The implementation of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) resulted in a cumulative electricity savings of P205 million or an equivalent of over 20 million kilowatt hours (kWh) as of the first quarter of 2023, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
The GEMP implementation is guided by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) created by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Act that aims to reduce the entire government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent through various strategies.
Prior to the EEC Act’s enactment in April 2019, the DOE said the national government’s cumulative electricity savings only stood at 5 million kWh equivalent to over P51 million.
“We commend the efforts of our government agencies in implementing energy efficiency measures. Small acts and what appears to be minor could indeed drive significant impact, especially when the entire bureaucracy, including the local government units and state universities and colleges would adopt behavioral changes and imbibe energy conservation as a way of life,” said Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, in a statement.
The DOE added the IAEECC is also empowered to prepare an annual assessment of opportunities for energy cost reduction in state-owned and leased buildings and facilities and mandating the adoption of energy-efficient measures and technologies includes the use of LED lamps, inverter-type air-conditioners and other energy-efficient technologies in government facilities.
The agency also said the conduct of regular energy audits and spot checks also increased the awareness of government entities which encouraged them to adopt energy efficiency and conservation by reducing expenditures on fuel and electric utility services.
The DOE through the Energy Utilization Management Bureau is also mandated to conduct energy audits and spot checks under the EEC Act and targets a minimum of 100 annual energy audits.
It also authorized third-party auditors such as the Philippine National Oil Company-Renewable Corp., which assisted in the conduct of energy audits to reach more government entities nationwide.
The DOE also claimed that its adoption of a flexible work arrangement (FWA), recorded a 49 percent electricity savings from its Friday work-from-home scheme as from the implementation period in February this year, reduction in electricity consumption of 430,227 kWh or an estimated savings of P5.13 million was realized.
The agency said the savings were recorded even with the resumption of the use of air-cooling devices during Fridays of the months of April and May due to the high heat index.
DOE said that because of the promising results, the IAEECC came up with a resolution in a meeting last March that encourages the adoption of FWA for all government entities as part of the GEMP to minimize the impact of high global prices of petroleum products as well as to help reduce the consumption of the whole government of both electricity and fuel and alleviate traffic congestion. -Jed Macapagal
