The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Utilization Management Bureau on Tuesday said designated establishments (DEs) have invested PHP6.8 billion in energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) initiatives from 2021 to 2022. DEs -identified by the DOE as energy-intensive sectors- submit an annual EEC and annual energy consumption reports to the bureau to monitor their adoption of EEC initiatives and how these programs have improved their utilization of energy resources. These private entities are in the commercial, industrial, transport, power, agriculture, public works, and other sectors. DEs are divided into three classifications: other DEs, which have an annual energy consumption threshold between 100,000 and 500,000 kilowatt hour (kWh) for the previous year; Type 1 DEs, which have energy consumption of 500,001 to 4 million kWh in the previous year; and Type 2 DEs, which energy consumption reached more than 4 million kWh in the previous year. The DOE said the bulk of the EEC investments between 2021 and 2022 came from Type 2 DEs amounting to PHP6.1 billion. Type 1 DEs had aggregate investments of PHP360 million, while some 4,782 other DEs invested PHP306 million from 2021 to 2022. ‘I am very pleased that our DEs are moving forward on EEC. These accomplishments bring multiple benefits for the companies such as enhancing the sustainability of the energy system, supporting strategic objectives for economic and social development, promoting environmental goals, and increasing prosperity,’ DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said in a statement. Among DEs’ investments using energy-efficient technologies and practices include new installation, upgrading, or retrofitting specific equipment or devices such as lighting retrofit; automated lighting control system or smart control system; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades; boiler replacement; and other similar devices or equipment. The bureau also observed increased investments in solar photovoltaic system, variable frequency drives (VFDs), cogeneration system, district cooling system, pumping system, HVAC system, compressed air system, smart manufacturing system, and building energy management system. Integrating energy management system policy into their business operations is required to acquire or maintain ISO 50001 or similar frameworks. Institutions are awarded this international standard due to their effective energy management system. The ISO 50001 is geared towards enjoining private entities to disclose and reduce their emissions and to commit to developing policies that will make their operations energy efficient. ‘Industry has a crucial role to play in our quest towards achieving a low carbon-intensive economy and more importantly, integrating this in their business models,’ Lotilla added.
Source: Philippines News Agency
