With electricity prices rising, it’s not uncommon for people to seek ways to save energy and, more importantly, money. Fortunately, as more Filipinos strive to be thriftier, their efforts positively impact energy conservation.

Dean Aldrin Calderon of Mapúa University’s BS Energy Engineering program explained how energy consciousness translates to both environmental and financial sustainability.

“When people learn the value and start to practice energy conservation measures, they automatically become ambassadors of green living, promoting energy and environmental sustainability. By lessening or eliminating electric bills, people can also gain from this practice because they can save more financially,” said Dean Calderon.

Other environmental and societal factors that benefit from energy conservation techniques are environmental protection, energy security, sustainable development, educational value, and behavioral change.

However, to truly make an impact, Filipinos should consistently and collectively practice energy consciousness year-round – even during the hot, dry season.

The previous dry season saw many households using their air conditioning units for hours on end because of the unbearable temperatures, leading to sky-high electricity bills. Dean Calderon shared that in these cases, people should just focus on optimizing energy consumption by setting their appliances, specifically air conditioners, and refrigerators, at a specific point and not going beyond what is necessary.

For households and most workplaces, whose highest energy-consuming appliance is usually the air conditioning unit, he recommends switching to inverter air conditioners, which consume less energy. They should also select the set point temperature of their units. He said that most Filipinos think that 24°C is still warm when it is, in fact, not. Meanwhile, the global practice of consistently shutting an aircon and refrigerator on and off makes their compressors work harder, so they use more electricity. These practices demonstrate how energy consumption is affected by our normalized beliefs.

Another simple yet practical way to decrease electricity bills is to stop leaving appliances like lights, television units, and electric fans on when they are not in use.

He recommends installing and using solar panels to eliminate energy consumption in the case of electric vehicles.

When done consistently, simple energy practices such as these will lessen electricity bills and, more importantly, encourage people to create an energy conservation culture and a paradigm shift that will pave the way toward achieving a greener future.

Energy expert Dean Calderon emphasized that everyone should be more mindful of their energy consumption and think beyond their needs. Citizens should always prioritize sustainability and consider the harmful effects of energy overconsumption on our environment and planet.

Mapúa introduced its groundbreaking Energy Engineering program in 2023 to further advocate a culture of energy consciousness and conservation. The first Philippine university to offer it as an undergraduate course, Mapúa’s Energy Engineering program equips students with knowledge and skills to help find alternative energy sources, improve energy usage, and develop efficient energy solutions.

He elaborated that Mapúa’s Energy Engineering program deals with energy utilization for conventional power generation, alternative sources of energy, and non-power applications with a focus on energy conversion, combustion technologies, heat transfer, energy materials, thermodynamics, built environment, and technological impacts on society.

“The program future-proofs undergraduate students and prepares them to become energy industry game-changers and drivers of the transformation and the ascent of sustainable energy,” he added.

To learn more about how you can become an industry expert in Energy Engineering, and discover more undergraduate programs offered at Mapúa, visit https://bit.ly/AskMapua.