The phenomenon of energy efficiency is no longer an abstract goal, but is a reality we live in, said the director of the Alliance for Energy Efficiency and Renewables (AEER) Irina Plis. According to the energy expert, the crisis of 2022, generated by the war in Ukraine, made Moldova’s population and economic agents to change their paradigm in terms of energy consumption and invest in equipment for producing energy from renewable sources, IPN reports.
Energy expert Mihai Lupu said that in the context of the increase in charges, energy efficiency has become a necessity. People need to outfit their homes with energy efficiency equipment, but also develop the capacity to save energy.
“The terms ‘energy efficiency’ and ‘energy saving’ are often confused. If it goes to a private house, where the people turn off the light without interfering in the engineering structure of the house or procuring equipment, this is energy saving. If we replace one bulb with another bulb of a higher efficiency class, it is energy efficiency. Lately, we have witnessed a trend of energy price increases and, by applying an energy efficiency measure, people pay less for energy. Energy efficiency is a necessity, not a fad,” expert of the Institute of Power Engineering Mihai Lupu stated in the program “Freedom Territory”.
In the same connection, the director of the Alliance for Energy Efficiency and Renewables noted that Moldova’s citizens have become aware of the importance of rational energy consumption and the demand for equipment for producing energy from renewable sources has increased significantly.
“The energy efficiency phenomenon is not a new trend for Moldova. Energy efficiency has been talked about for a long time and efforts have been made in this regard, in terms of legislation, public policies. There are many energy efficiency projects. So, it’s a phenomenon that previously we only heard about and now it’s a reality that we live in. It is a necessity. It is a topical issue, especially in the context of increases in charges. We see that since 2022, the demand for renewable energy generation technologies, such as solar batteries, has grown. People began to look for solutions for energy independence and efficiency. People are looking for how to reduce the value of their electricity and gas bills,” said Irina Plis.
According to official data, in 2023 renewable energy accounted for only 6% of electricity consumption. Of this, 54% was wind energy, 34% - photovoltaic solar energy, while by 6% - hydro and biogas energy. The Republic of Moldova has committed itself to increase the share of electricity produced from renewable sources to at least 30% of electricity consumption by 2030.
