Take action, respond to Earth Hour

"Saving electricity - Making it a habit" is the message of the Electricity Saving Program for the period 2020-2025 to implement Directive 20/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on promoting electricity saving. This is also the theme chosen by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to spread to the community in the Earth Hour Campaign in 2024 with two purposes, both contributing to ensuring electricity supply and protecting the environment. In Thanh Hoa, Earth Hour was first held in 2013 to spread this meaningful message with the whole country and the world.

Take action, respond to Earth Hour Thanh Hoa City Electricity hangs banners promoting Earth Hour Campaign 2024.

Responding to the Earth Hour Campaign 2024, the Center for Industrial Promotion and Energy Conservation under the Department of Industry and Trade of Thanh Hoa has coordinated with press agencies to publish and broadcast reports and propaganda articles to call on the entire community and businesses to respond to Earth Hour 2024.

Along with conveying the message "Saving electricity - Making it a habit" of the Earth Hour Campaign, through propaganda work, the unit calls on people, communities and businesses to take practical actions to save electricity and protect the environment, which are: Limit the number of times the refrigerator door is opened and the time it is opened, make full use of available natural light, set a reasonable air conditioner temperature, watch the same TV, choose energy-saving devices to use, limit single-use plastic bags, unplug electrical outlets when leaving the house or at night, turn off the motorbike engine when the traffic light is longer than 16 seconds, throw garbage in the right place and maintain public hygiene and actively plant trees when possible at home, office and where you travel.

According to the leaders of the Center for Industrial Promotion and Energy Conservation, visual propaganda forms have also been actively deployed. The unit has coordinated with Thanh Hoa Electricity Company to propagate to localities to hang banners in response to the Earth Hour Campaign on the main streets of Thanh Hoa City and the headquarters of affiliated power companies. This communication campaign aims to call on all people to participate in turning off unnecessary lights and electrical equipment during the "Earth Hour" event, thereby spreading and creating positive changes from awareness to action on using energy economically and efficiently.

Responding to the Earth Hour Campaign 2024, on Phan Chu Trinh Street, in addition to the street lighting system, many agencies, organizations and enterprises have turned off all LED lighting systems, billboards, decorative lighting and unnecessary electrical equipment.

In Thanh Hoa City, the lighting system in Lam Son Square and the entire Phan Chu Trinh Street also turned off its lights. Many families also actively responded to the program.

Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong, Phu Son Ward (Thanh Hoa City) shared: “Although the apartment is not too large, the awareness of turning off and reducing unnecessary electrical equipment not only saves costs for the family, but also contributes to protecting the environment, so I always remind my relatives to use electricity economically. Children at school are also informed about this issue, so they are becoming more and more responsible in using electrical equipment. In particular, my family regularly responds to the "Earth Hour" campaign by turning off all electrical equipment during the event as called for.”

Along with individuals, many enterprises are also aware and increasingly have clearer and more responsible actions and moves in using electricity economically, especially key enterprises with large electricity consumption. Typically, at Hanoi - Thanh Hoa Beer Joint Stock Company, the enterprise pays special attention to solutions to optimize operations to save energy and reduce emissions at the factory; at the same time, encourages officers and employees to propose solutions and initiatives to improve techniques, bring production efficiency to the company and fulfill their responsibility to the whole society in protecting the environment. Many initiatives such as biogas regeneration, using renewable steam in the refrigeration system, investing in new technology boilers with high efficiency when put into actual operation have reduced coal consumption by up to 15%/year.

Entering 2024, Thanh Hoa Electricity Company has also focused on implementing the non-commercial DR (load adjustment) Program for customers with large electricity consumption by proactively meeting, discussing and signing agreements; in which, focusing on supporting energy audits with the goal of improving the grid load factor. The company's Electricity Saving Steering Committee also works and signs commitments with customers to save electricity and shift electricity loads. On that basis, based on the allocated available capacity, the company will calculate the capacity that needs to be regulated for the power companies as a basis for calculating the capacity that needs to be shifted for each customer, especially for the group of customers with a consumption output of # 1 million kWh/year.

According to forecasts, in 2024 and the coming years, the tension in electricity supply will continue to occur, especially during the peak months of the dry season in the Northern region. Currently, many power source and grid projects are being urgently implemented, especially the 500kV Line 3 Project from Quang Trach - Quang Binh to Pho Noi (Hung Yen) to help transmit electricity from the Central region to the North; the 220kV Line Project Nam Sum - Nong Cong (in Vietnam) to serve the import of electricity from Laos is being strongly directed by the Government. However, the first and most practical source of electricity that needs to be actively responded to by the community to reduce power outages when there is a power shortage is the source of electricity obtained from behaviors and solutions for efficient and economical use of electricity.

Article and photos: Minh Hang

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