The amount of energy consumption in buildings can be reduced by 20-30 percent, said Dao Hong Thai, the director of the Hanoi Energy Conservation Center, at a seminar that was held recently in Hanoi to discuss solutions for energy efficiency in buildings.

In recent years, together with the growth of the entire economy, construction companies obtained an annual growth rate of 12-16 percent. Production was expanded and the use of energy as well as natural resources increased. Presently, energy consumption by the construction sector accounts for 20-24 percent of the total amount of energy consumption nationwide.

Buildings are considered to be among the biggest energy consumers

Mr. Thai said, "The experience of many other countries in the world shows that if a building is designed in a way that can ensure efficient use of energy within it, the amount of energy consumption in this building can be reduced by 20-30 percent."

Experts share the opinion that the potential for energy conservation in buildings,

including both old and new buildings, is rather big. For new buildings, appropriate design combined with the use of energy-efficient materials and equipment and qualified energy management officials can help save 30-40 percent of energy consumption. For buildings that are being in use or are to be improved, energy audits must be conducted so that appropriate energy conservation solutions can be taken to save 15-20 percent of energy consumption.

Nguyen Cong Thinh, an official at the Department of Science, Technology and Environment of the Ministry of Construction, said that the amount of energy consumption in buildings remains high because Vietnam still lacks regulations that can promote energy conservation. Moreover, many consumers remain unaware of the urgent need to save energy. Many buildings were constructed with materials that are not energy efficient, for example glass with unsuitable thickness, color and insulation level. Air conditioners consume about 70-75 percent of the total amount of electricity consumption in buildings.

In fact, the air conditioners in many buildings are usually set at a very low temperature and they are not cleaned or maintained periodically. This makes air conditioners more electricity-consuming. Due to their design, many buildings cannot utilize natural light and use too many incandescent bulbs that consume much electricity.

Aware of the above problems, the Ministry of Construction is accelerating the compilation of regulations on energy efficiency and conservation in buildings. To encourage buildings to save energy, the ministry will present awards and grant certificates to buildings that ensure energy efficiency. The ministry will propose the standards of a 'green building' and will grant certificates to buildings that meet these standards. The ministry has developed some projects to promote energy conservation in some big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Energy saving solutions in these buildings will be popularized. The Ministry of Construction will also carry out surveys and energy audits in order to create a database on energy use in major buildings throughout Vietnam.

The Ministry of Construction will also organize training courses to improve the knowledge of energy conservation for officials who are involved in assessing and granting licenses to construction projects. In the near future, energy efficiency and conservation will be part of the curriculum of universities of architecture and construction.

By Vietnam Economic News