The energy specialist António Sá da Costa maintains that the energy saving plan that is being drawn up must have a “reasonable criteria in the application of measures”differentiating trade, industry or services.
Asked by Lusa about the measures that he considers should be included in the Portuguese energy saving plan, which is being drawn up and should be known by the end of the month, the energy specialist António Sá da Costa began by saying that “there are two types of measures: the temporary ones, who had to come to stay, and emergency, which are last minute patches, as long as the temporary measures are not implemented”. “Even these should not be applied blindly,” he stressed.
For the former president of the Portuguese Association of Renewable Energies (APREN), “there must be a criterion of reasonableness for the application of measures”, “for example with the definition of indices (of total energy consumption per m2 of area, with differentiated indices in terms of the type of use — commerce, industry, offices)”.
For example, explained a trader who switched from classic lighting to LED bulbs “already reduced its consumption to 10% of the initial consumptionand, “if now, for example, the time that electricity can be had is cut by 20%, this measure is reduced with respect to the initial consumption of 2%, but if the same measure is applied to the merchant who did nothing, the measure reduces consumption by 20%”.
The same happens with public lighting, Sá da Costa pointed out, since there have already been municipalities that have implemented more efficient lamps, while others have not, having to consider, in this case, “the impacts that reduced uptime may have on the safety of people and property“.
Similar to what other European countries are adopting, short-term measures can also be adopted in Portugal, such as temperature limitations on air conditioning units, Sá da Costa recalled.
However, “this is of no use if the appliances are not properly maintained and certified” and if the doors are not kept closed.
For the specialist, “it should be mandatory in commerce, services and industry to display the annual inspection/maintenance certificate as is done with elevators or fire extinguishers, and, in case of not displaying them, it would imply the payment of a fine that It should be progressive in case of recurrence.”
For the specialist, the “fundamental or conjunctural measures are those that can lead to permanent reductions in consumption, and some of them can be quickly implemented and supported”, such as promoting the use of solar panels to heat sanitary water, which, he explained , has more than twice the efficiency of photovoltaic panels and is “relatively cheap(2,000 to 4,000 euros for a family of three to four people).
Another substantive measure, he added, would be to support the substitution of electric or gas radiator heating systems for heat pumps or boilers.granules“, in addition to teaching energy efficiency from primary school.
“I often say that kWh [quilowatt-hora] cheaper is what is not spent, that is, what is saved. People also say: ‘after the house is robbed, they close the door'”, highlighted the specialist, considering that what is now being implemented with “hasty measures, probably not well thought out and matured”, “could and should have They have been implemented continuously for many decades.
For António Sá da Costa, successive governments “pushing the matter with the belly“, because they are “unpopular and do not give votes”.
“But, once again, as people say: ‘better late than never,’” he concluded.
Source: Observadora
