Environment & Poverty Times
06 2009
UNEP/GRID-Arendal
18 19
Use of the Energy Effi ciency label The CFLs distributed as part of the NLBRP are labelled according to the National Label- ling System for Energy Effi ciency introduced in 2007. Only CFLs labelled category A, the most effi cient, are permitted for distribution under the NLBRP. The government thus ensures the best quality for programme beneficiaries. Over and above this label, which ensures not only energy effi ciency, but also security aspects and provides a guarantee of quality, another factor that was integrated into the programme was a maximum mercury content requirement for distributed CFLs.
Use of the carbon credit market Since the beginning of the programme the government, with the support of the Interamerican Bank for Development, has been working on implementing the sale of the carbon credits generated by household energy savings. Not only would this contrib- ute to the programme’s fi nancial viability, but also to the image of the government as an innovator and the involvement of a large part of the population in the mitigation of a global environmental problem, thus raising the population’s awareness to other related issues.
Transacted Up to the fi rst half of 2007 only 14% of the Clean Development Mechanism proj- ect portfolio was in energy effi ciency and just 3% of those projects were focused on end-users. The NLBRP will be the first residential lighting project in Latin America and the Caribbean with a carbon credit component, underscoring the innovative
One of the fi rst benefi ciaries in the process of handing in the old bulbs and obtaining the new FCLs. Compañia General de Electricidad.
capacity of Chile and its public policies. The quantitative evaluation of savings and the sale of carbon credits will keep track of and monitor the project’s impact, thus contributing to appraisal of the programme as a whole.
The cut in emissions associated with the pro- gramme is estimated to amount to approxi- mately 43.166 tonnes CO2 equivalent a year. To trade these reductions on the voluntary market, PPEE is currently developing a pub- lic tender process. The bids received must quantify the annual energy consumption savings associated with the use of effi cient light bulbs and the reduction in CO2 emis- sions generated by the programme, using a widely recognized methodology. The volun- tary emission reductions (VERs) generated are expected to obtain a high classifi cation in the VERs market. The project developers participating in the bid must provide evi- dence of rigour in project implementation, particularly regarding measurement and monitoring mechanisms.
Conclusion So far, throughout the implementation of
the programme there have been no confl icts, scandals or noteworthy problems regarding any of the aspects mentioned.
The success of this programme is largely due to the cooperation of a large number of public and private actors, each of which played an important role in effi ciently imple- menting specifi c aspects.
There are only a few technologies that can provide savings in energy consumption in the same range as domestic lighting. Bulb re- placement thus appears to be a very effective way of achieving substantial gains in energy effi ciency at both country and household level, combining economic, environmental, energy and social objectives, constituting a win-win-win situation that is by no means common for policy programmes.
Today, the penetration of effi cient light bulbs is not only a reality for Chile prosperous pop-
ulation but also for the poorest households which are the benefi ciaries from NLBRP. Through this programme, these households enjoy access to an effi cient technology that sustains their comfort and cuts their elec- tricity bill. The success of the programme, coupled with almost no cases of benefi ciaries reselling subsidized bulbs, shows that in a medium-term perspective, social support programmes should be designed in an in- novative, integrative and careful manner to consider both environmental care and poverty reduction.
About the authors: Nicola Borregaard (PhD in Land Economy, Cambridge University) is cur- rently professor at the University Alberto Hurtado in Chile, and works as a consultant. She was Director of the National Energy Effi ciency Pro- gram between 2006 and 2008. Pamela Mellado Morales (MSc Economics, University of Chile) has developed her professional career in several public institutions and currently works for the National Energy Effi ciency Program as Head of the Market Development Division.
One of the images of the general information campaign of the PPEE.
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