After nearly 5 years of implementation, the national target program on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy has been extensively deployed in Vinh Yen province, contributing to changing perceptions of individuals and businesses on use energy.

Energy Audit in Lam Vien Industry Company Limited, Vinh Yen City

The inefficient use of energy not only affects the economy, but also exerts significant impacts on the environment, and increases the risk of climate change. Therefore, the economical and efficient use of energy is one of the primary concerns at present. The use of outdated technology, poor-performance equipment in production, the limited capacity of perception, the unchanged habits of the people, businesses in using energy are seen as the main cause for the wasteful use of energy. To get the situation in control, as well as to realize the decisions of the Program Steering Committee of the National Target Program on Economical and Efficient use of Energy, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, over the years, the Provincial Center for Energy Efficiency soon put the National Target Program on Economical and Efficient use of Energy into implementation with practical solutions.

Immediately, in the first year of its establishment (2012), the Center compiled the content for communication about power savings to be transmitted over the radio broadcast in 9 districts, the city and towns, and 50 communes, wards and municipality of the province, also on its website; printing matters as 2000 leaflets; workshop organized on the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in industrial production to address energy users as offices, facilities and establishments in the province; and the training of communicators for energy efficiency. Also during this time, the Center implemented a pilot model for households using energy with savings and efficiency, rolled out its implementation with support to 100 households for installation of water heaters using solar energy and biogas pits. With those positive solutions, the total energy savings from efficient use of power program in 2012 reached nearly 760 kWh/year with savings amounted to over VND195 million, a reduction of over 36 tons of CO2 emission.

Promoting the achieved results, during a few years after that, the Energy Efficiency Center continues the deployment of multiple solutions with public communication, organizing several workshops and seminars on energy savings and efficiency. Especially, since 2013, the Centre has been carrying out energy audits in enterprises. It is considered a key solution to help businesses realize the potential opportunities to save energy in production management, a positive contribution to energy efficiency, environmental protection in the province. Specifically, for 3 years, from 2013 to date, the Centre carried out the energy audit for 13 enterprises. In 2015, the Centre carried out energy audits in four businesses, these are: Duc Giang Private Enterprise, Phuc Yen Shoes, JSC, COSMOS Technology JSC and Hop Thinh Viglacera JSC. Through surveys, measurements, it is estimated that potential power saving is of more than 442 thousand kWh/year, equivalent to a saving of around VND 741 million/year, while 276 tons of CO2 emission is reduced from being discharged into the environment.

In the review of the effectiveness of the program, Mr. Phung Quoc Viet, Head of Planning Section, Vinh Phuc Center for Energy Efficiency said: "During the last 4 years, the Centre performed the tasks well in public communication about energy savings, to help the agencies, corporate organizations, people consciously save energy in production and daily life; economical and efficient use of energy in connection with environmental protection; with dissemination of guidelines, advertisement of new products, clean production technology, equipment and advanced technology to save energy, from which it contributes significantly to raising the awareness of agencies, organizations, businesses and citizens in energy efficiency; it also helps businesses reduce the overall cost of annual energy consumption by 10%, reducing the cost per unit of product and increases the competitiveness, while positively contributing to environmental protection in the province."

In recognition of these achievements, it is noted that the implementation of National Target Program on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy in the province still has some limitations. In Mr. Viet’s opinion, the communication and training activities conducted by the Center have not been regularly performed, the deployment of communication activities have not been made professionally nor systematically, which have not attracted the communities to get themselves involved from various levels, sectors, agencies and units, enterprises and people's participation. On the other hand, the human resources and experience of staff and measurement devices are limited and in shortage which cannot meet the professional services, leading to low quality of the energy audit, and limited advice for energy management model. Therefore, these measures are not effective measures, the applicability of the model is not convincing, nor attractive to the agencies, enterprises, and the people who are expected to make investment into energy efficiency.

To enhance the efficiency of the State management over energy, to promote the service providers, to have capable consultants in the various sectors and fields, to contribute to the socio-economic development of the province, Vinh Phuc Center for Energy Efficiency expects to be equipped with power meter calibrator to cater for professional activities. The Center also sent proposals to the Provincial People’s Committee for approval of projects on applications of renewable energy models in environmental protection in agencies, businesses and households; projects on solar energy for environmental protection to serve street lighting in the province; approval of the project on demonstration booths to display some energy efficiency products. 

Trong Tan