Energy centre strives to promote benefits of urban conservation

Every kilowatt of electricity saved can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than one-half kg of carbon dioxide (CO (), according to the HCM City Energy Conservation Centre (ECC).

Similarly, if one less litre of fossil fuel is used, 3.2kg of CO (emissions that cause the greenhouse effect and contribute to climate change) could be cut, Huynh Kim Tuoc, director of ECC said.

Using energy-saving devices every day in households and businesses could reduce CO emissions dramatically.

However, the ECC and other authorities have calculated that expenses for energy-saving products and devices could be 20-30 per cent higher than that of less energy-efficient devices.

But over the long term, the money saved from spending less on energy would be more than enough to compensate for losses.

Tuoc said the price of compact fluorescent light bulbs was on average 15-20 per cent higher than incandescent bulbs.

However, the energy saved in one year is enough to compensate for the price difference. Customers can begin to receive benefits from the second year.

Tuoc said energy-saving light bulbs should be used correctly and in strict accordance with specifications. People should also be aware of turning off the lights when not in use.

If people use energy-saving air conditioners and let them run at a sufficiently cool temperature, each Celsius degree of cold air would equal around 2 per cent of energy saved.

Using well-insulated materials and other building materials can reduce the amount of energy needed for lighting and air conditioning.

According to ECC figures, around 12 per cent of electrical power could be saved with such materials, which would be significant for places that use a lot of energy, including office buildings, hotels and restaurants.

Energy savings results in reduced costs and also helped companies create an environmentally-friendly business image, Tuoc said. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam energy