16 September 2014, Abuja – Worried by the depletion of the ozone layer which is blamed on the advancement in technology, infrastructure, exponential population growth and other man-made activities, stakeholders in the built environment have advocated greenness to be encouraged in the construction of buildings with designs which will ensure the use of more of day lighting and less wattage of electricity light.
Speaking during a Business Seminar on energy-efficient buildings organised by Pera-Beam Limited in collaboration with LG Electronics, Korea in Lagos last week, the participants upheld that the choice of devices used in servicing buildings, and their application should be energy efficient in order to promote green environment, as well as manage the cost of energy.
The Chairman, Pera-beam Limited, Major Gen. Sansaliyu Awosanya (Rtd), who spoke at the event said: “Pera-Beam Limited and LG Electronics, Korea organised the event to showcase new technologies in both residential and commercial air-conditioning that supports energy efficiency and preservation of our ecology.
The two organizations have come a long way to deliver these environment friendly devices to the Nigerian market in collaboration with all stakeholders in the building and construction industry.
“The major challenge in the world today is how to preserve our ecosystem in the face of increasing demand on it. Advancement in technology, infrastructure and exponential population growth is putting so much pressure on our ecosystem.
The question is, can we sustain the comfort and the advancements we now enjoy without thinking of sustaining our environment? As an organization, Pera-Beam remains committed to the green culture. We promote technologies that are of green value to the environment.
“Being a key player in the building services industry, we are concerned with doing more with energy. Conserving the energy is essential to the sustainability of the ecosystem. The choice of devices we use in servicing our buildings, and the way we apply them should be energy efficient. This is not just for the promotion of green environment but to also enable us manage the cost of energy in our premises”, Awosanya said.
Similarly, the Managing Director, PBL, Dr. Abayomi Akindele said the seminar became imperative as the level of awareness for energy-efficiency is still very low in Nigeria. His words: “Achieving greenness in our building goes beyond talking.
It is about implementing it at the point of conception to execution and in our day-to-day living. So, today, we are drawing the attention of all relevant stakeholders on the need to encourage greenness in our buildings, by managing the energy consumptions.
It will start from the way we design our homes, by ensuring less wattage of light, by using the day light. What the day light can give you in your space, you don’t need to use lighting. Even in the air-conditioning business, there are devices that are more energy-efficient in terms of the way they operate. This is the kind of things we promote”.
Explaining how the Lagos State Government has keyed into the initiative, the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello disclosed that the Lagos State Government in its commitment towards promoting a green and energy efficient environment has targeted public and private secondary schools, encouraging the young ones on the need to be energy and environment efficient, as well as be aware of environmental sanitation and hygiene.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Environment, Dr Taofeek Folami, Bello, who pointed that the state government is set to launch its Energy Policy said: “The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola is going to launch the State’s Energy policy, by the end of this month. In 2011, he created the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources just to show the focus. He also rejuvenated the Lagos State Electricity Board, which was defunct for so many decades.
“As we speak, all the bulbs in the State Secretariat, Alausa are all energy efficient. We completed the projects two years ago. The second significant project that we did is that we don’t use generating sets in the Secretariat anymore. We have a captive power behind the Governor’s office with about 10 mega watts and it runs on gas. It has been on for about eight months. We have the Akute Power station with 12 mega watts power plant, basically to power our water treatment plants. We have the Island power doing the same thing and we are about to commission another in the GRA, with about 8.8 mega watts.
“Essentially, the old Secretariat, Police College, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and all the street lights within that area will be powered directly by the Independent Power Plant. So, we are going to phase-out all the power generating sets in these areas. In the very near future we will do the same for Lekki. All these show how serious we are as a State to use our resources prudently and efficiently, even as we have saved a lot from the consumption of diesel to power our power generating sets.”
Commending Pera-Beam, for its resolve in promoting energy efficiency in buildings, he however, implored them to key into designing buildings for the purpose of conserving energy, thus giving them enough windows. “When this happens, it means, we will be needing no lights in our offices between the hours of 7am-7pm, except when we work late into the evenings”.
– Vanguard