Bangkok--13 Mar--FYI
Building on the success of the workshop entitled "Energy Wise: Saving Money with Energy Efficiency Services" joined by senior executives from local and international organisations, Asian Development Bank (ADB) attaches great importance to the long term benefit of energy efficiency investment that will not only reduce energy costs, but increase the efficiency of operations, as well. The workshop discussed key issues affecting energy efficiency services including designing and financing of energy saving models through case studies at home and abroad.
Mr. Daniel Wiedmer, Senior Investment Specialist of ADB, said that ADB’s Energy Efficiency Initiative, which is based on a model successful in the US and Europe, will be useful to business owners as it offers a full suite of services including financing and sourcing of energy service companies (ESCOs) for the design and delivery of energy savings in office buildings and factories.
Dr Peter du Pont, Vice President Government & Clean Energy Consulting, Nexant Asia, who also serves as a special consultant to ADB’s Energy Efficiency Initiative, said "I'm confident that energy service companies (ESCOs) in Thailand will grow steadily. Leading organizations will embrace the model as part of their overall strategy and as an index of management success in the near future because it will increase business operations efficiency and reduce energy usage in buildings and factories by 25-40 percent, providing big savings on the annual energy budget as a result.”
The workshop brought together senior executives from top organisations in the country with a proven track record in energy efficiency services to share their ideas.
Among the panelists was Mr. Anurat Suthamnirund, Senior Vice-President, Charoen Pokphand Foods. He offered the lowdown on CPF’s investment in gas turbine cogeneration and the computer-controlled efficient motor boosting system that together cut energy costs by Bt36 million or 26 percent.
Mr. Teerachart Numanitirachat, Executive Vice-President, Central Pattana Plc, introduced a 6,000-ton chiller system as well as other energy-saving systems including the motor revolution control apparatus for an air cooling pump and blower, a chilling chamber and an automatic chiller system. These systems reduce energy costs at his department stores by 10.5 percent per year or about Bt5 million.
The workshop has been successfully organized in various Southeast Asian countries, namely Malaysia, the Philippines and Cambodia. ADB expects that countries in the region will commit Bt330 billion to energy efficiency investment projects to achieve the goal of energy saving and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Of that amount, investment in Thailand accounts for Bt600 million.