The power-saving Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) has accumulated electricity savings of P205 million equivalent to over 20 million kilowatt hours (kWh) as of the first quarter of 2023, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
The program is guided by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) created by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Act that seeks to reduce the government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent through various strategies.
Prior to EEC’s enactment on April 2019, the national government’s cumulative electricity savings stood at only 5 million kWh.
“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.
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 conduct of regular energy audits and spot checks has also increased the awareness of government entities and encouraged them to adopt energy efficiency and conservation by reducing expenditures on fuel and electric utility services.
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. in the conduct of energy audits to reach more government entities nationwide.
The DOE said its adoption of a flexible work arrangement (FWA) resulted to a 49 percent electricity savings from its Friday work-from-home scheme. Since February this year, the reduction in electricity consumption of 430,227 kWh resulted to estimated savings of P5.13 million.
The savings were posted even with the resumption of the use of air-cooling devices on Fridays in April and May due to the high heat index.
Because of the promising results, the IAEECC encourages the adoption of FWA in government entities as part of the GEMP minimizing the impact of expensive petroleum products and help reduce government consumption of both electricity and fuel and alleviate traffic congestion.
