Legislation to avoid growing energy losses stressed

Speakers during a seminar titled “Energy Legislation – Response to Conservation, Efficiency & Alternatives” on 6 February 2013 at Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad emphasized conservation

Speakers during a seminar titled “Energy Legislation – Response to Conservation, Efficiency & Alternatives” on 6 February 2013 at Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad emphasized conservation and efficiency to deal with rising demand of energy and called for pertinent legislation at the earliest to avoid growing energy losses in the country held here on Wednesday.

The seminar was addressed by Engr. Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Shiekh, Additional Registrar Pakistan Engineering Council, Asad Mahmood, Director Technical ENERCON,  Khalid Rahman, DG-IPS, Ameena Sohail, Senior IPS Associate while Mirza Hamid Hasan, former secretary water and power and Chairman IPS Tawanai (Energy) Program was in chair.

While discussing building codes in Pakistan Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Sheikh informed that realizing the energy crisis situation an initiative was taken by PEC in 2010 when ENERCON contacted the body to incorporate energy provisions in the building code act of Pakistan. In response PEC formulated a task force and took all the public and private stakeholders on board including Ministry of Water and Power, Housing and Works, PEPCO, ENERCON, PSQCA, CDA, PEC and intellectuals, academicians, engineers, architects and legal experts concerned.

It was pointed out that purpose of energy provisions in the building code was to provide minimum requirements for energy-efficient design and construction of buildings and to improve energy efficiency in buildings by incorporating best practices appropriate to our environment, coupled with traditional materials, technologies and craftsmanship developed indigenously.

It was shared that energy provisions would be implemented in two phases; first phase applying to large scale commercial consumers having a total connected load of 100 kW or a conditioned area of 900 m2 or greater or unconditioned buildings of covered area of 1,200 m2 or more. Provisions would be implemented to small scale end users in the second phase.

It was informed that governing body of the PEC has approved the bill and ministry of housing and works was to prepare the summary for approval from cabinet.

Asad Mahmood observed that conservation had not been at the top of priority list of the authorities while addressing the issues related to the crisis as WAPDA and ministry of petroleum and natural resources focused more upon generation and little importance was given to the conservation.

“Conservation should be part of everyday discussions,” he remarked.

The conservation expert regretted that the stated negligence proved to be a stumbling block in the delayed approval of the Building Code along with other administrative hitches.

He said that various developments were in progress to streamline the initiatives that has been taken by the ENERCON: the establishment of Pakistan Energy Conservation Board at the central and provincial level was just a case in point to facilitate the end consumer regarding energy efficient products and practices by setting benchmarks, certifications and energy audits.

Ameena Sohail highlighted the Distributed Generations Rules by NEPRA that covers the usage, generation and distribution of small-scale power generation technologies located close to the consumer end.

She mentioned that there would be no need for generation licenses and DISCOs would handle all distributed generators at their end through agreements for Net-metering, Banking and Wheeling. She further told that tariffs were to be determined as per NEPRA approval.

Khalid Rahman, noting that there were many actors working for the betterment of the sector in their individual and institutional capacities, there was a need to streamline and synergize all efforts to get the desired results and to resolve the issue.

While concluding the seminar, Mirza Hamid Hassan said that it was noticed that most of the consumers think about generation and capacity building instead of conservation. He was of the view that energy conservation was in a way energy generation.

Hassan stressed upon the need to promote energy efficient methods, techniques and practices along with energy efficient gadgets and technologies to contribute in mitigation of the burgeoning energy crisis.