On 25/08/2010, Ho Chi Minh City Energy Conversation Center, in coordination with Ben Tre Women's Union, organized training on energy efficiency for over 400 participants who are members of Women's Union in the locality. This is one of the activities of the project "Raising awareness on cleaner production, energy efficiency and conservation for the public", chaired by Ben Tre Department of Science and Technology.

Should 1kWh of electricity be saved, we would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emission into the environment by 0.5634 kg, helping mitigate climate change. So saving power should be one of the priorities to adapt to climate change.

Chi Thanh Ice Manufacturing Ltd based in My Tho, Tien Giang is specialized in providing ice for offshore fishing vessels. The technological process mainly uses electric. So energy saving solutions mainly focus on electric efficiency, especially in key consumption areas such as compressors and heat pumps.

Engaging in the program of cleaner production and energy efficiency in industry of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, annually, the company saves billions of dong thanks to technical improvements, energy saving and environmental protection by a series of measures: internal management, lighting system improvement, and equipment replacement.

With a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of approximately 12.67% and rapidly growing commercial activities, Da Nang is considered to be a major energy consumer, where situate many key industries. To reduce production and energy costs, Da Nang has very soon participated in Energy Efficiency projects and programs, initially proving to be effective.

Only with 4 simple solutions including: improving the lighting system, disposing of and replacing motors with speed regulator, re-using condensed water and rearranging paper pulp containers, the company has saved more than VND130 million each year. At present, company leaders with technical experts are studying efficient energy saving solutions.

FOCOCEV Joint Stock Company in Quang Nam (Que Cuong Commune, Que Son District,) is an enterprise producing tapioca from fresh cassava. Since the typical characteristic of cassava starch factories is manual processing, wasted raw materials brought serious environmental consequences.

In the early July, in Ha Long city, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program (VNEEP) cooperated with Quang Ninh People’s Committee to organize “Effective energy saving lighting models in Northern provinces” media event. The event will contribute to propagate policies and develop public highly efficient lighting models as part of VNEEP.

In 1995, Ha Long Brick factory stopped operating because the circular kiln technology was obsolescent. The company switched to operate Tieu Giao Brick factory with tunnel furnace technology granted by Bulgaria. With two tunnel furnaces using dust coal, work conditions and product quality were improved but still at a low level. The company decided to dismantle Ha Long Brick Factory to try the new technology: dry crushing – plastic extruding – quick drying to produce high quality tile.

Ca Mau electric grid was built and completed immediately after the administrative separation with Bac Lieu (November 1996). This grid spreads from primary forests in U Minh Thuong and U Minh Ha to Dam Doi district, Ngoc Hien. Due to sparsely populated condition, electrical loss only exceeds 9% because of naked wire and frost. The efforts of the electricity industry and Ca Mau’s people in saving electricity are quite impressing. During the serious lack of electricity in the dry season, Ca Mau has contributed to the national grid by operating its gas-power-fertilizer plant with capacity 1,500MW. To help Southern Electricity Corporation overcome difficulties, the implementation of energy saving and reduction in Ca Mau is a matter of great importance for all sectors. The output in 2010 is scheduled to reach 670 million kWh. However, due to planned reduction, the first 5 months in 2010 only reached 258.3 million kWh, equals to 38.55% of plans.

Under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai at Announcement number 343/TB-VPCP dated December 4th 2009 on building an energy saving advocacy program to every province, bringing the program to every ward, commune, block, making energy efficiency an emulation target, a standard in the cultural family evaluation, the Hanoi People’s Committee, in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, organized the pilot campaign for the 2010 Energy Saving and Efficiency for Households in Hanoi, with the theme “Energy efficiency in every household is saving for you and for future generations”.

During the recent heat wave, electricity consumption has increased sharply: on 19th June, 37 million KWh was used, on 20th June, almost 40 million kWh, increasing by nearly 40% over the same period in 2009. According to EVN Hanoi, the sudden growth mainly gathered in daily life consumption. Meanwhile, in other provinces electricity consumption were deeply reduced - 30% over the same period in 2009 because every week, these provinces have electricity outage in 2-3 days.

A component of the program to assist firms in energy conservation in the province, An Giang Scientific and Technological Advance Application Center has lately undertaken many positive actions such as: Organizing trainings, auditing, implementing energy saving, etc

EVN Hanoi has discussed energy saving with its prime customers consuming more than 3 million kwh per year or having capacity of greater than 500kW. Thang Long, Quang Minh and Noi Bai industrial zones agree to EVN Hanoi not to exceed the amounts of consumption stated on electricity supply contracts, avoid overloads and cut from 5 to 10% of its energy consumption demand, equivalent to about 3302.43 to 6603.86 MWh.

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.

Various bodies in construction have set up energy saving systems in buildings under the Research and Cooperation Program in accordance with protocols with other countries, for instance, cooperation with Bulgaria and Russia in saving energy in buildings; cooperation with Germany in saving energy in construction and reducing consequences of climate change.

To realize energy saving plan in order to reduce cost of production, the company’s leaders have planned to run concrete crushing machine during off-peak hours, hence consuming less electricity on producing concrete and clinker in comparison with previous targets. The company has also reduced time spent on drying furnace, and burned coal right after solving furnace problem instead of using MFO oil; hence dramatically reducing oil consumption.

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.

A retailer shopping centers and supermarkets, Big C welcomes thousands of shoppers every day. Its power expenditure accounts for a proportion as large as 30% of the total outsource service costs. Thus, energy saving activities will bring about practical benefits, helping the retailer meet dual targets: reducing costs to fulfill its mission statement “low prices for every one” to boost its market share, and achieving the national target in energy savings and efficiency together with the whole society.

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.