Karnival Cekap Tenaga 2009

Karnival Cekap Tenaga telah diadakan di PWTC pada 21 dan 22 November 2009. Lebih kurang 3o booths terlibat. Disebabkan promosi agak kurang, tak ramai sangat pengunjung yang datang. kebanyakkan pengunjung terdiri daripada pihak yang terlibat di dalam ESCO, Green Building, individu yang terlibat di dalam kecekapan tenaga, energy audit,etc.

Antara booth yang menarik adalah CETREE, lebih bersifat memberi kesedaran dan pemahaman mengenai Bangunan Hijau ( Green Building ) khususnya kepada kanak-kanak.

Perkembangan dan kesedaran mengenai Teknologi Hijau semakin meningkat di Malaysia. Penglibatan dan initiative dari kerajaan dan swasta semakin baik dari hari ke hari. Kewujudan syarikat yang menjalankan peniagaan Carbon Trading juga semakin meningkat.

National Convention for Energy Profesionals (NCEP 4) 2009

National Convention for Energy Profesionals 4 (NCEP) 2009 telah diadakan di Matrade pada 11 Nov 2009. Program ini mendapat sambutan dari peserta yang terdiri daripada jurutera, pembekal perkhidmatan, IPP, academik, badan kerajaan dan NGO.

Fokus program kali ini adalah Teknologi Hijau ( Green Technology ). Topik pembentangan kerja berkisarkan Teknologi Hijau seperti polisi, GT and Industrial Sector, Issues and Chalenges, GT in Water and Energy Sector, Gt and Transport Sector, GT and Waste Management, Sesi Dialog.

Pembentangan menjadi agak hangat dengan soalan-soalan yang agak panas dari peserta seperti karenah birokrasi pihak kerajaan Malaysia di dalam pengimplementasian Teknologi Hijau, ketidaksediaan pihak-pihak yang berkaitan, kelemahan dan ketiadaan kepakaran pegawai kerajaan di dalam bidang teknologi hijau.

Program pada sesi petang agak kurang menarik minat peserta. Ini dapat dilihat daripada kebanyakan kerusi terbiar kosong. Sesetengah peserta merungut bahawa kebanyakkan panel terlibat bukanlah pembuat dasar atau pembuat keputusan. Mereka mengharapkan kehadiran seseorang yang dapat membuat keputusan mengenai dasar Tenaga Hijau negara, seseorang yang dapat memberi kata putus, menjalankan dasar tersebut dengan efektif melalui polisi, peraturan dan penguatkuasaan bukan sekadar pemberi cadangan kepada pihak kerajaan.

Seorang daripada peserta mengajukan soalan bagaimana belanjawan yang diperuntukan untuk pembangunan teknologi ini dibelanjakan, bagaimana program tersebut dilaksanakan, apakah tahap dan pencapaiannya. Ahli panel gagal memberi jawapan yang memuaskan.

Diharap kelemahan dan kekurangan ini dapat diperbaiki konvensyen yang akan datang.

Energy Management Seminar and Training

Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM) telah menganjurkan Seminar dan Latihan Pengurusan Tenaga pada 9 dan 10 Nov 2009. Program ini dianjurkan secara kerjasama dengan Energy Conservation Center Japan.

Modul utama adalah bagaimana menggunakan kaedah Energy Management Handbook di dalam Pengurusan Energy ( Enercy Management ).

Ada beberapa perkara yang menarik yang didapati daripada program tersebut selain daripada mendapat ilmu dan pendedahan baru di dalam bidang Pengurusan Energy. Amat memeranjatkan apabila saya mengetahui bahawa pada setiap tahun akan diadakan Energy Award peringkat ASEAN. Pertandingan ini terbahagi kepada beberapa kategori seperti Bangunan, Industry dll. Amatlah memeranjatkan apabila mengetahui bahawa Malaysia di tangga terbawah. Negara Thailand mengusai setiap kategori, diikuti Myanmar, Indonesia, Brunei dan Laos.

Kami di kalangan peserta seminar memang terkejut macam mana Myanmar yang dikatakan dikuasai junta komunis boleh ada keprihatinan terhadapan Kecekapan Tenaga (EE) dan bagaimana Malaysia boleh menjadi antara yang tercorot. Brunei yang terkenal dengan kekayaan minyak pula lebih menonjol dari Malaysia.

Keprihatinan dan kesedaran terhadap terhadap penggunaan tenaga secara efisyen di Malaysia perlukan penglibatan semua pihak. Pemimpin negara, ketua jabatan, pejabat kena ada kesedaran barulah boleh berjaya, diikuti pula dengan polisi, peraturan dan penguatkuasaan.

CFL with Bayonet Cap

A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also known as a compact fluorescent light or energy saving light (or less commonly as a compact fluorescent tube [CFT]), is a type of fluorescent lamp. Many CFLs are designed to replace an incandescent lamp and can fit into most existing light fixtures formerly used for incandescents.

Now, the CFL with bayonet cap is available in most of the Malaysian retail store and hypermarket. So incandescent lamp can easily replace without changing the socket. The price it is around RM 18 - RM23 (18W).

18 W CFL = 100W incandescent lamp

.: Time to Change :.

Sources of Indoor Pollution

Paint

Lead paint is a fairly well-known danger, 30-odd years after the U.S. banned it. Older homes, however, still have lead paint on the walls, and the deteriorating, cracking and peeling paint can produce lead-tainted dust that can easily get on children's hands ... and childrens' hands, as any parent knows, are a remarkably efficient delivery method for getting anything to their mouths. Lead can cause permanent brain damage, so maintaining old paint is critically important.

Carpets

Carpets harbor dirt, dust mites, pet dander, dirt, fungus and other unhealthy particles that can irritate the lungs, trigger asthma attacks or send some people into allergic fits.

Less obvious is the presence of suspect chemicals used to manufacture carpets that "off gas" and can fill the room. The most common is formaldehyde, which will not only irritate the nose and throat, trigger asthma attacks and cause other lung damage, but could, based on laboratory studies on animals, cause cancer, according to the EPA.

Carpets are concerning enough that the American Lung Association recommends avoiding them completely. (If you already have one, the association recommends using a HEPA [high efficiency particle air] vacuum.) There are carpets on the market that are made with nontoxic materials (though they can still harbor dirt, dust and dander like any other rug).

Cleaning Products

Spray bottles, sponges and the cleansers that break up dirt are supposed to leave your home cleaner, but many can also introduce unhealthy compounds into the air.

The first thing that must be said is: Never mix a chlorine-based cleanser with an acid-based cleanser, like vinegar or ammonia. Don't even clean the same surface with one and then the other. The result of mixing these two cleansers is potent -- often deadly -- chlorine gas. That's the same chlorine gas that ties counter-terrorism experts up in knots. You don't want it in your house.

The larger point, though, is that many off-the-shelf cleansers contain powerful and often toxic solvents, antibiotic pesticides and other nasty chemicals. Chlorine is poisonous. Many household cleansers are unnecessarily hazardous, given that simple recipes with vinegar, baking soda and the like will do just as good a job without any of the risks.

Cabinets and Furniture

Cabinets, furniture, shelving, countertops and any other household item made with pressed wood is likely stuck together with glue that contains formaldehyde.

As with rugs, the formaldehyde in the glue will "off-gas" over time, releasing small amounts into the air in your home.

To avoid formaldehyde, avoid pressed wood products unless you know they are free from formaldehyde.

The Kitchen Stove

Just the simple act of cooking on the stove, particularly a gas stove, can actually introduce unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide into the air, increasing the risk of asthma attacks and other respiratory illness. Also a concern is simple steam, which can do the same work as moisture in the bathroom at promoting unwanted mold growth.

The better solution is simply to properly ventilate your stove so that the exhaust vents to the outdoors.

Energy Star qualified equipmets and appliances

ENERGY STAR is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products. It was first created as a United States government program in 1992, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted the program. Devices carrying the Energy Star logo, such as computer products and peripherals, kitchen appliances, buildings and other products, save 20%-30% on average.

However, many European-targeted products are labeled using a different standard, TCO Certification, a combined energy usage and ergonomics rating from the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO) instead of Energy Star.




LEED 2009 For Commercial Interior (LEED 2009 CI)

In LEED 2009 CI, for EA Credit 1.4: Optimize Energy Performance - Equipment and Appliances, the requirement is as below:

For all Energy Star qualified equipments and appliances installed as part of the tenant's scope of work, archieve one of the following percentage (by rated power):

1 point - 70%
2 points - 77%
3 points - 84%
4 points - 90%

This requirement applies to appliances, office equipment, electronics and commercial food service equipment. Excluded are HVAC, lighting and building envelope products.

Energy Star qualified equipment and appliances

This is the logo for Energy Star qualified equipment and appliances

ENERGY STAR specifications differ with each item, and are set by either the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Energy. The following highlights product and specification information available on the ENERGY STAR website.

Computers

New Energy Star 5.0 specifications for computers became effective on July 1 2009. They require the use of 80 PLUS Bronze level or higher power supplies.

Servers

The EPA released Version 1.0 of the Computer Server specifications on May 15, 2009. It covers standalone servers with one to four processor sockets. A second tier to the specification covering servers with more than four processor sockets, as well as blade servers and fault-tolerant machines is expected in late 2010.

Appliances

As of early 2008, average refrigerators need 20% savings over the minimum standard. Dishwashers need at least 41% savings. Most appliances as well as heating and cooling systems have a yellow EnergyGuide label showing the annual cost of operation compared to other models. This label is created through the Department of Energy and often shows if an appliance is ENERGY STAR.

List of the Energy Star qualified equipments and appliances. Click Link


Energy Star Saving Calculator

Natural Swimming Pools

Swimming can be great exercise and a lot of fun, not to mention an exciting sport at the Olympics. But the chlorine used in most pools can have some negative side effects, not the least of which is reliance on toxic (and finicky) chemicals.

Chlorine's damaging effects on hair are well known, but few people realize that a number of studies have linked inhalation of the chemical by swimmers to increased asthma rates (in fact a new Irish study published this April reported a significant link between the number of years a boy had been swimming and the likelihood of the child being wheezy in the past year.)

A Norwegian study also documented an increased risk of wheezing among children who swim in pools before 6 months of age. Further, in an unpleasant reaction, pee and sweat in water can react with chlorine to form toxic breakdown products known as chloramines.

For health, environmental and aesthetic reasons, a lot of people have expressed interest in alternatives to chlorine pools, and luckily there are more and more options to get wet without smelling like cleaning products.

Managed properly, natural swimming pools have crystal clear water and require no chemicals to maintain, as they are self-cleaning mini-ecosystems. "You can drink the water if you want to, and you don't necessarily have to take a shower," says Morgan Brown of Idaho-based Whole Water Systems, LLC. The natural pools designer says the systems also have lower maintenance costs than conventional pools, and their installation costs are not much more than standard designs.

How Do They Work?
The materials and designs of natural pools can vary widely. Many are lined with rubber or reinforced polyethylene. In most popular models, such as those offered by Kansas-based Total Habitat, the swimming area is separated from a zone planted with aquatic vegetation, which acts as a biological filter. A small waterfall can add ambiance as well as valuable aeration. A skimmer may be used to collect large debris. Total Habitat typically adds a UV sterilizer to assure any germs are killed.

Worried about mosquitoes? Don't be! According to Total Habitat's president Mick Hilleary, natural predators and moving water make a natural swimming pools practically mosquito free. Hilleary says four tires stacked in your backyard will create 100 times more mosquitoes.