ENERGY management should be a priority for Brunei as it ventures into
the realm of renewable energy, an expert said.
Alan Dale Gonzales, the Chairman
of the World Alliance for Thai Decentralised Energy Association, said that
energy management is crucial in the implementation of renewable energy as
energy conservation involves lower costs than generating energy itself.
This is especially true for
Brunei, he said, where there is still a lack of awareness amongst the public on
energy consumption.
Proper management of energy by
the people can also help provide revenue for the country, he said. "People
are now talking about 'negawatts' which is the energy you save that you can
sell. For example, Brunei is a country which produces and exports oil and gas.
The energy that the people save (becomes) export revenue for the country,"
he said in an interview with The Brunei Times on the sidelines of the Clean
Energy Expo Asia 2012 yesterday at the Bangkok Convention Centre at Central
World in Bangkok, Thailand.
"Energy efficiency,
especially in a place like Brunei where people are not really conscious of the
energy they consume... they can save so much. And once you start saving energy,
that is when you start thinking about renewable energy because your consumption
is reduced, your demand is reduced and therefore the capacity of renewable
energy you need to implement is also reduced," he said.
"What this means is that you
don't have to put in as much capital investment that can sometimes become idle
or is wasted because the thing is overdesigned, considering the supposed energy
demands of your facilities without proper energy management. Learn how to save
energy first, manage it and then think about replacing it with renewable
energy."
The Director (Asia) of the World
Alliance for Decentralised Energy, Sindhar Samudrala, said that a change in
policy is required for Brunei to encourage its population to adopt renewable
energy.
"I am familiar with some of
the policies in Brunei. In essence, it has to get the corporate world to sit
down with the regulators, the government, to say 'This is where we stand now,
energy is like this. What is it that we need to do? Look at the big picture and
ask how do we get into renewable energy and make ourselves look good," he
said.
"You can make money with a
change in policy... Policy is literally an image first implement it to make the
commercial operator and the electric users applicable in the financial sector
so that the policy will drive people to come in and put their best foot
forward."
Asked how ushc policy changes can
be achieved, Samudrala said policy makers are usually concerned about bringing
in the necessary equipment, but in reality are missing the big picture.
"What many policy makers do
not understand is that renewable energy can help create jobs. It is not just
about selling solar panels but it is also about training the employees to work
for the next 20 years."
"That's where the real
picture is not coming about. The policy makers are worried about bringing in
the equipment... No. First train your people in wind and bio-gas. Tie-up with a
university or a school... and say 'look you can make money with renewable
energy. You can make money with a change in policy."
During the 10th APEC Energy
Ministers Meeting (APEC EMM) in St Petersburg, Russia, in June, Minister of
Energy Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia
(Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar said Brunei is "determined" to
achieve a 45 per cent reduction target in energy intensity by 2035 by balancing
the energy mix in fossil fuels and renewable energy in addition to setting up a
funding mechanism for energy efficiency initiatives.
The Brunei Times
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