Neoenergia is committed to building a sustainable model in the energy market and contributing to the locations where it operates. The company's distributors - Coelba (BA), Celpe (PE), Cosern (RN) e Elektro (SP e MS) - invested R$ 60.6 million in 2020 through its Energy Efficiency Programs (PPE), regulated by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel). Among the main actions in a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic the highlights were the donation of air conditioning equipment and LED lamps to hospitals and the execution of efficiency projects in public buildings in its concession areas. Support for health care institutions will continue in 2021 and since the first days of the year, the group has announced the donation of scientific refrigerators for vaccine storage to 672 cities, in yet another initiative to help fight the pandemic.
Our actions aim to support public agencies and society, offering a contribution to help the country get out of this moment of hardship it is facing due to covid-19. In addition, despite the pandemic, we were able to safely proceed with important sustainability actions, including the replacement of lamps and equipment with more efficient models, which lead to significant savings in energy consumption," says Neoenergia's Energy Efficiency Manager, Ana Christina Mascarenhas.
The project, classified as of Great Relevance Covid-19 Hospitals equipped hospitals in Bahia and Pernambuco during the first half of 2020, benefitting 75 units with more efficient equipment. 182 refrigerators and freezers and 99 air conditioning equipment were installed. In addition, 7,935 lamps were replaced with LED models, which are more efficient and may provide average savings of 40% in the building lighting system.
Over last year, Neoenergia distributors carried out efficiency projects in 300 public and welfare buildings, such as public schools, health units, and philanthropic institutions, among others. 53 units in Bahia, 22 in Pernambuco, 6 in Rio Grande do Norte, and 219 in São Paulo were benefited, totaling more than 190 thousand bulbs replaced. The company also carried out projects for the efficiency of public lighting in the concession areas of its four distributors, with the replacement of over 18 thousand points with LED lamps.
From the total amount invested, R$ 20.39 million were intended to actions carried out in Coelba's concession area; R$ 13.24 million in Celpe; R$ 5.62 in Cosern; and R$ 21.36 in Elektro. In addition to the energy efficiency projects developed by the group's four distributors, some initiatives cover specificities of each location, such as the efficiency of four sanitation companies in the countryside of São Paulo, Elektro's area of operation, which replaced 894 lamps and 272 reflectors in 2020 and includes the replacement of pumps in 2021.
In the five states where its distributors operate, Neoenergia serves 14 million clients, representing a population of 34 million people. The company carries out projects as part of the Energy Efficiency Program aimed directly at consumers. In 2020, almost 233,000 lamps were replaced with LED for residential consumers and over 140,000 lamps in 714 public and philanthropic institutions located in these communities.
Vale Luz project, which exchange solid waste for a discount in the energy bill, was continued last year. Due to the initiative, 419 tons of residues were recycled with a discount of more than R$ 107,000 in the energy bill of 5,388 consumers. The work of collecting the materials was carried out under strict health and safety protocol, to prevent covid-19.
Education Incentive
Last year, educational projects were carried out in public schools and online training, training 137,736 students and 3,104 teachers in the distributors' concession areas on the theme of efficient use of energy. Due to the suspension of on-site classes to avoid contamination by the new coronavirus, these initiatives have been carried out using digital platforms.
"These initiatives aim to spread the concept of energy efficiency with students and their families, who can be protagonists of changes in the habits of energy use. Education is one of the main allies to promote awareness on sustainable development, renewable energies, and efficient energy consumption", says Ana Christina Mascarenhas.
Incentives for clean energy
With the growth of distributed micro-generation in households, the company implemented the Neoenergia Solar project in 2020, using energy efficiency resources, encouraging the expansion of clean energy production. A 50% discount was granted for the installation of photovoltaic panels in 435 households in three states - Bahia, Pernambuco, and São Paulo. Installed power amounted to 1,780 kWp. Solar energy provides numerous benefits, including the fact of being a source with no greenhouse gas emissions in generation, in line with the group's commitment to de-carbonization and fighting climate change.