PUTRAJAYA: The government can save about RM100 million a year when the 24,300 government premises observe the 24° Celsius temperature limit for air conditioning.
The measure will be implemented as soon as the chief secretary to the government issues a circular.
Public Works Department directorgeneral Datuk Mohd Noor Yaacob said some of these premises comprised three to five buildings.
He said increasing the temperature by a degree could save five per cent of the energy that went towards air conditioning.
The department’s building here, he said, could save up to RM60,000 a year by setting the air conditioning temperature at 24°C.
“This is definitely a good practice as the money saved could be channelled to other uses. We could use it to maintain roads and other facilities,” Noor said in an interview.
He said the government was spending RM3.5 billion annually on utilities, including electricity, water and phone bills.
Asked about online comments that the government should focus on bigger things, Noor said even the three “R” campaign — reduce, reuse and recycle — was based on small efforts. “If we can’t do the small things well, how can we do the big things?” In August, the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry ordered all government offices to set their airconditioning no lower than 24ºC. In every government office, at least 40 per cent of energy consumed goes to air-conditioning.
The order will be extended to the private sector by 2013.
Energy Commission senior executive (Demand Side Management) Zul Azri Hamidon said government offices accounted for about 17 per cent of commercial floor space, while the remaining 83 per cent was for non-government buildings nationwide, including offices and shopping complexes.
The floor space calculated is based on the size of the building.
“This means that non-government buildings can save up to five times what government premises can save,” Zul Azri sai
Read more: Air con at 24°C ‘will save govt RM100m’ http://www.nst.com.my/articles/2011100301101820111003011018/Article//Article#ixzz1Zh2NeWY1
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