THAILAND ENERGY’S SITUATION
In Southeast Asia energy consumption from both residential and commercial buildings continues to increase. Over the past decade, energy consumption from the commercial building sector in Thailand has increased at an average of 4% per
annum and currently represents over 30% of total electricity consumption, second only to the industrial sector.
Housing and buildings that exist today will continue to represent the majority of both energy and Greenhouse Gas emissions in Thailand, with newly constructed buildings representing only a small additional portion.
Solar
Solar power is becoming one of the most attractive sustainable investments in Thailand. In Thailand, there is an abundance of solar irradiation all year round and this can be used to produce energy for ‘free’.
Data has been collected from multiple solar rooftop projects already implemented over the past 10 years showing that solar rooftop projects can deliver benefits, for both the Customer (‘free’ energy) and the investor (positive returns on investment).
Recently, the costs have fallen, the system performance has improved, and the risk has significantly reduced. This mature technology offers predictable, stable, long term returns for investors, and is already generating
interest from our customers who want to install solar rooftop systems.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency refers to the use of energy in an efficient way. In other words, using less energy to produce the same result. A simple example is replacing a halogen lamp with an LED. You get the same output of light or brightness but use less energy. Globally, buildings consume approximately 40% of total energy and therefore hold the key to significantly reducing energy consumption and Greenhouse Gas emissions.
Energy efficiency initiatives may include replacing old inefficient air-conditioning systems with new ones, replacing hot water boilers with heat pumps, installing a Building Energy Management System or simply replacing inefficient lights with LEDs. On average, a building can achieve energy savings from 20-40%. Energy efficiency is also the cheapest way to assist governments meet their energy security concerns by reducing their dependence on imported energy. Energy efficiency is also known as the cheapest way to conserve the environment, and reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) that contribute to global warming.
Although there have been significant efforts to develop and deliver building energy efficiency retrofit programs all over the world a great potential remains because of the presence of multiple, persistent barriers. Energy efficiency projects typically require a substantial upfront investment in exchange for savings that accrue over the lifetime of the solutions implemented. However, these savings easily cover the initial investment within a few years.