DOE prepares new standards for energy efficiency

Manila, Philippines - The Department of Energy (DOE) will come up with a new set of standards for energy efficiency before the end of the year, the agency’s top official said.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras made this assurance in response to the industry’s clamor for the setting up of updated guidelines on energy efficient devices, particularly appliances.

“We’re going to push for it as fast as we can. We should have something by the end of the year,” he said.

Almendras said the new standards would be consistent with that to be followed in the region. He said talks on these new standards have been carried out throughout the ASEAN.

“Discussion still continues and we hope to come to an agreement. There is an ASEAN initiative to come up with a common standard for appliances,” he said.

According to Almendras, the ASEAN members have decided to come up with common standards.

Earlier, Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Co. (CCAC) chief executive Raul Concepcion urged the DOE to review the current standards which have been in place for more than a decade.

Concepcion said updating the standards on energy efficiency of appliances, including air-conditioning systems, is necessary to safeguard not only the consumers but also the industry from sub-standard products.

He said he is wary that the DOE is so engrossed in addressing the issue on oil prices and missing out on issues relating to power conservation.

“I am worried that up to now the DOE has not been talking about it. We think that the urgency is there. There are a lot of manufacturers who have been releasing false advertisement about their products. And the rating system today, I believe, is misleading.”

He said at present, the air-conditioning system’s market stood at P11 billion to P12 billion; refrigerator at P5 billion to P6 billion; and fans, roughly P6 to P7 billion.

“We are talking of a relatively small industry of P25 billion but this still has impact on the economy,” he said.