Hello !
Me voici de retour de la grande Chine.
J'ai enfin de nouveau accés à Facebook, twitter, et les services Google à 100%.
Il me faut un temps de réadaptation face à cet accés à la libre expression... Donc voici juste un petit lien vers un article du Matinal from
Bijaye M :
This week, oil prices have reached an all time record since the last two and a half years trading at about $120 per barrel. According to experts, the price is not expected to reach the all time record of $ 147 in the near future. However, this price does not give sign of any decrease. Together with the nuclear disaster in Japan and the decision of European and Asian countries to review the development of nuclear energy, the world may be facing a major energy crisis. . The object of the bill is to provide for the setting up of the Energy Efficiency Management Office which shall, inter alia, make provisions for the efficient use of energy in Mauritius. Section 5 (a) and (b) of the Bill defining the objects of Office as to promote use of energy and national awareness for the efficient use of energy as a means to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. The functions of the office as stipulated by section 6 are lofty.
As such, I was a little bit disappointed when a major bill, the Energy Efficiency Bill passed by Parliament last week went practically unnoticed.
I do not think that anybody should have any quarrel with the setting up of this office. Given the past non-performing records of most of the parastatal bodies, it is my ardent wish that this important office does not become another sinecure.I am aware that the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities has devised excellent strategies, programmes and action plans for energy conservation and efficient use of energy to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. Unfortunately, they were not implemented with passion. Only a superficial approach was adopted.I remember the great fuss which was made around MUDA campaign. This Japanese concept which improved and revolutionized the Toyota production system was expected to eliminate all waste in the field of energy. MUDA was supposed to give a new perspective to consumers to reduce their energy consumption by simple actions like switching off lights, televisions and all other electrical appliances when not in use.Another half-baked project has been the low consumption electric bulbs supposed to be sold at subsidized rates to consumers. The CEB was entrusted with the implementation of the programme. In a few houses, I have seen a few points being installed but not in use. Tube lights still remain the most popular. I have called this project half-baked because it did not take into consideration the efforts required to bring in change in the consumption pattern of the people.The net result has been that some dozen staff of the CEB has been suspended for allegedly mishandling the procurement process of the bulbs. An enquiry is on and I do not know when the findings will be made public.Everybody knows that the country loses billions of rupees worth of energy through traffic jams. The situation is worsening day by day. Government has taken some positive measures to improve the situation by modernizing our vehicle park, eliminating old vehicles and carrying out a vast programme of road development. As a daily user of the road, I see the length of queues of vehicles both in the morning and afternoon increasing.A fleeting totally impractical idea comes to my mind in my dream to solve the problem. What if the President, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister uses the roads like common mortals?I find ministers, engineers, administrators working 24 hours a day without much food, roads being enlarged, and bridges being built particularly the dream bridge and the intrfoduction of Light Rail Project and Bus Lane, as if by magic.They would not dare keeping the Prime Minister waiting for an hour in the traffic jam as he was caught once on his way to Ganga Talab. I am fully conscious and understand that the security and the burden of the office demands that persons holding such office be provided with maximum facility and security.Mauritius is also blessed with plenty of sunshine, adequate velocity of wind and waves but hardly any use is being made to utilize these clean natural sources of energy. I know that they do not come cheap. CEB has already been providing small independent power producers a plan to invest in these schemes at a remunerative rate but hardly anyone has come up with a feasible project.Recently, a delegation led by the Prime Minister visited Reunion Island and saw the use of solar energy on house tops. I am told that the project is subsidized by the EU. Some Rs 500, 000 are required to install solar energy on the normal roof top and link to the power grid. If we are serious, soft loans at subsidized rated of interest should be made available to interested parties.The most efficient use of energy is being done by the 5-star hotels system throughout the world. The electrical installation in each room is done in such a way that is it controlled by the room key. Whenever the customer leaves the room with his key, the power is switched off and it comes back only when the key is put into the system.A scheme exists to improve the efficiency of the small sector of the tourism industry, particularly in marketing. The scheme should be extended to improve the energy efficiency of this sector, particularly to tourist residences, guest houses and small hotels by introducing the special key management system. Similar schemes should be introduced in all government owned and state leased buildings. I think that the private sector is already slowly introducing such a system.Energy efficiency also implies introducing the MUDA system in the production of energy. Mauritius is already in the comfortable situation in producing of about 30 percent of its energy requirements by renewable means like bagasse and hydro.The danger is that in the future, a cartel may control independent power production and fix the production costs to the detriment of the consumer. My wish is that the Energy Management Office does not become a bulldog without teeth nor join the list of non-performing wasteful organizations.http://www.lematinal.com/blogs/10911-Blog-Energy-Efficiency---A-Must.html
