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.

Statistics from the Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade reveal that annual total power consumption of the city can be as high as 800 million kWh while commercial production power consumption is over 700 million kWh. Furthermore, the amount of diesel oil and fuel oil used also increases year-on-year.

Due to a considerable amount of consumption, energy saving potential in Da Nang is very high, especially among the small-medium businesses.

Efficiency from projects

Before the implementation of the National Target Program on Energy Efficiency and Conservation, in Da Nang, most businesses did not use energy efficiently. Energy consumers in both production and living did not realize the benefits from using energy efficiently.

From the first program which was the Energy Saving project organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology to now, Da Nang has participated in quite a few programs and projects contributing to efficient energy consumption in the city.

Seminars, trainings, energy audits, Energy Efficiency in industrial manufacturing facilities, and hotels have so far raised the awareness of using energy efficiently.

The project “Raising Energy Efficiency in small and medium-sized businesses in Da Nang from 2007-2010” targets at saving more than 1500 TOE, completing at least 35 energy saving projects, reducing CO2 emission by 14.6 thousand tons. Now, at the closing stage of the projects, most of the targets have been met.

Energy audits at 9 businesses show energy saving potential could be VND2.1 billion each year. The project has encouraged local businesses to start using energy efficiently. Practical results at 41 businesses in 5 occupation categories, including paper and pulp production, sea food processing, food processing, ceramics manufacturing, weaving, dyeing …; and hundreds other to receive trainings on energy efficiency, helping more businesses to start applying power saving to their production.

In addition to energy efficiency in local businesses, Da Nang also focuses on hotels, public lighting, and school lighting.

At Royal Hotel, typical with many electric devices such as lighting system, ornamental lighting, air conditioning, power consumption is always high. Director Mr. Tran Ngoc Phuong said that every month the hotel used to pay up to VND40 – 50 million for electricity. Ever since applying energy saving solutions such as replacing 40W lamps with 8W lamps, installing solar panels for the hot water system, although the number of rooms has doubled to 60, 5 new apartments, a discotheque, 1 massage center with nearly 30 rooms were built, the electric bill still remains the same at VND50 million/month.

Valuable ideas

It’s not just the participating businesses who can benefit from the Energy Efficiency Program. Many local businesses have learned and applied measures and solutions.

Thanh Dat Garment Processing Facility, after visiting 29-3 Textile Company, discovered that many stages of their production process were using power wastefully. Replacing the current lighting system alone saves VND2 million per month. More specifically, replacing all fluorescent lamps with Halogen lamps, as well as lowering the lamps 1.2 meters from the ceiling (which helps reduce the number of lamps needed by a third) can provide much better lighting.

The current common trend in Da Nang is to use solar water heater. Not just in family, solar water heater is also very popular among hotels and businesses.

Hotels that are under construction are required to have circuit breakers integrated in the room keys. This type of circuit breaker allows entire electric system inside the room to switch off when a guest leaves a room.

Albeit simple, in the current power shortage, these ideas actually prove to be essential, contributing to the propagation of energy saving awareness in the community.

By Tran Quy