Policy

Malta has unveiled plans to cut national energy consumption by 3% by 2010 and by 9% by 2016 as part of its 2009 budget.

The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan includes a range of measures designed at improving energy efficiency in both the domestic and public sector.

For householders, the measures include rebates on energy efficient appliances and solar water heaters. The Government will also be offering subsidies for improving insulation and distributing one million compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The plan also sets out improvements to street lighting and conservation programmes aimed at government departments, schools and hospitals, housing authorities, industry and SMEs.

The Government also plans to offer advice on energy efficient driving, as well as promoting e-working, cycling and public transport.

Taken together, the Government hopes that the measures will cut energy consumption by 126 GWh by 2010 and by 378 GWh by 2016.

The two most significant sectors for savings are domestic lighting and government-owned industry. Just the move to energy efficient light bulbs could save as much as 25-37 GWh by 2010.

In the longer term, significant savings are expected to come from smart metering and the expansion of solar water heaters. Microgeneration through wind and photovoltaic generation is not expected to yield much more than 7 GWh of savings by 2016, unless prices drop considerably.

For further information:
www.parliament.gov.mt/National%20Energy%20Efficiency%20Action%20Plan%202008.pdf