Saving energy, especially electric energy, is very urgent in the current period. The problem is “what are the best solutions to save energy effectively?”

Through energy audit and the application of some solutions and models of the project “Investigate, assess, propose solutions and develop energy-saving models for a number of schools, hospitals, factories and flower farms of Lam Dong” implemented by Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh city, more than VND500 million has been saved and a large amount of CO2 emission which causes greenhouse effect has been reduced.

Three energy-saving models of the project have been built for 3 areas: industry, building and lighting for chrysanthemum planting. These models have saved more than 60% of energy consumption. Consequently, energy-saving activities will be developed in the province of Lam Dong in the future.

Based on figures collected from the use of electric energy, working process, production process and causes of power loss, the Energy Conservation Center (ECC) has proposed a variety of energy-saving solutions which can be applied to factories, hospitals and chrysanthemum farms.

EEC has chosen Lam Dong Mechanics and Construction JSC to represent energy-saving model in industrial enterprises; Lam Dong Hospital to represent in buildings; two chrysanthemum farms, Pham Quy farm – Tu Phuoc area, ward 11, Da Lat and Vo Hung– No 64, group 29, Nam Ho, ward 11, Dalat, to stand for the agriculture sector.

As for Lam Dong Mechanics and Construction JSC, here the VS (variable speed) engine has been replaced by normal engine with higher efficiency, lower capacity and speed-control variable frequency transformer, which facilitates the operation, reduces no-load running time, decreases working time, thus saving 60-75% of energy consumption compared to the old system.

 As the lighting system has been improved, the light quality has been enhanced, the energy consumption reduced by 81% and maintenance costs trimmed down.

The control, management, improvement and enhancement of the thermal utilization, with the construction of 2 tunnel-drying cellars, have reduced the operation time of the boiler, saving 10% of coal consumption, equivalent to 25,725 kilograms per year, and minimized steam loss.

The total amount of energy saved per year will be 30,182 kWh, equivalent to VND115 million, together with 93.7 tons of CO2 emission to be reduced.

In Lam Dong Hospital, the installation of the solar water-heater system in two patient rooms can help the hospital save 3,650 kWh per year, equivalent to VND4.4 million, and reduce the CO2 emission by 1.5 tons per year.

The hospital will use this result to determine whether to install water-heaters for all patient rooms to make sure all patients can use hot water. If the solar water-heater system is applied in the whole hospital (for 800 people), the hospital can save VND300 million per year and reduce the CO2 emission by 120 tons per year.

From a long-term and far-reaching effectiveness, the result can encourage the development of solar water-heater for the whole of Lam Dong province, which will contribute to environment protection and the enhancement of people’s living.

In two chrysanthemum farms, Pham Quy and Vo Hung, the new lighting system which uses high efficiency and energy-saving lighting devices with many switches and tripled brightness has helped them save 4,154 kWh per year, 62% of energy consumption, equivalent to VND 5 million, and reduce the CO2 emission by 1.8 tons.

The quality of chrysanthemums has risen with the ratio of first class chrysanthemum increasing from 50% to 75%. The lighting time for each season has decreased significantly from 12 hours per day in 120 days to 7 hours per day in 75 days.

By Hong Nhung