Big step to curb climate change

WHETHER it is due to water or electricity cuts, Malaysians are now being compelled to examine the way we generate and use the energy, water and other resources available to us. With regard to energy, how can Malaysians take further proactive action to encourage more efficient use of it?

Total energy consumption in this country is high as subsidies are being extended to consumers. As much as RM14.5bil was spent in 2011 alone to buy fossil fuels to generate energy. As Malaysia moves towards becoming a high-income nation, energy usage is also expected to increase. More than that, as the standard of living and population increase, the demand for energy will continue to skyrocket.

According to the World Energy Markets Observatory (WEMO) 2017 report, Malaysia’s energy usage is projected to increase by 4.8% right up to 2030. As it is, in 2017 alone, over RM15.1bil was spent to power up cities in the peninsula, which has an estimated 8.5 million consumers.

Malaysia is still a long way from being energy-efficient, hence there is a need for a systematic approach towards energy efficiency. Beyond the government, regulators and business owners, the public can also take action to reduce excessive energy consumption.

Business owners can take cues from the government and design sustainable buildings or, even better, retrofit existing ones to optimise energy usage.

According to the Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Ministry, 50% of the total electricity used in Malaysia can be accounted for by buildings alone, especially in the hotel industry. This highlights a vast potential for energy optimisation and cost-saving.

For hotels in particular, energy consumption contributes a significant percentage to the operating costs with the majority being attributed to temperature regulation. Not surprisingly, it takes a massive amount of energy to power all those guest rooms!

Due to the high-room volumes, wasteful in-room consumption, such as blasting the air conditioners to the absolute minimum of 16ºC, turning on all electrical appliances in empty rooms and excessively using the heater and hot water facilities, needs to be carefully tracked and prudently managed.

In order to mitigate energy wastage and optimise energy use, hotel operators often turn to technology for help. Installation of high-performance mechanical systems and appliances is one way to ensure that their buildings can be properly managed, and that energy efficiency requirements are being met.

In fact, just using more energy- efficient light bulbs, heaters or air-conditioning systems can have large impacts on saving energy and costs, with high returns in the long run.

Given that buildings account for approximately a third of the total global energy consumption and carbon emissions, optimising the energy efficiency of buildings is one of the most impactful ways to curb climate change.

With the increasingly massive changes in the global climate, we must also change the way we view the world around us and start thinking about the bigger picture: “How can my energy use impact the way I live in 50 years to come?”

SAIKRISHNAN RANGANATHAN

Smart energy management