Holding the public sector accountable for energy efficiency, conservation
Published:Friday | September 30, 2011 | 12:00 AM
R. Anne Shirley, Business Writer
One of the common threads throughout the entire First Supplementary Estimates for Fiscal Year 2011/12, which were recently approved by the House of Representatives, was an indication that most, if not all, ministries and their agencies are expecting to achieve greater-than-originally-estimated savings regarding their energy usage.
No real details were presented during the debate on the Supplementary Estimates as to how the government expected to realise these energy savings, yet, it should be readily apparent that if the issue of energy efficiency and conservation is taken seriously, this is an area in which significant savings could accrue.
In this regard, if the government really intends to effect these savings, then it is imperative that tangible, quantifiable targets be set for each ministry, agency and public body to achieve, in terms of promoting the efficient use of energy, and reducing energy consumption throughout the entire public sector. Tangible steps to be taken could include:
1. Conducting detailed and comprehensive energy audits of all major public buildings, including hospitals, schools, government office buildings. Singapore, for example, has mandated that all large public buildings have to conduct energy audits by 2012. An energy audit identifies all energy end-uses in the building, estimates how much energy is used by each end-use, and determines the amount of energy used in relation to desired values, as well as the potential energy savings for the end-uses investigated. And it is important that the audits set overall goals for the energy-management programme of each building that lead to its actual implementation. In others words, funds need to be set aside in the budget to finance these investment projects.
2. Developing measures to promote the establishment of new procurement guidelines regarding the purchase of energy-efficient machinery, equipment and vehicles throughout the public sector, which take into consideration the life cycle cost (LLC) basis for procurement rather than going for the lowest cost method - in essence, some of the initial products, equipment, vehicles might seem more expensive at the outset, but this needs to be balanced with the energy efficiency and savings that could eventually accumulate over the long-haul. Areas for consideration are:
Establishment of best practices in the changing out of the use of incandescent bulbs to the use of LED bulbs and other lighting arrangements - for example, General Electric announced last year, that in early 2011, it would start selling an LED bulb that can replace a 40-watt incandescent bulb but consumes just 9-watts and lasts 17 years, at four hours per day.
Establishment of protocols on lighting energy conservation regarding over-illumination in workplace settings during day-light hours, for example: installing and calibrating automatic lighting controls to dim light in response to daylight and "switching in parallel" so that lights close to windows can be switched off; the lighting of government office buildings and the use of air-conditioning after normal business hours; and use of occupancy sensors, especially useful in bathrooms, storerooms, and intermittently used office areas.
Promoting measures to conserve on the use of water such as the replacement of toilets to those using less water, and the promotion of greater energy efficiency in the distribution of water. The "Energy Efficiency in Hospitals: Best Practice Guide" prepared for the Indian Government, in March 2011, suggests that the largest area for potential savings is through the installation of water-saving devices such as tap restrictors that can reduce water flow by 15 per cent; water-efficient shower heads - that can reduce water flow by 20 per cent; and infrared controllers - that provide water only when required, switch off automatically, and can save between five per cent and 15 per cent of water per tap per year.
Promoting the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy solutions, and greater use of indirect sunlight in the design of new government office buildings, schools, hospitals, transport centres, and airports. Even at the design stage, it is important to consider future energy-management needs of each building, and to include aspects in the design that will allow occupants to measure and monitor energy consumption of the different energy end-uses.
It is also important to note that just taking common-sense energy conservation steps can lead to overall savings in each public building.
In the March 2011 Indian study mentioned above, it suggests that: "it is possible to save five-10 per cent of a health care building's total energy costs by implementing some common sense, good housekeeping methods. Even better, energy savings made through good housekeeping, yield immediate results and require no financial investment or specialist skills."
It is not enough to make across- the-board cuts in public-sector expenditure on utilities in the revised budget; rather, this should be based on a government-wide energy-conservation programme that requires each ministry and agency to develop its own energy- management action plans with realistic timetables and the setting of quantifiable targets.
Everyone needs to get on board as this is one area that, if properly managed, could realise a significant reduction in energy costs and carbon print in the public sector.
And taxpayers need to hold the government accountable with regards to its stated objective of effecting overall savings in the public sector energy bill.