Ingenieur Vol 78 ingenieur 2019 apr (2) | Page 51

emissions trading markets will all stimulate energy-saving demand in Malaysia. Energy savings detection and verification (especially to determine whether the energy savings generated by the project are from the implementation of energy-saving measures, or other factors) are also a challenge because each participant in the project has a strong economic interest in the project. In the end, the ESCO introduced a new EPC model – namely the energy-saving guarantee model. In this model, ESCO guarantees the lowest energy savings so that the minimum expected return on the project is deterministic and therefore more conducive to external financing. ESCOs’ balance sheets no longer have an investment in energy efficiency projects, which allows ESCOs to launch more new projects. At the same time, the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) [4] stated that the long-term success of energy management projects is often hampered by the inability of the project partners to agree on an accurate, successful Measurement & Verification (M&V) plan. M&V protocol discusses procedures that, when implemented, help buyers, sellers and financiers of energy projects to agree on an M&V plan and quantify savings from energy conservation measure (ECM) projects. This allows the project to provide clear evidence for assessing and recording project energy savings even if certain conditions change after start-up. This procedure has given customers more confidence in energy savings and increased investor confidence in risk aversion. Malaysia has huge potential for energy-saving initiatives. The Government should consider policies and incentives encouraging contractual models that promote technology consolidation and deeper transformation. These can include energy-saving guaranteed contractual models that help achieve greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Malaysia can also consider developing policies to encourage EPC projects to expand from the industrial sector to the construction sector. Many countries, including the United States, already have many successful cases of EPC in the construction sector. Malaysia can consider raising targets and strengthening incentives to promote deeper energy-efficiency retrofits while driving large-scale, market-based financing. The following approaches could further expand Malaysia’s energy saving potential: ● ● Consider extending tax incentives, fiscal incentives, and measurement and verification practices to models other than benefit-sharing models, including energy- saving models. ● ● En c o ur a ge in t e r a c t i o n s b e t we e n companies, clients, and Government decision makers to maximise the impact of incentives and subsidies. 49