Vietnam Turns to Technology to Solve Energy Dilemma

Vietnam Turns to Technology to Solve Energy Dilemma

Vietnam is facing a power dilemma, with officials in Hanoi trying to figure
out how to supply all of its surging energy needs without destroying its
environment in the process.

Southeast Asia in general will see energy use jump 80 percent in the next
two decades, according to Trilliant, a software firm for electricity grids.
But for Vietnam, that number is closer to 200 percent.

Some stakeholders believe the remedy is a combination of technology,
renewable power, and greater energy efficiency. But the answers aren't so
simple to decision makers in Hanoi.

Considering coal

Many of them see coal as an affordable fuel for the economy, with dozens of
thermal power plants slated to come online by 2030, despite the carbon
pollution they discharge. And although Vietnam just raised the price it'll
pay investors for solar power, the market for renewable energy has remained
in its infancy for years.

Vietnam faces the predicament familiar in developing countries: Economic
growth comes at a price.

"The world has engaged in the industrial revolution 4.0, featuring the
deeper penetration of information technology into all aspects of life," said
Vo Van Hoan, office manager at the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee.

That's the good news about technology, that Vietnam is taking part in this
revolution in its quest to be an industrialized nation by 2020.

But the bad news, Hoan said, is there are downsides to globalizing
economies, such as pollution, deforestation, desertification and other
damage linked to climate change.

Smart meters

Technology isn't always eco-friendly as it ushers more factories and heavy
machinery into Vietnam, where electronics have overtaken rice and coffee as
a leading export in recent years. Technology, though, also could mitigate an
economy's harm to the environment, especially in addressing the energy
supplies that Vietnam considers essential to move up the income ladder.

An example is electricity meters connected to the internet, or smart meters.

Trilliant and the Saigon Hi-Tech Park wrapped up a pilot project in March
deploying smart meters around the commercial zone that houses the likes of
Intel and Samsung. The devices alert authorities when there's a power
outage, so they can fix it and keep the grid running smoothly. The meters
can detect tampering and measure power quality. And they capture data every
15 minutes, so that people can analyze their electricity consumption in real
time and make decisions about the most efficient use of energy, rather than
wait on a monthly bill.

That means officials aren't the only ones thinking about public utilities.

Nguyen Ba Quynh, public sector director of Microsoft Vietnam, said ordinary
people must get involved, too.

"It's about building an ecosystem, it's about innovation," he said. "It's
about [enabling] the citizens to participate with the government in building
up the nation."

Look to Singapore

If this sounds lofty, it's because Quynh was discussing what Vietnam could
learn by peeking across the Gulf of Thailand at Singapore. The tightly
managed island has a "Smart Nation" campaign that pushes tech-driven
improvements to the quality of life, such as a "zero waste" dream of
converting refuse into energy.

Another common application of emerging technology is to assess traffic
patterns, which can lead to optimal fuel use. In Singapore's case, the
government simulates various arrangements of mixed-use real estate to see
the impact on traffic, said Chinn Lim, lead public sector strategist at
Autodesk, which makes software for architecture, engineering, and
manufacturing.

Based in Singapore, Lim said his company is also consulting with Vietnamese
government agencies to cut energy waste.

For example, designers can reduce cooling costs depending on how they
situate a building to take in sunlight. Lim also said it's becoming trendy
for buildings to be retrofitted with more efficient lighting, such as LED
bulbs and lights that can be programmed to dim or shut off on their own.

Smart bulbs and smart meters might offer just incremental change, but with
more power blackouts expected in 2018 as demand beats supply, Vietnam needs
all the progress it can get.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.voacambodia.com/a/vietnam-technology-energy-dilemma/3819838.html

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com