The report on the role of energy efficiency in facing the water crisis and in the increase of the resilience of the electrical system provides recommendations that allow energy efficiency to play an important role in the security of the electrical system in view of the recurrent water crises.

The highlighted measures include:

[1] Priority for Energy Efficiency

The restructuring of existing public policies, including their governance, is a fundamental step. Today, a reality of broken-down policies prevails, which do not interact and end up having little effect. The rationalization of these policies depends on the:

• Unification of the Energy Efficiency Program (PEE/ANEEL), which seeks to promote the efficient use of electricity in all the sectors of the economy, and PROCEL (National Program for the Conservation of Electric Energy, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Mines and Energy – MME and run by Eletrobras) into a single national program for energy efficiency. In parallel, the unification of the minimum standards for energy efficiency (MEPS), INMETRO labeling and the PROCEL Seal into a single program of energy efficiency for equipment, machines and buildings, including obligatory labeling.

• Creation of a Management Fund for these programs, to be maintained with the resources that the distributors allocate to PEE/ANEEL/PROCEL/Eletrobras, in addition to the budgetary funds that are currently used to maintain other programs.

[2] Emergency Measures

• Immediate update of MEPS for air conditioners and refrigerators, associated with a significant campaign to engage the consumer. Air conditioners will increase consumption over the coming summers and minimum levels of efficiency compatible with the best global standards are urgently required.

• Return of daylight-saving time. This measure, accompanied by a campaign to reduce consumption, could result in savings of around 5% of total consumption, which is enough at this time to keep the risk of blackouts in the (historic) range below 5%.

[3] Increased resilience of the electrical system

• Inclusion of energy efficiency and distributed generation in the next capacity auctions.

• Holding of energy efficiency auctions, especially in Roraima, which has been planned for three years.

• Realization of the Priority Project for Hospitals, proposed for the PEE/ANEEL.

• Preparation of Municipal Energy Plans, comprising energy management, efficiency criteria in public purchases and acquisitions, inclusion of energy codes in the ordinances and codes of municipal works.

The report is signed by the Forum for Renewable Energies, the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Protection (IDEC), International Energy Brazil (IEI), the Healthy Hospitals Project (PHS), Mitsidi Projetos and iCS, which are institutions that are part of the Network of Organizations for Efficiency.

To read the report, click here .