The international drivers for energy efficiency are based in cost savings, suggesting that the sluggish economy could be a driver for companies to grab low-hanging fruit to help their bottom line. While energy management is important in every country, some emerging economies outstripped Europe and the U.S. when it came to how high they ranked.

The draft version of the Law on Energy Efficiency and Conservation has dedicated a chapter to describe the responsibility of industrial production facilities in economical and efficient use of energy. This indicates the essential role of the industrial sector in Vietnam efforts to achieve the national target on energy efficiency and conservation.

In the framework of the second International Exhibition on Energy Efficiency and Environment (Entech Hanoi 2010), the Hanoi Industry and Trade Department and the Hanoi Energy Conservation Center recently organized a seminar to discuss solutions for energy efficiency in buildings.

Construction Industry in Viet Nam has been growing quickly in recent years, with growth rate of 12 – 16% per year. This quick growth, however, means an uncontrollably increasing use of energy and natural resources in construction. Statistics show that there are about 1,000 buildings consuming more than 1 million kWh per year. Such enormous energy waste could be greatly reduced (20% to 30%) under an energy efficiency plan in construction design.

Legislators attending this year's Congressional Energy and Energy Efficiency Expo and Forum in Washington, DC, last week were quick to point out the problems with fossil fuel -- from cave-ins at coal mines to the oil spill in the Gulf.

Huynh Kim Tuoc, the director of the Ho Chi Minh City Energy Conservation Center, said, "Industries in Vietnam still consume exorbitant amounts of energy due to inefficiency." Statistics show that the energy efficiency at thermoelectric plants in Vietnam is about 28-32 percent while in developed countries this number is about 40 percent.

The Institute for Building, Science and Technology (IBST) on May 12th held a scientific seminar on “The experiences in implementing energy saving and efficiency program of the EU and Bulgaria and the application of energy efficiency meter software in Vietnam.” Participants of the workshop included Mr. Vladimir Moskov, commissioner of Bulgarian Embassy in Vietnam, Prof. Dr Nikola Geargiev Kaloyanov, Vice-Chancellor of Technical University of Sofia, project director and some other experts. On Vietnam side are Assoc. Prof. Dr Cao Duy Tien, director of IBST, Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Xuan Chinh, deputy director of IBST concurrently project director, other experts from research institutes and universities and other interested researchers.

Leaders of the two companies were very pleased as experts of the Energy Efficiency Center of Hanoi and Ninh Binh Department of Industry and Trade’s Energy Management Office have helped them discover the energy saving potential. Thereby, the two companies will gradually apply the proposed solutions to redress the wasted energy.

There are two large industrial factories in the Nam Dong Ha Industrial Zone. These are Geruco Quang Tri MDF Wood Factory and the Hoa Tho – Dong Ha Garment Company. Geruco Quang Tri pays VND1.2-1.5 billion for power monthly consuming one-third of power supply in the city of Dong Ha. With that in mind, the company’s leaders are very concerned about energy efficiency.

The Second International Exhibition of Energy Efficiency and Environment Hanoi (ENTECH Hanoi 2010), a large exhibition of this kind for the north will be held from May 27-30 at the Giang Vo Exhibition Center in Hanoi.

In Hanoi alone, the survey results in 10 big businesses active in major economic sectors such as textile-garment, leather and footwear, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics etc. showed that these businesses could save 3.2 million kWh, or VND40 billion, each year if they took energy efficient measures.

In response to the government’s policy and the national program for energy efficiency, the An Giang Province Department of Industry and Trade together with the Philips Vietnam Company sent a team to rural areas in the province to launch the “The Path for the Goal of Power Saving” program for impoverished residents in the area.

Mr. Luu Tien Long also presented five public sector energy conservation projects: installing a public lighting system on Hanoi’s streets; building a rural lighting system in Hanoi’s Soc Son, Dong Anh and Tu Liem districts; replacing the lighting system at State offices; building a biogas power generation plant that uses waste from slaughter-houses, and building a biogas power generation plant using waste that is derived from fuels in Ba Vi district. Investment in these five projects is estimated to total nearly VND500 billion

Surveys from 10 businesses, which operate in major industries like textile/garment, leather and footwear, mechanical engineering, energy and electronics, show that 3.2 million kWh of power (roughly VND40 billion) will be saved each year if energy efficiency and conservation solutions are utilized.

More than 1,000 members from the women’s associations in 10 inner districts in Hanoi partook in a ceremony at Quan Ngua Stadium on March 30 to celebrate the movement, ‘Promoting energy efficiency and conservation among Hanoi families in 2010’. The Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh, leaders from the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade and Hanoi People’s Committee, and representatives from the Hanoi Women’s Union attended the ceremony.

Theo Quyết định số 0761/QĐ-BCT ngày 13 tháng 2 năm 2009, Dự án “Dỡ bỏ rào cản để thực thi có hiệu quả các tiêu chuẩn và dán nhãn hiệu suất năng lượng - Barriers Removal to the Cost-Effective Development and Implementation of Energy Efficiency Standards and Labeling” do Quỹ Môi trường Toàn cầu (GEF) tài trợ thông qua Chương trình Phát triển Liên Hợp Quốc (UNDP) đã được Bộ Trưởng Bộ Công Thương phê duyệt. Bản tin TKNL kỳ này xin được giới thiệu đôi nét chính của Dự án.

Thực hiện Quyết định số 4454/QĐ-BCT ngày 13 tháng 8 năm 2008 của Bộ trưởng Bộ Công Thương về việc phê duyệt Dự án “Hỗ trợ triển khai Chương trình mục tiêu quốc gia về sử dụng năng lượng tiết kiệm và hiệu quả - VIE: Supporting National Energy Efficiency Program Implementation” do Ngân hàng phát triển Châu Á (ADB) tài trợ, ngày 7 tháng 10 năm 2008 Văn phòng Tiết kiệm năng lượng, Bộ Công Thương cùng với Đại điện của Ngân hàng phát triển Châu Á và Tư vấn của Dự án Viện Bảo tồn Năng lượng Quốc tế đã tổ chức Hội nghị khởi động Dự án.