TECHNOLOGY

Save energy and cut costs

Technicians check electrical connections in a packing plant.

MARIJULIA PUJOL LLOYD

PANAMA. Energy consumption is one of the highest charges for any company around the world and their managers are always looking for ways to save electricity and at the same time help to reduce global warming.

As a result of that green initiative a new breed of enterprises have begun to sprung out in different countries and their objective is to find more efficient ways in which to utilize electricity, while reducing the utility bills at the same time.

EMS Energy Management Solutions has been in Panama for 18 months offering advisory services to different industries about how to reduce their electricity charges and making their operations more efficient by investing for the future.

Alan Morrison, director for EMS Latin America said that what he would to like to see in Panama is for the government to offer incentives to companies that reduce their electricity consumption. For example if an enterprise invests money in energy saving devices it would get a tax rebate.

Morrison thinks there is nothing like that in the country. The goal is to have something similar to the carbon incentives programs in the United Kingdom, where every device designed to reduce greenhouse gases is 100 percent tax free for the companies that use them.

The US president Barack Obama recently introduced an initiative in his country for consumers who buy energy saving articles, given them back 25 percent of the value added tax. VAT. “It would be great if a similar program was implemented in Panama,” said Morrison.

“Companies could save an average of 30 percent of their electricity costs by buying energy saving devices, getting rid off old machinery and making changes that would not only benefit them, but also the planet. Taking into account that Panama has one the highest electricity tariffs in Central America and it is three times higher that in the United States, it makes sense to find ways to reduce energy consumption,” said Morrison.

“An enterprise in the United States would have to wait between one to three years to recuperate their investment in saving energy devices, but in Panama could take a fraction of that time,” said Morrison.

Currently EMS Energy is working with a selected group of clients that includes a supermarket chain, meat packing plant and a large printing company that have decided to become green and reduce their electricity bill at the same time.

When EMS makes an assessment, it put devices in the electrical equipment of the company to measure temperature, humidity and even the quality of the mortar which could prevent air conditioners and freezers from working efficiently. Then the advisors might recommend an upgrade of the equipment or replace them with a better model.

Although some companies in Panama are introducing energy saving procedures, many lack the necessary expertise to make a difference, said Morrison.

Javier Chewning, EMS project manager said that the equipment that consumes more energy is air conditioners.

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