CEBU CITY, Cebu, June 29 (PIA) -- The Department of Energy (DOE) Visayas Field Office is pushing for power consumers to practice energy efficiency and conservation measures in order to lower energy consumption not only in the households and private companies but in government offices as well.
During the Association of Government Information Officers General Assembly on June 28, DOE VFO shared the various energy efficiency and conservation technologies and practices that can help lower energy usage.
DOE VFO Energy Resource Development and Utilization Division Science Research Specialist Engr. Robert James Lacandazo shared the energy efficiency and conservation tips for electrical appliances and fixtures such as air-conditioning (aircon), refrigerators, electric fans, electric lamps, and computers.
For aircon units, Lacandazo said the room size should be considered when choosing the aircon’s rated capacity for more efficient cooling.
Aircon filters should be cleaned once every two months, as an additional 5% to 15% of energy is wasted on dust clogged air filters.
Installing window curtains and keeping the doors and windows closed in air-conditioned rooms to prevent air infiltration could also save energy consumption.
For refrigerators, Lacandazo suggested using manual frost refrigerators since frost-free freezers use 23% more energy than the manual defrost type.
He also recommends keeping the condenser coil of refrigerators clean and avoid leaving the refrigerator door open longer than necessary, since opening the refrigerator door 42 times in a day account for 7% of the power consumption.
"For our air conditioning units, we should look directly at the cooling capacity, while for the refrigerators, we should control and regulate the frequent door openings,” said Lacandazo.
He added that electric fans and laptops consume electricity less compared to aircon units and desktop computers.
When buying electrical appliances, Lacandazo said it is important to check the energy label to determine whether the appliance is energy efficient or not based on the number of stars that appear on the label.
The star rating corresponds to the product’s energy efficiency rating; more stars mean that the appliance is more efficient compared to other units.
Under the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP), the DOE VFO has started conducting spot checks this year on government offices in Visayas to assess their compliance with the mandatory implementation of energy efficiency and conservation programs.
Based on initial results, DOE has checked 31 government offices in Region 6; 50 in Region 7; and 20 in Region 8.
During the energy audit spot checks from April 18 to June 23, a total of 22 government offices in Cebu were rated five stars, or a score of between 88% to 100%, with Mactan Cebu International Airport given the highest score of 100%.
The other agencies are the following: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Budget and Management, National Labor Relations Commission, Professional Regulations Commissions, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine Information Agency, Pag-Ibig Fund, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, Bureau of Internal Revenue, National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Food Authority, Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Trade and Industry, and Cooperative Development Authority. (RGC/PIA7)
