Efficient solutions, conservation to cut energy use by 30pc: experts
Awareness should be raised on energy efficiency and conservation to cut its consumption with the help of efficient technologies, machinery, best practices and changing behaviour amid fast-depleting local gas resources and rising imports of primary fuel, experts said yesterday.
With a record 8.1 percent economic growth in the last fiscal year, Bangladesh is already the fastest growing economy in the Asia Pacific region.
Energy demand is expected to surge further to attain the nation’s ambition of becoming a developed economy by 2041.
“In order to sustainably achieve Bangladesh’s development ambition, energy efficiency and conservation will continue to play a pivotal role,” said Siddique Zobair, member for energy efficiency and conservation at the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda).
He spoke at a press conference to announce the upcoming “International Conference on Energy Efficiency and Conservation Awareness” at the La Vinci hotel in Dhaka.
The Sreda in collaboration with the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and GIZ Sector Network TUEWAS (Transport, Environment, Energy and Water in Asia) will organise the two-day event.
The event will start at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel in Dhaka on Monday.
Around 400 experts from Bangladesh, Japan, China, Vietnam, India, Germany, Croatia, and Nepal will take part in the event.
The conference aims to draw lessons from regional success stories, suitable approaches and policy instruments in raising awareness and addressing behavioural and social aspects of adopting energy efficiency measures and ensure energy-saving performance.
Zobair said technological intervention and behavioural change are two of the most important components of energy efficiency and conservation. Of the two, changing behaviour is very difficult.
“Energy efficiency and conservation is not just a matter of cost-saving. We have to do it from the view point of social responsibility.”
Zobair said in order to ensure energy efficiency and conservation, the Sreda is working on the industrial and residential sectors as the two consume about 80 percent of all the energies in Bangladesh.
The industrial sector accounts for 47.8 percent of the energy consumption and the residential sector 30 percent.
“If we can raise awareness among them, we will be able to reduce the energy consumption by 30 percent,” Zobair said.
Some $8 billion in investment would require to cut the energy consumption by 30 percent in the industrial sector alone, he said.
He said reducing energy consumption is also important for Bangladesh.
The reserves of local gas are already depleting fast while the country’s reliance on imported gas in the form of liquefied natural gas is increasing.
“So, if we can cut the energy consumption, we will be less reliant on imports. Today, energy efficiency is being treated as first fuel, meaning if we can consume two units less energy, we will not need to produce that two units.”
He said the National Board of Revenue has a role in popularising energy-saving appliances by way of cutting duties in order to make them acceptable.
According to the government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Master Plan up to 2030, Bangladesh’s target is to achieve 20 percent reduction of primary energy consumption per GDP by 2030, compared to that of 2013 level.
A robust policy, appropriate strategies, awareness, capacity of stakeholders and well-designed institutional framework are preconditions for achieving energy efficiency goals, according to a statement of the Sreda.
Shafiqul Alam, senior adviser for sustainable energy at GIZ Bangladesh, said Bangladesh’s energy efficiency level is now at a low level.
He said developed countries had tried to achieve energy efficiency goals riding on only policies, but they have found that only policies cannot achieve all the targets.
The same is also true for Bangladesh, so raising awareness is crucial, Alam said.
Toufiq Rahman, assistant director for standard and labelling at the Sreda, also spoke at the media briefing.
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