A Japanese energy expert has said that Guyana has one of the best energy conservation awareness programmes in the world, but the country lacks sufficient government support and enforcement of regulations to achieve a comprehensive policy for energy self- reliance.
Dr. Kimio Yoshida, senior coordinator of Environment and Energy, Business Department of J- Power, was speaking at a seminar organised by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency held at the Cara Lodge last Friday.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, in his remarks, stated that government does not have the finances readily available to invest in such energy self-reliance projects, but is looking towards alternative solutions. An idea that has been circulated is the imposition of taxes on the importation of vehicles with 1600 cc and 2200 cc engines and using these funds to finance the conservation drive.
According to Yoshida, the three-strategy approach is best if a country is interested in making progress in the realisation of a policy for achieving self-reliant energy efficiency and conservation.
Dr Kimio Yoshida addressing the seminar at Cara Lodge
“There must be a parallel integrated approach,” Dr. Yoshida added. He further stated that the adoption and use of the ISO 50001 Standard, which is key to energy management, is essential in any comprehensive policy. ISO 50001 will establish a framework for industrial plants, commercial facilities, or organisations to manage energy. Targeting broad applicability across national economic sectors, it is estimated that the standard could influence up to 60 per cent of the world’s energy use.
In his 50-minute presentation, Dr. Yoshida outlined that, in a transformational paradigm of national energy management, inefficient energy needs are minimised while those needs that are satisfied with fossil fuels should later be filled with optimum use of renewable energy.
Local energy conservation and efficiency Meanwhile, GEA Energy and Energy Statistics Division head, Sandra Britton, said the energy agency launched its Energy Conservation and Efficiency Campaign in June 2009, and she believes the campaign has been yielding some positive results.
But in order to really ascertain the impact of these awareness campaigns, Britton stated, the plan is to start the process of conducting home energy audits and documenting consumption patterns.
“It is difficult to judge just like that how effective the programme has been,” she told Guyana Times International. The GEA also intends to foster partnership and collaboration with the private sector; garner technical information on energy-efficient air conditioning; and enhance information dissemination as it seeks to enhance its energy efficiency and conservation drive.
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