With active involvement of many ministries, industries, localities, businesses during the period 2006 – 2010, the National Target Program on economical and efficient use of energy has achieved very commendable first results, saving a total of 3.2% of the national energy consumption amount (the target was to save from 3% to 5%). There are, however, many difficulties ahead to attain the target of saving from 5% to 8% in the next period 2011 – 2015. This is also an issue raised at the periodic meeting of the Steering Committee of the National target program on energy efficiency and conservation in Hanoi on July 15th 2010.

Energy saving activities are gradually put into practice

According to the report of the Steering Committee of the National Target Program for the period 2006-2010, the program has developed and issued several legal documents in the field of Energy Efficiency, including: the Circular on labeling energy saving products; the energy saving Circular and the Decree on Management of public lighting. In particular, the Law on energy efficiency and conservation was passed by the National Assembly 7th session, Congress XII on June 17, 2010.

Mr. Vu Huy Hoang, Minister of Industry and Trade, said that the Law on energy efficiency and conservation will be an important legal tool in implementing activities on energy saving in the near future. In addition, the Program also has helped create a lot of effective energy saving activities such as organizing a management network and implementing various activities on the economical and efficient use of energy in many provinces and central cities.

Two news websites on energy efficiency vneec.gov.vn and tietkiemnangluong.com.vn have been recently started. The websites, together with various programs to promote energy efficiency activities on the mass media have played an important part in educating and spreading information to raise people’s awareness on the issue of energy efficiency. Through these channels, people are encouraged to use energy in an economical, efficient and environment friendly way.

More than 1000 managing staffs working in power or energy industry have been trained to better managing skills. Besides, a large number of conferences on Energy Efficiency and many competitions on creating new Energy Efficiency solutions and "energy efficiency Building" have been successfully organized, attracting many to participate. These programs have also attracted special attention from both domestic and foreign consumers and businesspeople.

Under the National Target Program, a pilot program on energy efficiency labeling for products was also applied on electric water heaters, electric fans, electronic ballasts and compact lighting bulbs. In 2010, technical conditions are planned to be improved to prepare for energy efficiency labeling for air conditioners and refrigerators, or for ten types of products on higher target. Domestic producers who comply with energy efficiency standard will receive financial support on the labeling campaign. Besides, more than 3,000 water heaters using solar power are going to be labeled.

The Target Program is collaborating with Vietnam Electricity EVN on a program to promote the use of solar energy water heating devices and compact lighting bulbs in the period 2007 – 2010. The program will also provide support for researchers and producers of high quality electronic ballast to gradually replace iron ballast, for enterprises on building a model of managing the economical and efficient use of energy. Supply lines, production technology are going to be renovated to be more efficient. Activities promoting the economical and efficient use of energy will be implemented in designing, constructing and managing buildings.

One of the causes of energy waste in buildings is the building shells which are often designed and built with materials not meeting energy efficiency requirements, using glass which has inappropriate thickness, color and insulating capability, air conditioning system is improperly installed or used at too low temperature; lighting system uses too many incandescent light bulbs. As shown in many cases in other countries, if the designing and constructing process of the building is well managed towards energy efficiency, the building will then be able to save from 20% to 30% of its energy consumption.

Strengthening the role of science and technology: needs comprehensive actions

According to experts, the reasons why at the moment a large number of building in Viet Nam do not meet energy efficiency requirements could be the lack of effective policies and management tools, lack of technical ability and skills on managing the use of energy. Both owners and customers do not pay due attention to the energy efficiency issue and do not have enough information about energy efficiency products and devices.

Recently, the whole system of energy devices at the Hanoi Towers (Hanoi) has been technologically renovated with over a million dollars invested. This year, the competition “energy efficiency building 2010” has a prize category for architect, showing that the role of science is greatly appreciated.

At Bat Trang pottery village, people have replaced the traditional coal kilns with modern kilns using gas, reducing more than 30% of energy consumption while cutting from 20 to 24% of baking time, compared with the conventional technology. By raising the quality of products by up to 98% – 99%, the new technology is regarded as a true breakthrough, helping save energy and reduces environment pollution at the same time.

Science and technology both play a very important role in all of the Energy Efficiency demonstrations by the upgrade and transfer of innovative technologies and equipment. Especially in the field of energy audit, the role of science and technology has a crucial meaning, present in survey process, analyzing and assessing the actual amount of energy consumption of enterprises. Thereby areas using energy inefficiently could be determined, in order to find opportunities to save energy and propose energy saving solutions for enterprises.

It is known that in the period of 2006 - 2010, there have been about 500 small and medium enterprises in the five areas consuming much energy to receive technological assistance on using energy economically and efficiently, under the collaborative program organized by Ministry of Science & Technology and United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Calling for more drastic measures

In his steering statement at the regular meeting of the Program’s Steering Committee, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang called for more drastic and comprehensive measures for economical and efficient use of energy, especially for funding solutions, training of human resource and science and technology support.

In order to quickly put the Law on energy efficiency and conservation into practice, the legal process supporting the law should be sped up; and instruction documents on applying the law should be built. This will be the legal framework to help promote energy audit activities in the fastest and most effective way.

Other solutions are: putting forward and connecting the roles of science and technology; organizing active promoting campaign to raise awareness about Energy Efficiency of businesses and residents; offering more consultancies for businesses in doing energy audit; carefully preparing plans and solutions for further implementation of the program in the future.

By Nguyen An