Implementing energy-efficient measures to save P60-B

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 17, 2011—At least sixty billion pesos (P60 billion) will be saved this year alone if businesses implement energy-efficiency measures, an officer of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) said.
                “Of this amount, at least P12 billion would come from the Mindanao areas,” said Jesus C. Anunciacion, assistant director of the Energy Utilization Management Bureau of the Department of Energy (DOE), during the National Training Workshop on Energy Efficiency and Conservation at the Dynasty Court Hotel, March 16 and 17.
                In order to achieve the target savings, the DOE has partnered with DAP in implementing a capacity-building project aimed at training at least 600 private companies on energy management system.
                Alan Cajes, managing director of DAP’s Center for Sustainable Human Development, explained that when companies engage in energy efficiency and conservation, there is a subsequent increase in their levels of productivity and profitability.
                Thus, “it is very important to reach out to these sectors whose energy consumption level is very high,” he said.
                “Avoidance of wastages, like unnecessary energy consumption, is an indicator of a higher level of productivity,” Cajes added.
                But beyond economics, what is more important is that companies learn to protect the environment because lessenergy consumption means less burning of fossil fuels, which translates into less greenhouse gas emission.
                “Energy efficiency and conservation, therefore, results in triple bottomline: increased profit, motivated people and cleaner planet,” he said.
                The DAP said that energy efficiency and conservation is not only pure business. It also leads to a higher noble cause – for this and future generations.
                During the two-day workshop, at least 50 city-based companies participated in the training on how to conduct energy audit, efficient air conditioning and lighting systems and on fuel and motor efficiency.
                The training-workshop here was part of the series of training-workshops being conducted in 15 areas across the country. (Bong D. Fabe)