Energy efficiency investments by power-intensive industries have reached P6.8 billion, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Utilization Management Bureau said.
The amount is based on the Annual Energy Efficiency and Conservation and Annual Energy Consumption Reports submitted by designated establishments (DEs) for compliance period of 2021 to 2022.
DEs are private entities in the commercial, industrial, transport, power, agriculture, public works and other sectors identified by the DOE as energy-intensive industries based on their annual consumption from the previous year.
Type 1 DEs have an annual energy consumption of 500,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) to 4,000,000 kWh in the prior year while type 2 DEs have an annual energy consumption of more than 4,000,000 kWh for the previous year.
DOE said energy efficiency investments include projects that use energy-efficient technologies and practices which include new installation, upgrading or retrofitting specific equipment or devices such as lighting retrofit, automated lighting control system or smart control system, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, boiler replacement and other similar devices or equipment.
The agency also recorded increased investment in solar photovoltaic, variable frequency drives, cogeneration system, district cooling system, pumping system, HVAC system, compressed air system, smart manufacturing system and building energy management system.
DOE said for Type 1 DEs, an investment of around P360 million were recorded for the period while the bulk of around P6.1 billion were recorded for Type 2 DEs.
A total of 4,782 DEs with an annual energy consumption threshold of more than 100,000 kWh equivalent recorded an investment of around P306 million.
“I am very pleased that our DEs are moving forward on EEC (energy efficiency and conservation). These accomplishments bring multiple benefits for the companies such as enhancing the sustainability of the energy system, supporting strategic objectives for economic and social development, promoting environmental goals and increasing prosperity,” said DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla, in a statement.
At present, DEs are mandated to integrate energy management system policy into their business operation, geared toward businesses committed to disclosing and reducing their emissions and dedicated to developing a policy to make their operations more energy efficient.
DEs are also mandated to set up programs to develop and design measures that promote energy efficiency, conservation and sufficiency, including installation of renewable energy technologies and the conduct of an energy audit by engaging a certified energy auditor once every three years apart from the submission of energy consumption reports to the DOE.
