Energy efficiency needs immediate actions

Energy efficiency simply means using less energy to perform the same task – that is, eliminating energy waste. Energy efficiency brings a variety of benefits: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing demand for energy imports, and lowering our costs on a household and economy-wide level. While renewable energy technologies also help accomplish these objectives, improving energy efficiency is the cheapest – and often the most immediate – way to reduce the use of fossil fuels. There are enormous opportunities for efficiency improvements in every sector of the economy, whether it is buildings, transportation, industry, or energy generation.

As such, energy efficiency is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to combat climate change, reduce energy costs for consumers, and improve the competitiveness of U.S. businesses. Energy efficiency is also a vital component in achieving net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide through decarbonization.

Energy efficiency saves money, increases the resilience and reliability of the electric grid, and provides environmental, community, and health benefits.

With economic, physical and social development, Nepal has aimed to achieve the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations and reach the level of medium income countries by 2030 A.D. Among the sustainable development goals, the seventh goal is aimed to ensure the accessibility of affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all whereas the twelfth goal is aimed to promote sustainable and accountable production and use. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to establish policy, legal and institutional framework that ensures the availability of affordable and reliable energy and its efficient use. The current fourteenth plan has also mentioned to establish policy and institutional framework to promote energy efficiency in Nepal.Although some movement on energy efficiency have been designed, programmes aimed to wider results have yet to take place. In this connection, Government policy is understood to be ready to bring into effect soon. That will create ways for legal and institutional arrangements are yet to be established for promotion of energy efficiency.

In order to promote sustainable supply of biomass energy available from animal waste, human excreta, fuelwood, agricultural residue, trees, forest residues including any biodegradable matters and to improve the efficient use of such biomass energy, the government of Nepal has already developed and adopted the Biomass Energy Strategy 2073. This strategy has been prepared for the promotion of energy efficiency and demand side management of energy, energy conservation, for the sustainable development of primarily modern and improved energy sources including hydropower, solar energy, wind energy, coal, natural gas, LPG and other petroleum products except biomass energy (which is also called traditional energy).

It is also important to note that the COP28, the created a great ambition with triple the amount of renewable energy available and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030. This has energized policy-makers, governments, industry and broader society around the world.

Energy efficiency is the use of less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result. Energy-efficient homes and buildings use less energy to heat, cool, and run appliances and electronics, and energy-efficient manufacturing facilities use less energy to produce goods.

In context of Nepal, energy efficiency relates to residential energy usages, energy for MSCIs, industries and transportation.

In residential sector, improved cookstoves, processed biomass energy products (briquettes, pellets), electric cooking, devices solar thermal devices are the energy efficient instruments. Likewise, for MSCIs, modern energy by national grid, solar mini grid, MHPs, Solar PV systems can support reduce use of traditional energy sources. Similarly, captive Solar PV plant, replace fossil fuel and traditional biofuel operated plants and many others are useful to minimise energy consumption in the industries. Moreover, for transportation sector, electric transportation systems including passenger evs, evs for public transportation, podeway, ropeway, cable car, electric trains etc. have been identified in the transport sector.

Moreover, energy efficiency programmes should consider more on utilising the materials generated as forest waste, agricultural waste and municipal waste to produce efficient energy products such as briquettes and pellets. Briquettes and pellets have proved to be alternative to coal to use in the industries and also good for domestic uses for cooking and heating. This segment of industries create entrepreneurship, reduce forest fire risk, reduce burning of agriculture waste and manage municipality waste. There are more such advantages are associated too.

Likewise, Extended Solar Home Systems supporting cooking by electricity for off-grid residences may by recommended for serious consideration which help reduce use of firewood and LPG by generating and storing enough energy for a household.

There are more such opportunities worth serious actions as part of energy efficiency movement.