Hopes still up for Energy

Efficiency Bill enactment

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Energy (DOE) remains aggressive in its thrust towards promoting energy efficiency as a “way of life” for Filipinos through the implementation of related programs, practices and the pending Energy Efficiency Bill.

DOE Undersecretary Loreta Ayson cited during the recent Philippine Energy Efficiency Forum held in Radisson Blu Hotel that the department is still hopeful with the passage of the bill into a law as soon as possible.

Providing “energy access for more”, DOE has formulated the Energy Reform Agenda concentrating on mainstreaming of renewable energy, exploration through energy contracting rounds, strict monitoring of energy price and supply, promoting alternative fuels and technologies, improving transport sector efficiency and vigilant supervision and monitoring of energy sector reforms.

Intended to reduce energy consumption and conserve the country’s power supply, the Energy Conservation Bill which was also tackled during the last year’s forum in Cebu further encourages companies to adopt green practices and energy-efficient technologies.

With the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), DOE has conducted the development study on energy efficiency and conservation for the Philippines which helped the department in designing the bill and its organizational structure.

Also part of the six-year agenda, she further said that the Standard and Labeling Program seeks to protect consumers from buying appliances and equipment that use excessive electricity relative to other brands and models.

According to Ayson, the program aims to help consumers cope with the high cost of electricity by empowering them to choose the appliance model that provides the same amount of performance at lower electricity consumption.

At present, such appliances that currently have energy labels are airconditioners, refrigerators, compact fluorescent lamps, linear fluorescent lamps, circular fluorescent lamps and ballast.

She further revealed that the government is now on its way to further widen the scope of appliances and lighting products to be covered by this program which would include television sets, clothes washers, coolers and bigger sizes of refrigerators.

Furthermore, she added that the electric tricycle (E-TRIKE) project under the initiative on fueling sustainable transport program will be implemented from this year to 2016

The project will acquire 100,000 electric tricycles for distribution to local government units nationwide.

“This is intended to promote the electric vehicle industry in the country with the long-term goal of reducing dependence on imported fuel and address the adverse environmental impact of the transport sector,” Ayson continued.

She noted that with the electric vehicle, a tricycle driver who usually spends P280 for fuel in one day can save P200 daily since there is only P80 charging cost per day. (FREEMAN)