Abu Dhabi: If the Gulf states continue using energy at the current level of efficiency, they will have to use a huge chunk of their oil resources to generate power to meet growing demand, an energy industry executive told Gulf News yesterday.
The technology for energy efficiency has grown at a satisfactory level and is easily available in the region, so it should be utilised to meet the growing energy demand, said Matteo Codazzi, CEO of Cesi, an Italian company specialising in power systems consulting and testing.
About 5-6 per cent of electricity bills can easily be reduced with existing energy efficiency technology, he said.
Evolving
But the technology of renewable energy is still evolving and will take time to produce the best results, according to Codazzi.
He said renewable energy projects must still depend on government subsidies, whereas energy efficient power devices are independently cost-effective.
So giving priority to energy efficiency will achieve quick results along with developing renewable energy sources, he said.
Smart grid and energy efficient electric appliances can easily be installed to save energy without a high initial investment, Codazzi said.
Cesi announced its expansion to the Middle East, with operations based in Dubai, at the World Future Energy Summit yesterday. Codazzi addressed a press conference to announce this along with Italian Ambassador to the UAE Giorgio Starace.
Strategic hub
Codazzi said the Middle East, and in particular the GCC, is considered a key strategic hub in the global energy sector, due to the economic growth in the region, coupled with the growth in the generation and distribution of renewable energy.
Gianluca Marini, director of the Consulting, Solutions and Services Division at Cesi, said the engineering and technical consulting services market in the electricity sector is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, particularly in the innovative fields of smart metering and smart grids and electrical interconnections.
Cesi operates in more than 35 countries.
