Energy Efficiency Forum slated this month

By Ehda M. Dagooc (The Freeman) Updated July 06, 2011 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will hold the first Philippine Energy Efficiency Forum on July 26, 2011 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

ECCP announced that the one-day event will be jampacked with networking activities, plenary sessions and open fora, with influential figures from the country’s business, energy and environment sectors.

A technology showcase will be displaying the latest technologies in energy-efficiency products and services already available in the Philippines today.

The event aims at focusing solely on energy efficiency from the business perspective of enterprises, such as utilities, buildings, commercial, and industrial and transport/logistics sectors.

“The main goal of the forum is to bring together key leaders from the private sector, government, civil society, academe and international organizations to enlist their support in implementing energy efficiencyprograms and promote innovative solutions for energy efficiency,” reads the ECCP statement furnished to The FREEMAN yesterday.

ECCP is a bilateral foreign chamber that promotes European interests in the Philippines as well as Philippine interests in Europe.

With more than 700 members, ECCP offers a strong business network that potentially translates to multiple business opportunities.

It is a unique organization that offers membership as well as professional services to members and clients. As a service provider, ECCP assists member companies in trade fairs, trainings, business consultancy and business matching, as well as events management.

Meanwhile, aside from promoting the strong adoption of energy efficiency, ECCP also earlier expressed its full commitment to help the Cebu-based exporters, including the creative sector amid the challenging environment in the world market.

Former ECCP president Henry Schumacher emphasized the need for the Creative Industry in Cebu to get united as its potential to generate revenues is huge. However, he said designers, and the creative community must realize to put premium in their creations.

According to Schumacher, Cebu should take a serious look on this potential sector—and players should start to cultivate the culture of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), which he described as one of the barriers in achieving growth in the creative sector.

“We are not respecting enough the IPR, and some designers, or creative individuals do not put premium to their creations,” he said in an earlier interview.

Schumacher said Cebu has so many world-class creative-communities not only in furniture, fashion, but also in Information Technology (IT). —(FREEMAN)

DOE prepares new standards for energy efficiency

By Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star) Updated July 08, 2011 12:00 AM

Manila, Philippines - The Department of Energy (DOE) will come up with a new set of standards for energy efficiency before the end of the year, the agency’s top official said.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras made this assurance in response to the industry’s clamor for the setting up of updated guidelines on energy efficient devices, particularly appliances.

“We’re going to push for it as fast as we can. We should have something by the end of the year,” he said.

Almendras said the new standards would be consistent with that to be followed in the region. He said talks on these new standards have been carried out throughout the ASEAN.

“Discussion still continues and we hope to come to an agreement. There is an ASEAN initiative to come up with a common standard for appliances,” he said.

According to Almendras, the ASEAN members have decided to come up with common standards.

Earlier, Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Co. (CCAC) chief executive Raul Concepcion urged the DOE to review the current standards which have been in place for more than a decade.

Concepcion said updating the standards on energy efficiency of appliances, including air-conditioning systems, is necessary to safeguard not only the consumers but also the industry from sub-standard products.

He said he is wary that the DOE is so engrossed in addressing the issue on oil prices and missing out on issues relating to power conservation.

“I am worried that up to now the DOE has not been talking about it. We think that the urgency is there. There are a lot of manufacturers who have been releasing false advertisement about their products. And the rating system today, I believe, is misleading.”

He said at present, the air-conditioning system’s market stood at P11 billion to P12 billion; refrigerator at P5 billion to P6 billion; and fans, roughly P6 to P7 billion.

“We are talking of a relatively small industry of P25 billion but this still has impact on the economy,” he said.