Energy Efficiency in Brazil
Even though there were related programs running in Brazil before it, the national energy efficiency has become much more important in the recent years. At the beginning of the last decade, the country suffered with several electrical blackouts and with a electricity shortage that undermined the economic growth.
Since then, the government adopted a law to impose consumption limits to electrical devices and reinforced the existing PROCEL (National Program for the Energy Saving). Considering that energy efficiency refers to the maximum conversion of primary energy into electricity or performance, I could mention also many other programs created to promote alternative and more efficient sources of energy.
But if I have to highlight one well succeeded program implemented in Brazil, I would mention the Labeling Program, implemented under the context of the PROCEL. According to this program, which is voluntary at the beginning, the manufacturers rate their electrical devices according to a consumption scale of efficiency. After the maturation of the segment, it becomes compulsory. Examples of products already labeled: lamps, freezers, TVs, electrical taps, showers, air conditioning devices, among others. On the right we can find an example of a label used in Brazilian fridges.
The importance of this program and the thing that differentiates it from some others is the participation of the customers. In most countries in the world, the prevailing market economy has given much power to the companies, that sometimes has the power to decide whether they want or not to implement projects that benefits the environment or national issues such as the energy supply security. But once the customers are involved and have the power to compare and decide what product they want to buy, companies are forced to improve their methods and invest more money on research and development of new technologies.
Comments Off on Energy Efficiency in Brazil /
08 Jan 2012
por
Fabio Pinto Almeida
IMSD /
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