The proposed Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act may lead to energy efficiency audits for larger developments, encouraging businesses to find environmentally friendly solutions and improve operations.
Allan Tay, Sunway Malls operations general manager, believes that energy efficiency audits will help building owners and operators understand their buildings’ energy consumption and barriers to improvement.
“Sustainability saves costs, fuels innovation, and uncovers new opportunities that address environmental challenges, resulting in increased property value for building owners in the long run,” Tay told The Star.
Sunway Group, in particular, has already implemented energy audits internally to monitor its mall’s energy consumption and identify areas for potential savings.
Tay explained that through these energy audits, Sunway Pyramid, a mega mall that opened in 1997, has consistently saved more than RM3 million in annual energy costs since a comprehensive chiller plant retrofit in 2012.
Currently, energy audits are not mandatory under the Energy Management of Electrical Energy Regulation 2008 (EMEER) Regulation for developments.
However, the proposed Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act will cover both electricity and thermal energy audits, including buildings that use thermal energy like gas district cooling.
Prof Ir Dr Haslenda Hashim, chairperson of Resource Sustainability Research Alliance at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said these audits can assist developers and commercial development owners in converting their buildings to be more energy efficient.
Mageswari Sangalingam, senior research officer at Consumers’ Association of Penang, urges the ministry to include public feedback on the proposed Act and identify gaps that are not addressed by existing laws.
S. Piarapakaran, president of Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer), believes that instead of proposing a new Bill, the government should amend existing laws to promote environmentally friendly measures.
Piarapakaran also states that the ministry should ensure cost-effective implementation to avoid unnecessary delays, as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act was proposed almost a decade ago.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
