Government to reduce energy consumption

The Government intends to revitalize the Agency for Energy Conservation (ACE), in order to obtain this way a reduction in energy consumption. Prime-Minister Vasile Tarlev mentioned, within the frameworks of the Government session on Wednesday, November 8, that Baltic countries reduced their consumption of energy by one third, once the tariffs grew. On the other hand the consumption in the R. of Moldova not only didn’t reduce but is still boosting. The Minister of Industry and Infrastructure, Vladimir Antosii also asserts that at the moment, after the increase in price of gas, ACE has a major role. He also relayed on the experience of Baltic States where the reduction of consumption was attained due to the projects of these agencies. According to the minister, the protocol decision, approved on Wednesday will be reformulated into a Government decision, providing the obligation of ACE to implement concrete projects for preserving energy. These projects would particularly include re-equipment of enterprises, by utilizing low energy consumption technologies. Antosii asserts that the Agency will start with “issuing certificates in what concerns the energy conserving state of the buildings’ doors and windows”. The main activities of ACE, provided for in the protocol decision, include the elaboration and implementation of energetic certificates for buildings, whichever is their form of property, with the identifications of the characteristics and parameters of the edifices and their afferent systems, which determine the level of energy consumption, and also the implementation of actions concerning the energetic efficiency of the building. According to Antosii, at present, when electric energy production in the R. of Moldova is of only 30%, “it is unnecessary that 8 lamps are switched on in the apartments and billboards are illuminated 24/7”. The minister asserts that, most probably, this winter, the effects of the Agency’s activity won’t be felt, because, according to the protocol decision, till the end of the year only the ACE staff-members selection is provided. Although the Agency was created in 2002, till now, according to the minister, it worked “only with papers”. Antosii also mentioned that ACE will not be financed from the budget, but from a national fund. He didn’t specify what kind of fund is taken into consideration as well as the sources of this fund.