Department of Energy secures ISO certification

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) becomes the first and only department-wide government agency in the country to receive the International Standard Organization (ISO) 50001:2018 certification for energy management system.

ISO 50001:2018 is an international energy management system standard that provides organizations of any size with a tool to optimize energy performance and promote more efficient energy management systematically.

The audit for the ISO certification was conducted this month by DQS Certification Philippines Inc.

“I am pleased with the DOE’s successful implementation of its energy efficiency and conservation measures, highlighting the collective efforts and innovative mindsets of the whole DOE,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.

“As the lead implementing agency of Republic Act   11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, we are committed to continually improving our energy performance and being an example for both the public and private sector,” he said.

In line with ISO 50001 international standard guidelines, the DOE said it has systematically established and implemented processes to reduce energy consumption.

At the start of the year, the DOE organized an energy management team (EMT) to boost its implementation of energy efficiency and conservation measures and institutionalize the same.

The EMT was further strengthened with the issuance of a department order for the successful certification under ISO 50001.

The DOE also adopted a flexible work arrangement to reduce energy consumption, where it has recorded 14.83 percent electricity savings from its Friday work-from-home scheme.

From the implementation period in February 2023 to date, the agency said a significant reduction in electricity consumption of 213.02 megawatt-hour (MWh) or an estimated savings of P2.5 million was realized.

Also adopted was a default temperature setting of the air-conditioning units in every unit and office of the department at 24 degrees Celsius during the four-day in-person work week.

The DOE has likewise accelerated the implementation of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP), which has reached a cumulative electricity savings of P286.7 million or an equivalent of 28,667.58 MWh as of Dec. 28.

The GEMP aims to reduce the whole government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent through energy efficiency and conservation strategies.

Among the energy efficiency and conservation measures implemented are the retrofitting of air-conditioning units and lighting systems to inverter and LED-type units, deployment of electric vehicles, and regular monitoring and documentation of energy consumptions.