Saving energy through efficient use

Energy efficiency and conservation can save around 2,640 megawatts (MW) of electricity, more than one-third of the country's daily electricity production.  It may save US$ 6.0 billion worth of capital investment as well.
A study on energy released last week said efficient use of energy and its conservation may save 1020 MW of electricity from lighting, 30 MW electric ballasts, 520 MW from fans, 360 MW from motors, 70 MW from refrigerators and 640 MW from air conditioners.
The per capita energy consumption in Bangladesh is one of the lowest in the region. On average, per capita energy consumption in Bangladesh is 160 kg oe (kilogram oil equivalent) compared to 530 kg oe in India, 510 kg oe in Pakistan, 340 kg oe in Nepal and 470 kg oe in Sri Lanka. The average energy consumption in Asia is 640 Kg oe. It is, therefore, evident that per capita average consumption of energy in Bangladesh is far lower than the average of Asia.
With a view to conserve energy, the government is now considering enacting a law to legally compel the consumers to save energy by ensuring its efficient use. The move has been taken in order to cope with the yawning gap between the demand and supply. Under the plan, industrial and domestic users will be given a certain period of time to replace their old and inefficient energy equipment with efficient ones. If the consumers fail to go for efficient use, the supply of energy to them will be stopped. In fact, efficient energy use by efficient devices could save one third of use in homes and industries.
Although load-shedding is not that frequent now in the country unlike the past, there are problems of power outages. The country's present outages are, however, the outcome of infrastructural bottlenecks like substation failure, problems in electricity transmission and distribution. These issues need to be addressed urgently.
Bangladesh expects to become a middle-income country by 2021 and developed country by 2041. In order to reach that goal, development of human resources is of urgent necessity. The country requires efficient geologists, miners, engineers and researchers in the energy sector. Also, there is a need for a comprehensive communication strategy to ensure efficient use of energy in the country's industrial sector.
In order to save energy, consumers will be given a certain period of time to replace their old and inefficient energy equipment with efficient ones voluntarily. The government is expected to go for actions if the consumers fail to efficiently use the energy voluntarily. It will encourage green and blue economy through efficient energy use.
The improvement of energy efficiency is expected to have two-fold impact. One is improvement of energy security and the other, efficient environmental management. The diffusion of efficient energy utilisation movement will result in more output from equal quantity of primary energy. Subsequently there will be low carbon emission from efficient utilisation of that primary energy in Bangladesh.
Over the Sixth Five-Year Plan period, the government undertook a vision to save 10 per cent energy through efficient use of primary and secondary energy and conservation at user level for sustainable energy security including low carbon emission. A number of initiatives were taken for efficient energy use and reduced consumption of energy. On the basis of an Action Plan, the government is now keen to ensure energy efficiency and its conservation both at supply and demand side.
A number of interventions have been also identified for implementation with a time-bound framework. Some initiatives have been taken up to build awareness amongst the students, by incorporating Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy issues in the academic curricula of schools, madrasas and colleges;
At present, Bangladesh gets energy from both renewable and non-renewable sources, using current technologies. Seventy five per cent of commercial energy comes from natural gas. Imported oil accounts for the rest.
Experts say energy use can be enhanced by sustainable consumption. Conservation by making energy consumption more efficient, reducing blatant waste and promoting modest use, offers the highest impact on the reduction of demand and associated emissions. Its use can also be increased by maximising production from energy assets already available and reducing energy losses in production, transportation and end use.
Maximum utilisation of energy is also possible by reducing demand from within the most demanding sectors and promoting conservation and demand management through pragmatic policy. There is also a need for reducing the inequities in energy use to promote balanced use for commercial and residential users.
In order to save energy, the government needs to promote development of renewable energy technologies that have zero impact on the environment. Furthermore, there should be balanced dependence on petroleum imports with lower-cost alternatives of non-renewable energy sources such as coal, lignite, natural gas and electricity so as to make energy more affordable. Dependence on quick rental power services should be reduced, laying thrust on maximising the efficiency of the existing system.
Energy experts say accredited certification of energy management systems (EMS) against such international standards as ISO 50001 can be used as a tool for enhancing efficiency in the energy sector. In doing so, the government and the private sector procurers and the consumers can have confidence in the calibration and test results, inspection reports, and certifications provided in the provision of energy.
Energy conservation alone can ultimately lead to substantive benefits in the form of reduced cost of products and services. Moving towards energy sustainability requires development not only in the way energy is supplied, but also in the manner it is used as well. Reducing the amount of energy required to deliver various goods and services is a prerequisite in this respect.
szkhan@dhaka.net