Benefits for all
By Dinh Dung in HCMC
Going green is easy to say but it is tough for those designing a plan to embrace green values. In the wake of climate change, sustainability and ecological responsibility have emerged as two of the green values. For many, environmental protection and saving energy are no longer topics of discussion but they require prompt action to look for solutions.
The Energy Conservation Center in HCMC recently kicked off its fourth energy saving competition to recognize and reward buildings around the country for their outstanding energy efficiency. The organizer says the annual contest is held to raise public awareness, encouraging businesses to use energy economically, switch to green technology and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Seeing that energy efficiency is one of the low-cost solutions for greenhouse gas reduction, quite a few companies are becoming aware of energy saving that is not just good for the environment but vital for their business as well.
Philips Electronics Vietnam is an example. Unlike other companies that have to design an environmental protection program, Philips has used its lighting products to support a green value program.
Since joining the Vietnam market in 2002 with a factory in the southern province of Dong Nai, the company has been consistently applied green technology, with up to 85% of its lighting products output being environmentally friendly. Every year, the company provides around 22 million energy-saving bulbs for the local market.
“Our business in the Vietnam market is not only to offer energy efficient lighting products, but also to promote saving energy programs to raise users’ awareness, as well as to petition ideas of saving energy to local management organizations for solutions,” Alex Ngian, general manager of Philips Electronics Vietnam, told the Daily as he elaborated on the company’s strategy for building green values for business development.
Although demand for conventional incandescent lamps remains very strong, 40-50 million units per year, Ngian says, the company does not choose this segment for business. It has opted for green products for business development here in Vietnam, instead.
According to the company, lighting accounts for 25% of electric power consumption in Vietnam, much higher than in other countries, because lighting systems are underdeveloped. If there are energy saving solutions in place, they will help reduce energy consumption by 40%. This means it will help cut carbon dioxide emissions substantially.
Ngian says Philips comes up with the idea to introduce its energy saving program to the city and rural areas also. Tens of thousands of energy saving bulbs have been set aside for the program, with some given away to people in provinces including An Giang, Vinh Long, Binh Thuan and Quang Ngai. In every province, the company chooses a commune where its staff members replace conventional lights with energy saving ones for families.
Having ridden on the success over the past two years, Philips is still pressing ahead with a plan to move the program toward central provinces, then those in the north. Specifically, a commune in the central province of Quang Tri is on schedule for next month.
Ngian says the company does not set a target highlighting the number of bulbs it offers in the program, but aims to raise awareness of people about energy saving, and give them a chance to access new lighting technology.
In a bigger program, Philips is deploying an energy saving program in which businesses and organizations get support to upgrade their conventional lighting systems. The upgrade requires no capital investment from property owners; Philips works with a financial support party to do the upgrade instead. Payments for the investment return will come from the savings collected after the lighting system is improved. According to the company, energy will be saved from 30% to 40%, contributing to cutting cost but carbon dioxide emissions.
In fact, some property owners have given it a try to improve their lighting systems. New World Saigon in downtown HCMC is a case in point. The five-star hotel has replaced its conventional light system with some 6,000 energy saving lights, and got an air-con company improving its chiller system. The improvement helps the hotel save some 173,000 kilowatts a month, or some US$16,000, and emit around 120 tons of carbon dioxide less than before.
Such cooperation brings benefits to all sides. Property owners can access green technology, product providers can sell their products; and energy saved from the improvement program contributes to protecting the environment.
The Saigon Times Daily