By NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
The Director-General of Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Mr Mustapha Abdullahi has restated the commitment of the commission to ensure effective use of energy on air conditioners and other cooling systems in the country.
Abdullahi stated this at a meeting of stakeholders on scaling up of the energy efficient cooling systems in Abuja.
“The aim is far-fetch, and not very much something that is hidden, but definitely to improve the energy efficient cooling system like the refrigerator that we have at home.
“Studies have been conducted and we have seen that up to 60 per cent of the energy that is being consumed at home happens to be the refrigerator and the cooling system.
“And because we want to save energy, we want Nigerians to spend lesser in energy consumption. We have now developed this particular concept called Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS).
“The MEPS aims to reduce the energy consumption, emission, and the cooling system, and increase their efficiency in cooling system. We don’t intend to face out the entire cooling systems that we have today.
“We have development partners that have also pledged to give some incentives. So, we are going to ensure that Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) ensure standards according to the MEPS we produced.
“We will also make sure that the cost of what is coming to the market is reduced. There will be incentives for people to replace what they have. Also, we are talking to the Federal Government to assist in replacements as an incentives.
“Hopefully, we will get some cooling systems replaced free of charge, without spending anything, just to keep our environment clean and also increase efficiency,” Abdullahi said.
The ECN boss explained that the next step is awareness programme, which would be launched, adding that the programme would go the grassroot, educate people and give them incentives to promote the cooling system.
He further said that all the cooling systems in the country were imported.
“However, we are discussing with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji, with the hope that, soon we will have fully domesticated air conditioners that the country will adopt.
“We will create a master plan on how to face the old ones out and replace them with energy efficient cooling system,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Lawal Ismilia, the Head of Electrical Electronics at SON said the project is very important to Nigeria.
“As SON, we are in charge of coordinating the activities of standards development. In the meeting, we are trying to see how we need to prove on the efficiency of air conditioners in Nigeria.
“We have to review the standards so that air conditioners will use less energy for effective cooling. That is why we need to involve stakeholders to ensure that we review these standards to meet international best practices.
“Energy is important, so we need to manage it. We want to ensure that we use less energy, and also use it for industrialisation. We also want to ensure that the emission is ozone layers friendly,” Ismilia said. (NAN)