Energy inefficient TVs are off the shelves
Ministry of National Infrastructures launches yet another step towards implementing government plan for increasing energy efficiency in Israel, aimed at cutting 20% of electricity consumption by 2020
Have the electronics retail chains been listening to the voices of protest booming throughout the country and decided to cater to the middle class? Don't be too sure.
About a week ago, Minister of National Infrastructures Uzi Landau signed new regulations banning imports of non energy-saving television sets, in one among several measures taken by the Ministry in order to implement the government's decision on increasing Israel's energy efficiency from July 2010.
Annual TV consumption: 2 billion kWh
According to the government's decision, Israel is to cut its electricity consumption by 20% by 2020. The Ministry of Infrastructures estimates that presently, the consumption of electricity for television sets is 1 billion kilowatts per hour.
With the lack of said regulations – it is expected to hit the 2 billion kilowatt-per-hour mark by 2020. The new regulations stipulate that starting December 31, importers will be prohibited from bringing in television sets that do not meet energy efficiency standards. Consequently, the electronics chains are scrambling to jettison their outdated and energetically not-up-to-par stock.
Following the government's decision, an inter-homostadial committee was formed to promote a reform in Israel's energy efficiency for which a budget of some NIS 400 million ($108 million) was allocated for the next two years.
"Rather than upping the electricity production capacity by building new power plants, we can use the budget to curb consumption", explains Smadar Bat Adam, the Ministry of Infrastructure's chief of staff.
Bat-Adam is scheduled to speak at a conference held by the Israel Institute of Energy and Environment under the sponsorship of Bank of Jerusalem, titled "Electricity on the Grid – Between Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency", which aims to examine the government's ability to curb the national energy consumption.
The plan formulated by the government deals with the domestic sector (changing of electrical appliances), the industrial sector (changing of refrigerators and HVAC systems) and the agricultural and business sector (hotels).
Investment to pay off within 3 years
Bat Adam explains that some of the initiatives are already underway such as the distribution subsidized energy-saving light bulbs.
"We have already launched a pilot in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, in which we replaced 680 refrigerators for families on income support. This is a donation that responds to the social protests and achieves just distribution. The major portion of the budget will be channeled to that end and the remainder will be allotted to publicity and enforcement.
"Some of the bodies do not understand that energy efficiency is also a downright economic matter as well," Bat Adam criticizes. "A point in case: We invested some NIS 100,000 ($27,000) in making the Ministry of Infrastructures itself more energy efficient – we changed all of the light bulbs, we installed movement sensors which automatically shut off the lights and air-conditioning when no one is in the room.
"Already after one quarter of energy saving we saw the difference in the electric bill which was NIS 17,000 ($4,580) lower. This is a remarkable return on the original investment."
Lior Shmueli, the economic advisor on energy efficiency of the Israel Institute of Energy and Environment, explains that well-planned energy efficiency efforts can lead to a return on investment within three years.
"Replacement of equipment in factories will lead to lower electricity consumption and to lower costs; however, replacing equipment without a controlled plan might defeat the purpose," Shmueli explains.
Click here to read this report in Hebrew
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