Hi, and welcome back to VTC’s Consumer 24/7 Show. Ladies and gentlemen, the efficient utilization of energy in buildings is an issue of increasing importance due to the need to save costs and protect the environment. Therefore, building management bodies invariably prefer to choose energy saving products and use renewable energy. However, a question remains as to how to maximize the use of utilities while ensuring the implementation of policies and the law concerning the economical and efficient use of energy. Today it is a pleasure to welcome our three guests to discuss this issue:

Mr. Trinh Quoc Vu (Deputy Director, Department of Energy Efficiency & Sustainable Development, Ministry of Industry and Trade)

Mr. Ha Dang Son (Director, Centre for Energy and Green Growth Research)

and

Mr. Nguyen Manh Khuong (Representative of Mitsubishi Electric Viet Nam Co., Ltd)

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Thank you for joining us today on our show.

And the first question is for Mr. Trinh Quoc Vu:

As we know, two phases of Vietnam Energy Efficiency Program (VNEEP) were completed within 10 years. Can you share with us the results which were achieved?

- Hi Ms. Ngoc Huyen, ladies and gentlemen. In 2006, the Prime Minister approved VNEEP for the 10-year period from 2006 to 2015. The program was divided into 2 phases, phase 1 from 2006 to 2010 and phase 2 from 2011 to 2015. In phase 1, the national target program mainly focused on the development and completion of the legal documentation system related to the field of economical and effective use of energy. The results of phase 1 were that in the period from 2006 to 2010, the program helped the country save 3.4% of total energy consumption, which was equal to 4.9 million tons of oil equivalent. The results of phase 2 were summarized and reported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) to the Government at the end of 2015. In total, phase 2 of the program helped save 5.65% of total energy consumption during this period, equally 11.2 million tons of oil equivalent. Ultimately, we can say this two-phase of VNEEP made a great contribution to achieving the government’s goal of using energy more economically and efficiently.

From what you said, we can see the program did record a significant increase in performance. So, what were the difficulties and obstacles faced during implementation?

- During the implementation process, we experienced difficulties and challenges in promoting solutions and measures for the economical and efficient use of energy. But what were those difficulties and challenges? First of all, there was an inconsistent level of awareness of economical and efficient use of energy, responsibilities, obligations, and the benefits that energy savings bring to society, individuals and especially businesses. The second difficulty that I want to emphasize here is that the budget and resources reserved for this national target program were very modest. The third issue to mention is that we still had some institutional barriers, especially incentives for businesses to adopt economical and efficient use of energy solutions and implement them. For example, businesses that wish to invest in energy-saving solutions and want to apply high energy-saving technologies are still facing difficulties in accessing loans, especially soft loans. They are also facing many difficulties in accessing incentives such as tax exemptions for equipment and technology required for the economical and efficient use of energy.

Thank you for sharing this information with us. We can see that providing energy-saving solutions is both beneficial to businesses and also a policy promoted by the MOIT to save energy, isn’t it?

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The next question is for Mr. Ha Dang Son:

From the perspective of an expert, can you share what the practical benefits of the project are when it comes to the use of energy-saving solutions?

- Hi Ms. Ngoc Huyen, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I have to say that I was lucky to be involved in VNEEP from its very first years. Energy-saving solutions adopted in buildings and the civil sector have yielded great levels of energy efficiency for businesses. For example, a number of recently published studies regarding simulation results for buildings show that a business, when it adopts solutions such as increasing the effectiveness of enclosure structures in accordance with recent regulations, along with solutions related to lighting, and those including advanced ventilation and air conditioning, can slash operating costs as well as investment in buildings by between 20% and 30%, a relatively large number. More recent studies show that if measures are incorporated well from the design stage, the extent of energy savings can amount to as much as 50%.

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And the question for Mr. Manh Khuong is:

In order to implement and apply energy-saving solutions in buildings, it is well-known that equipment and technology are the first and most important factors that we need to consider. As the world’s leading equipment manufacturer, can you share any energy-saving solutions for buildings that Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is implementing in the Vietnamese market?

- Hi Ms. Ngoc Huyen, ladies and gentlemen. It is true that for each project, the application and consideration of the use of equipment and technology is one of the first and foremost factors that a developer will consider. When implementing our projects, we realize that the difficulties facing developers are how to find and keep up-to-date with the most advanced and effective technologies together with how to find suppliers who can provide the most comprehensive solutions for a project. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is a pioneer in providing comprehensive solutions for buildings. We offer products that are essential for each project. For example, air-conditioning systems, elevator systems, escalators, electrical systems, power distribution or very specific products such as indoor and outdoor displays and advertising displays. The products that Mitsubishi Electric Group provides are those with the most optimal energy consumption in the market. Besides essential products, we also deploy specific energy-saving products and solutions for each building. The typical products that I can mention here are solutions commonly used by high-end building projects, namely the use of hot water heat pumps for centralized hot water use or the use of inverters for pumping systems, fans, compressors, and motor systems to save energy. For each building, as you already know, air conditioning and ventilation systems are the largest consumers of energy. We also provide fresh air recovery ventilation systems, which I have to say are very advanced solutions designed to save energy before air comes into the air-conditioned room. Right now, since we are living in the era of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, one of the most practical and important solutions for buildings, especially high-class ones, are BMS (building management system) solutions. Mitsubishi Electric provides building management solutions that enable the measurement, monitoring and management of all systems in the most optimal way. 

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And, in order to help you better understand how the comprehensive energy-saving solutions for buildings have been designed and effectively utilized. Let’s watch a short video!

 

1. Central Power Corporation - EVN CPC

The Central Power Corporation - EVN CPC, a member of Vietnam Electricity (EVN), is always seeking and applying new energy-saving solutions in its business activities.

Its head office building is equipped with superior energy-saving systems provided by Mitsubishi Electric, including high-performance central air-conditioning, top of the range elevator and display systems, and in particular, a roof-top solar power system.

EVN CPC is also proud of being a pioneer by successfully launching the use of the first two 100% electric cars in Vietnam. These cars have been integrated with a solar-powered fast-charging station. This is an important premise to accelerate the use of electric cars and thus contributing to environmental protection.

Mr. Pham Sy Hung - Deputy General Director, Central Power Corporation: "In the past 5 years, EVN CPC has always exercised a power-saving rate in the range of 2%. Among energy-saving solutions, saving electricity in buildings and offices plays an important role. The corporation has issued many guidelines, instructions and regulations governing the economical use of electricity in the building. Thanks to the synchronous implementation of technical solutions as well as the awareness of users, every year we manage to save between 10% and 14% of annual electricity consumption."

 

2. Oakwood Residence Saigon

Next is energy-saving solutions for high-end apartments, where 50% of the building’s energy consumption is for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. One prime example of this is Oakwood Residence Saigon, a serviced apartment project in the high-end segment developed by Mapletree Investments - a leading real estate development, investment and capital management company headquartered in Singapore. In this situation, an important requirement is for a total solution that ensures maximum comfort for residents while meeting high energy-saving requirements.

Oakwood Residence Saigon uses Hot Water Heat Pump to provide hot water of up to 70 degrees Celsius all year round using a high-performance inverter technology that is 400% more energy efficient than traditional solutions using resistors, and offers absolute safety. In particular, cold water recovered can be reused for central air-conditioning VRF City Multi through an air processor, thus providing fresh and cool air for the building.

In addition, each apartment is equipped with a Multi Split Air-Conditioning system where one outdoor unit can be combined with up to 4 indoor units, saving installation space and maintenance costs, while inverter technology helps save 30% of power consumption compared to previous air-conditioners.

Mr. Vignesh Mani - General Manager, Oakwood Residence Saigon: "At Oakwood Residence Saigon, we conduct a wide range of green initiatives including the use of the hot water heat pump with VRF system. We recognize that these solutions play a very important role to reduce power consumption, optimize operating costs for the project, and most importantly, lend to the sustainability of our environment."

 

3. Four Points by Sheraton Da Nang Hotel

Finally, looking at energy saving solutions for hotels. A perfect example is the Four Points by Sheraton Da Nang Hotel, one of the most luxurious accommodation properties in Da Nang, belonging to Marriott International Group. The hotel trusted Mitsubishi Electric’s power monitoring and saving solutions to meet their standards of quality, safety and power saving.

The combination of Mitsubishi Electric’s inverters with the central air conditioner’s cold water pumping system allows for a reduction of energy consumption of up to 50%. Besides, a product design that does not require maintenance for 10-years helps minimize costs for investors.

Medium to low voltage power supply systems and electrical monitoring devices are all made in Japan and have been awarded world certifications for electrical safety. They, in particular, support communication connections and energy-saving monitoring with an accuracy level of up to 0.1%.

Mr. Stefano Maccagno - CEO of Four Points Hotel by Sheraton Danang: "Mitsubishi Electric, here in the hotel, We use power distribution, controling and monitoring system to control the chiller pump system for the central air conditioner. These 2 tools help us a lot in saving energy. As you see, the hotel has lots of natural light, however, we still need air condition, electricity to be efficient, so the machines don’t overwork and we don’t overheat the planet."

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Ladies and gentlemen, the application of advanced energy-saving products to optimize energy consumption for buildings in particular and the whole of society in general must be supported by the awareness of users to prove efficient and sustainable. Thanks again to our three guests who have joined us today. We have come to the end of the show. Thank you for watching.

See you again at 8 PM, Monday to Saturday on VTC6 channel.

Goodbye for now!