In accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement among the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and the Electric Cooperatives and Private Distribution Utilities signed in May 2010, the DOE, as the lead Executing Agency for the PEEP, is expected to provide technical and logistical support to NEA for the performance of its functions and assist them in the promotional campaigns of the Project. The ECs will be responsible for distributing the 15-Watt CFLs to its residential customers to replace their existing inefficient incandescent bulbs (IBs).

The project intends to seek carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). Through this mechanism, developing countries, such as the Philippines, can host projects that reduce greenhouse gases and help achieve the country’s sustainable development objectives. Developed countries can invest in these projects in exchange for the projects’ Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) or carbon credits that have been validated and verified by CDM-accredited entities.

The briefing will be conducted to ensure that CDM rules will be followed not only during CFL distribution but also during installation of CFLs, storage and proper disposal of IBs. The briefing, which targets EC and DU personnel who will handle the actual distribution of CFLs, will provide step-by-step procedures on how to implement, record and monitor the CFL distribution activities. CDM rules and its implications to the CFL distribution procedures, such as the following, will also be explained:

• Only working IBs from consumers’ houses are eligible for exchange:
• One IB will be exchanged for one CFL; each consumer is only allowed to exchange up to a maximum of six (6) CFLs;
• Only the most recent electric bill will be used as proof to entitle the consumers to claim their free CFLs;
• The CFLs should be installed in high-usage areas (e.g., living and dining rooms, kitchen, garage or areas with security lighting, etc.)

High quality CFLs to be distributed under the banner theme, “Change for Less…mag-CFL na! uses less electricity and therefore, less pollution due to lower power consumption. For the same light output or brightness, a 60-W IB can be replaced with a 15-W CFL. These CFLs also last up to 10,000 hours compared with IBs, which last up to 2,000 hours only. A two-year warranty is also provided in lieu of the yellow energy guide label that is usually required of energy efficient lamps.

If registered as a CDM project, the two (2) million CFLs to be distributed in Mindanao is expected to generate savings from electricity consumption by around 50 GWh per year. This will also reduce the country’s carbon emissions by approximately 22,000 tons per year.

This article is taken from the Philippine Department of Energy's Press Releases 2010, please visit the author's website at www.doe.gov.ph.

URL: http://www.doe.gov.ph/news/PressReleases.asp?attach=498