of the DOE - Energy Utilization Management Bureau is mandated to conduct energy audits and spot checks under the EEC Act and targets a minimum of 100 annual energy audits.

At the same time, it authorized third-party auditors, such as the Philippine National Oil Company-Renewable Corporation (PNOC-RC), which assisted in the conduct of energy audits to reach more government entities nationwide.

The regular conduct of energy audits and spot checks also increased the awareness of government entities which encouraged them to adopt energy efficiency and conservation by reducing expenditures on fuel and electric utility services.

Meanwhile, the DOE's adoption of a Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) has recorded 49 percent electricity savings from its Friday work-from-home scheme.

From the implementation period in February this year, a significant reduction in electricity consumption of 430,227 kWh or an estimated savings of PhP5.13 million was realized.

This is even with the resumption of the use of air-cooling devices, such as air-conditioner during Fridays of the months of April and May, due to the high heat index.

This only demonstrates that the WA arrangement and the adoption of EEC best practices work and deliver positive results for the government and its employees. — (FREEMAN)