MANILA – The Department of Energy (DOE) has called on national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs) to observe energy efficiency and conservation in their respective offices through cutting fuel and electricity consumption by at least 10 percent.
DOE Energy Utilization Management Bureau director Patrick Aquino said they have observed lower electricity consumption in government offices, particularly during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period as alternative work arrangements were implemented.
“Government agencies that are non-front-liners have seen a decline in their energy consumption. More or less, they are able to attain the mandated 10-percent (reduction) under the Bayanihan to Heal as One,” Aquino said during the virtual Luzon Energy Efficiency and Conservation Forum for Local Development Thursday.
The Bayanihan 2 Act orders government offices to conserve and regulate the distribution and use of power, fuel, energy, and water, but also to ensure adequate supply amid the pandemic.
However, it was observed that there was an increase in fuel consumption in government offices as their vehicles were making more trips to observe social distancing requirements in servicing front-liners and employees, the DOE official said.
“In terms of peso impact, since we are also at a regime of lower fuel prices, it more or less offset it,” Aquino added.
He said there is no "one size fits all in terms of energy consumption” in government offices.
For instance, hospitals are using more electricity and fuel amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“But with what we’ve seen is government offices and agencies, since we’ve adopted (a) skeleton workforce and work-from-home scheme, complying with the 10-percent reduction is attainable in the electricity side,” Aquino said.
He urged NGAs and LGUs to invest in energy efficiency and conservation.
Citing DOE’s investments on energy efficiency and conservation, Aquino said the department spent PHP2.35 million on 2,181 linear and compact fluorescent lamps.
This investment has a payback time of 2.82 years in terms of electric consumption savings.
It is expected to generate an annual savings of PHP834,142.90 or 69,511.91 kilowatt-hours of power savings.
For the air conditioning system, the DOE spent PHP22.43 million to replace its 223 non-inverter type units.
Although payback time is longer at 4.61 years, yearly savings is around PHP4.81 million or 405,844.32 kilowatt-hours of consumption. (PNA)
