Energy consumption rate to be monitored

Authorities have put in place a series of measures to monitor energy consumption as part of a larger objective to ensure energy efficiency.
The move comes in the wake of alarming findings in a global study on energy consumption, which revealed that Saudi Arabia’s fuel consumption had grown 1.8 percent last year as compared to the previous year.
Authorities are considering placing tags detailing fuel efficiency on imported cars starting in 2015. “The objective of the move is to raise awareness among customers, who will know how much fuel the vehicle will consume per kilometer,” said Naif Al-Abaddi, general director of the Saudi Center for Energy Efficiency.
The center has been collaborating with several ministries and government institutions to put in place new programs that will contribute to improving energy efficiency in all spheres of life.
Al-Abaddi said that a study which was under way to implement new regulations, including tags on imported cars, will be submitted to the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization for endorsement once the study was completed.
The initiative comes in the wake of the global study on energy consumption which showed that there was only a 0.02-percent rate of growth in energy consumption in Dubai, while it had actually declined 2 percent in Germany. Energy consumption worldwide had also registered a downtrend of 1 percent, the study revealed.
Saudi Arabia’s target is to achieve its strategic goals concerning energy efficiency by 2030. Among the many challenges that come in the way of realizing such goals are the rising prices of fuel and increasing electricity consumption.
Pointing out that air conditioners in the Kingdom alone account for 50 percent of the total power consumption, he said: “The center has a technical team of experts in the field which comes up with proposals to raise awareness among citizens and students on the importance of rationing energy consumption.” Ali Al-Zahrani, coordinator of the National Saudi Energy Efficiency Program, said rationalization of energy consumption can be achieved in many ways and that one of the most important mechanisms was the installation of thermal insulation inside homes.
“About 55 percent of residential units in the Kingdom are rented, where the owners tend to minimize costs of construction as much as possible by not installing thermal insulation,” he said.
“Energy efficiency is a national program and it is not just for the generation of our times, but also for future generations.”
The Saudi Center for Energy Efficiency was established by the government in 2010 and was entrusted with the task of initiating programs for energy efficiency and conservation through effective policies, mechanisms and regulations.