DOE launches energy-efficiency project

AMID typhoon Ondoy’s onslaught on Metro Manila, the Department of Energy (DOE) pushed through on Saturday with the launch of its Switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) program under its Philippine Energy Efficiency Project (PEEP).

Held at the Don Bosco Youth Center in Tondo, Manila, President Arroyo and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, along with its partner nongovernment organizations and religious groups, handed CFLs to some 2,000 households in Tondo—the early adapters to the project.

Reyes said the shift to CFLs could help reduce the peak demand for power by 450 megaWatts. “Reducing the peak demand eases the need to import energy sources by as much as $120 million every year,” he added.

Among the other benefits, Reyes said the use of five 15-Watt CFLs will result in monthly savings of P58.50, as compared with spending P270 for using five 60-Watt incandescent bulbs.

With about P210 saved from using CFLs, Reyes said money could be used to buy 8 to 10 kilos of rice or to pay water bills.

The Switch to CFLs, which is under the DOE’s PEEP, is financed through a $30-million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The Switch to CFLs program is the first of its kind in Asia, where 13 million CFLs will be distributed all over the country in the coming months, as part of a larger drive to make the Philippines incandescent bulb-free by 2010.

ADB said that for each light bulb replaced, families can expect savings of as much as P4,000 on their electricity bills over the 10-year life span of the CFLs.

“This groundbreaking campaign will not only save families’ money. It will also save the Philippines $100 million in fuel costs each year or around $1 billion over the coming decade,” Reyes said.

Incandescent bulbs are inefficient with only 20 percent of the electricity used to produce light; the remaining 80 percent is wasted as heat. In contrast, CFLs use most of their electricity input to produce light.

While an average incandescent bulb’s life is only about 800 hours, CFLs used in the program have a lifespan of 10,000 hours with a two-year warranty.

Reyes also noted that the program will help reduce carbon emissions by 300,000 tons every year, which will allow the country to earn about 300,000 tons of certified emission-reduction credits annually—which is another boost to the country’s coffers.

“This project shows how Filipinos and the world can benefit through such investments—making the Philippines the first country in Asia to access carbon credits from a program like this,” said Neeraj Jain, ADB country director for the Philippine country office.

The PEEP, which includes the CFL-replacement program, is made possible through a loan agreement between ADB and the Philippine government. In addition, ADB is also working on a carbon-credit purchase agreement with the Philippine
government.

The project will also retrofit government office buildings and public lighting systems with other efficient lighting options, create a lamp waste- management facility, establish an energy-service company that will provide financial and technical support to companies planning to reduce energy consumption, and initiate a “green building” rating system.

“[Around] 18 nongovernment organizations and church groups have come together to support this initiative because we believe that each one of us can be a part of the solution to present-day climate change and energy challenges,” said Cates Maceda, co-convener of the Switch movement. “Switching to CFLs is one simple yet concrete step that can generate long-term benefits for the country.”

Apart from the PEEP, ADB is also working on a carbon-credit purchase agreement with the Philippine government.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia-Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. In 2008 it approved $10.5 billion worth of loans, $811.4 million worth of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $274.5 million. (With C. Ordinario)