Taiwan’s energy intensity has been cut by 3.93 percent in the first half of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010, according to the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs Oct. 17.
Energy intensity is a measure of the energy efficiency of a nation’s economy and is often calculated as units of energy per unit of gross domestic product, the MOEA explained.
In the first six months of 2010, 8.47 liters of oil equivalent input resulted in NT$1,000 (US$34.33) worth of goods. By 2011, the same amount of goods required input of only 8.15 liters, according to the MOEA, which cautioned that the figure is a preliminary estimate.
The 3.93-percent cut, MOEA officials said, was the biggest progress seen in a single year during the last 20 years, with 2009 being the only exception, when the GDP contracted by 1.9 percent and the EI index fell by 3.97 percent.
Officials added that the government has been devoted to energy saving and carbon emission cuts by promoting a nationwide green plan since 2008.
Between then and this September, nearly 700,000 traffic lights across the island have been replaced with light-emitting diode lamps, according to the MOEA. The LED traffic lights are expected to save a total of 247 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, resulting in carbon emission reductions of 151,200 metric tons annually.
Plans are underway to add an additional 6,000 LED road lamps that would save an additional 3.29 million kw-hrs per year, according to the MOEA.
Besides providing facilities that have a smaller impact on the environment, the Bureau of Energy noted, the government is also committed to fostering the local LED industry by purchasing its products.
