Category: Energy

Recently, the different offices of the Ministry of Health began to request Electrical Verification Certifications for the renewal of Sanitary Operating Permits (PSF) that most establishments require to operate legally.

Said requirement is based on article 13 of the General Regulation for Sanitary Operating Authorizations and Permits Granted by the Ministry of Health , the implications of which we will see below:

What is an Electrical Verification Certificate?

It is a document that shows that a verification of the electrical installations was carried out in a building and it was confirmed that they comply with the standards established in the Electrical Code.

For its part, the Electrical Code is a standard issued by the National Fire Protection Association of the United States and was adopted by Costa Rica as an official standard, through Decree 36979-MEIC .

What establishments require this certificate to renew the PSF?

In general, it is required by establishments that have dangerous areas or have the capacity to accommodate more than 100 people.

The specific list of premises that, according to the Ministry of Health, must have said requirement, is made up of those establishments that appear marked with an asterisk in Annex 1 of the General Regulations for Sanitary Operating Authorizations and Permits Granted by the Ministry of Health .

Who can perform the electrical checks?

The verification can only be carried out by professionals who are accredited for this purpose by the Federated College of Engineers and Architects (CFIA) and must be a person other than the one who built the electrical installations to be evaluated. ´

A reliable team must be selected for these verifications, since it seeks to safeguard the safety of people, to the point that if in said verification the professional determines that there is a high risk or imminent danger, the CFIA must request the electric distribution company the disconnection of the service.

At Zone Environmental Services , we have a multidisciplinary professional team that can help you with:

1. Electrical verification by an accredited professional,
2. Advise you on the corrections that may be necessary to obtain the certificate,
3. Procedures before the Ministry of Health for the approval of the sanitary permit and, if necessary, presentation of corrective plans to make continuous improvements in reasonable terms without having to stop the operations of the establishments.

How often must the Certificate be renewed?

The electrical verification must be carried out mandatory every 5 years. Bearing in mind that the standard validity of Sanitary Operating Permits is also usually 5 years, an electrical verification must be approved for each PSF renewal.

Energy production is responsible for around 80% of CO 2 emissions and two thirds of all greenhouse gases, the main cause of global warming. Reducing these emissions is essential to ensure the subsistence of life on the planet, therefore, the Paris Agreement has proposed that each country determine its own objectives in order to keep the increase in average global temperature below 2 degrees with relative to pre-industrial levels and to continue efforts to reduce the increase to 1.5 degrees.

Notwithstanding the obvious need to reduce emissions caused by the energy industry, we face the contradiction of having to increase energy production. To understand the challenges we face, we must consider the following:

1. That the constant supply of energy is necessary for the enjoyment of human rights such as health, food, access to information, communication and transportation, which are essential to guarantee a dignified life for every person.
2. That both the International Energy Agency and the largest companies in the energy sector agree that the demand for energy will tend to increase throughout the 21st century. By 2040 it is estimated that 30% more energy will have to be produced than is currently produced, this is equivalent to adding a new China and India to the current electricity demand.
3. It is estimated that by 2030 there will still be 675 million people without a constant supply of energy, so there are still many homes to which the energy distribution network must be extended.

To face these challenges and at the same time conserve the environment, the following are of vital importance: i) the production of energy from renewable sources due to the low pollution they cause and ii) the efficient consumption of energy, so that more and more have to resort less to polluting energy sources to meet global energy demand.

The production of energy through renewable sources is growing at a fast pace, it is estimated that it will increase by 40% by the year 2020 and that by the year 2040 two thirds of the investment destined for energy production will be captured by renewable means.

Despite the rapid increase in renewable energy, we cannot just wait for energy transfer to renewable sources, as the challenge presented by global warming persists as always, with 2017 being the hottest year on record.

Apparently, global warming is progressing faster than the transfer to renewable energy. Therefore, to win the race for terrestrial survival, it is also necessary to rely on efficiency in energy consumption, that is, that the existing energy yields more and reduce waste.

The rational use of energy can be promoted on a large scale in different ways:

• Electricity consumption bands : Minimum and maximum consumption limits are imposed, in this way, whoever exceeds the maximum limit of electricity consumption will suffer a penalty in the price to pay, while customers whose consumption is less than the minimum limit, will enjoy a reduction on your monthly bill.

In Costa Rica, this system is used only halfway, since the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity penalizes those users whose consumption exceeds 200 kWh per month, applying a higher rate for each kilowatt consumed in excess.

Likewise, article 9 of the Sales Tax Law exempts from said tax electricity consumption of less than 250 kw/h, if the electricity demand exceeds this amount, the sales tax will be applied to the total energy consumed.

Thus, in Costa Rica only excess consumption is penalized, but savings are not rewarded.

• Promotion for the consumption of low-consumption products : This promotion can be via tax exemption, such as the one applied by the Law for the Regulation of the Rational Use of Energy on a whole series of products such as fluorescent light bulbs or solar panels.

Also, at the beginning of this year, the Law on Incentives and Promotion of Electric Transport was approved, which creates tax exemptions that considerably reduce the prices of vehicles, facilities for financing the acquisition of means of electric transport and other benefits such as preferential parking for zero emission vehicles.

• Prohibition of non-efficient electrical products : Such as Directive 011 of the Ministry of Environment and Energy that prohibits public institutions from purchasing incandescent light bulbs and any other equipment with low energy efficiency. Or the general prohibition that exists on these products in other countries.
• Establish maximum limits on consumption : Like the Law for the Regulation of the Rational Use of Energy, which establishes a maximum limit for electricity consumption by industry and whoever exceeds it, must present a plan for the gradual reduction of consumption.

As for individual initiatives for energy efficiency, joint construction and conditioning measures are usually taken, adoption of adequate equipment and the conscious use of electrical equipment. For example:

1. Construction and conditioning:

• With the use of climate control means such as adhesive solar filters on windows, the thermal impact of solar radiation on the interior of the building can be reduced and dependence on air conditioners can be reduced.
• In terms of lighting, the interior arrangement of buildings in such a way that natural light is properly used reduces dependence on artificial light for up to 12 hours.

1. Adoption of suitable equipment:

• When it is not possible to completely avoid the use of air conditioners, it should be taken into account that centralized systems tend to use less energy than individual units.
• Incandescent light bulbs waste 90% of the energy in heat, while only 10% is used to produce light. Switching to fluorescent bulbs uses up to 4 times more energy and reduces the heat generated by the bulbs, which also reduces the need for air conditioning systems.

1. Conscientious use of electrical equipment:

• The use of air conditioners in automatic mode to maintain a suitable temperature and at certain times, reduces the intensity of use
• The use of natural light can save up to 22% of the energy used in buildings.
• Regarding the use of electronic equipment, simple measures such as the adoption of black screen savers, sleep times and even automatic shutdown of equipment in disuse, generate a significant reduction in energy consumption.

There are many other measures that can be applied in terms of energy efficiency, which in addition to playing a fundamental role in the challenges that humanity currently faces, represent economic savings in the short and medium term, so being a win-win scenario, there is no real compelling reason not to adopt them.

  

The adequate or necessary consumption of energy is a type of measure that must be adopted in the use of said resource, incorporating more efficient electrical devices, that is, they consume less energy than the average electrical device, obtaining the same result; as well as making use of spaces with greater lighting, for the adequate use of sunlight.

For the Economic Commission of Latin America (ECLAC), the sectors that must implement energy efficiency are the sectors with the highest greenhouse gases (GHGs); Residential, Industrial, Services, Agriculture, Transport and Energy.

The importance of energy efficiency is based on four points;

1. Increased energy consumption due to global growth.
2. Increase in the cost of energy.
3. Reality of climate change.
4. Medium and long-term economic savings, implementing adequate energy consumption measures.

Energy efficiency encourages the consumption of renewable energies, to achieve a balance in the emissions produced, since it is estimated that the growth of the world population will increase by 1,000 million by the year 2030 according to the United Nations Organization. Without a doubt, there will be a greater demand for energy and therefore a greater generation of GHG emissions. Hence, it is absolutely necessary for future generations to incorporate energy efficiency activities into their way of life.

Below we will mention some of the most effective measures to achieve efficient energy consumption:

1. Improve ventilation environments in the infrastructure.
2. Change traditional lamps for LED or saving bulbs.
3. Implement low consumption electronic devices.
4. Carry out an Energy Efficiency Plan, to know the real consumption of electrical appliances.
5. Implement solar techniques for heating water.
6. Incorporate air conditioning systems with greater efficiency.
7. Promote energy efficiency in public lighting, implementing saving lights.
8. Promote the implementation of energy efficiency in education.

These are measures that have to be incorporated in order to achieve energy efficiency. To achieve significant effects, it is necessary to implement them in all sectors and establish energy saving policies in order to achieve sustainability.