BRPD Circular Letter No. 37: Regarding Efficient Use of Fuel and Electricity, and Energy Efficient Use of Air Conditioners

Bangladesh Bank Head Office Motijheel, Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh. website: www.bb.org.bd

Banking Regulation and Policy Department

07 September 2022 BRPD Circular Letter No.-37 Date: ------------------- 23 Bhadro 1429

Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer All Scheduled Banks operating in Bangladesh.

Dear Sir,

Regarding Efficient Use of Fuel and Electricity and Energy Efficient Use of Air Conditioners.

Reference is drawn to your attention to the 'Guidelines on Efficient Use of Fuel and Electricity in Government Office Buildings' and the 'Directive on Energy Efficient Use, Maintenance and Inspection of Air Conditioners in Office Buildings' prepared by the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (attached).

2. Instructions are hereby given to formulate your bank's own policy in line with the guidelines and directives prepared by SREDA and to ensure their proper implementation.

3. This instruction is issued under the powers conferred by Section 45(1) of the Bank Company Act, 1991.

Yours faithfully,

(Signature) (Maksuda Begum) Director (BRPD) Phone: 9530252

Attachment: As described.

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Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority IEB Building (9th & 10th Floor), Ramna, Dhaka www.sreda.gov.bd

"Save Energy, Prosperous Future"

Integrated Guidelines on Efficient Use of Fuel and Electricity in Government Office Buildings

S.No	Areas of Electricity/Fuel Use	Activities Related to Fuel Efficiency and Conservation
1	Lighting	a) Use energy-efficient lighting systems, e.g., use more energy-saving LED lights instead of Incandescent or CFL lights.
b) Use colors with High Reflection Coefficient for Fixtures/Casing/Reflectors in the lighting system, which increases light brightness (Luminosity).
c) Use Motion Sensor dependent lighting systems in common spaces such as stairs/washrooms/waiting rooms/corridors, to prevent unnecessary use of electricity.
d) Maintain the specified brightness (LUX Level) based on activity as mentioned in the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC).
e) Dust accumulation on the upper part of electric bulbs reduces brightness; therefore, regularly clean the lighting system annually.
f) Use Task Lighting systems to maintain the specified brightness (LUX level) at office desks.
g) Ensure maximum use of daylight (Day Lighting).
h) Select lighting loads applicable considering the nature of work.
i) Avoid unnecessary use of lights.
2	Air Conditioners	a) Keep the Set Temperature of air conditioners at 25°C or above.
b) Keep doors and windows of the room closed in a heat-insulating manner while using air conditioners.
c) Use Double Glazed/Low Emission Glass/Curtains in windows to prevent heat flow.
d) Clean the filter of the air conditioner at least once a month.
e) Service the air conditioner at least once a year.
f) Check the heat insulation of pipelines or Ducts at least once a year and check for leakage at least once a month.
g) Use air conditioners with higher Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)/Coefficient of Performance (COP) featuring energy-efficient Inverter Technology.

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S.No	Areas of Electricity/Fuel Use	Activities Related to Fuel Efficiency and Conservation
		Alternatively, when replacing decommissioned air conditioners or purchasing new ones, air conditioners with higher EER/COP can be purchased.
		h) Keep air conditioners off when not needed.
3.	Refrigerator	Use refrigerators featuring energy-efficient Inverter Technology.
4	Fan	a) Use energy-saving (e.g., BLDC fans) and fans with higher service value (m³/min/W) available in the market.
b) Keep fans off when not needed.
5	Plug Load	a) Keep desktop computers/laptops in Power Saving Mode when idle.
b) Encourage the use of a small number of centrally networked devices instead of desk-based printers, photocopiers, and scanners.
c) Encourage group use instead of individual use of microwaves.
d) Keep equipment off when not needed.
6	Use of Renewable Energy	Along with various activities related to fuel efficiency and conservation, take initiatives to generate electricity from renewable energy sources (e.g., solar energy) on the roof of the office building or in empty spaces within the office premises to supply the full/partial (minimum 3% of electricity demand according to BNBC) of own electricity demand. In this regard, the Net Metering Guidelines prepared by SREDA can be followed.
7	Others	Encourage the activation of IoT Based Building Energy Management System (BEMS) to always monitor the use of electricity and fuel in the building.

For Awareness- Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) 10th Floor, IEB Building, Ramna, Dhaka- 1000

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Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) 1st, 10th Floor, IEB Building, Ramna, Dhaka www.sreda.gov.bd

Directive on Energy Efficient Use, Maintenance and Inspection of Air Conditioners (Air Conditioner) in Office Buildings (Energy Management guideline for Air Conditioner used in Office Building)

Application: This directive will be applied for the proper maintenance and operation, inspection, and responsible efficient use of air conditioning in office buildings.

Subject	Index	Operational Standards and Frequency
1. Applicable places for use of air conditioners	Limit the use of air conditioning only to offices, waiting halls, dining halls, libraries, meeting rooms, circulation spaces, etc.
2. Curtain/Cover Management	a. During summer, reduce direct heat entry by opening and closing curtains/covers. In this regard, use energy-efficient Low Emission glass windows as needed;
b. Close curtains facing East and South in the morning, and curtains facing West and South in the afternoon.
3. Operation Time	(a) Start air conditioning program (Permission from respective departments required for extra time)	To maintain a comfortable environment and remove accumulated carbon dioxide during office hours, 15 minutes before office starts and 15 minutes before office ends
	(b) End air conditioning program (Permission from respective departments required for extra time)
	(c) Keep the main switch of air conditioning system off on holidays
	(d) Keep air conditioning systems off in unused rooms and stores (where applicable). Except for those equipment and items that must be kept at specified temperatures.
	(e) The user will turn off the air conditioner after use. (Except for specially empowered persons)
4. Room Temperature	(a) Summer: Cooling (April to September) [Based on average environmental temperature]	Minimum 25°C
	(b) Winter: Heating (December to February) [Based on average environmental temperature]	Maximum 22°C
	(c) Intermediate Season: Keep air conditioning systems off in October, November, and March (Cool by natural air flow as needed)
5. Air Circulation Frequency	Air circulation frequency will be determined by internal CO₂ density (ASHRAE standard 62-1989)	700-950 ppm
6. Humidity (Relative Humidity)		40-60% Rh
7. Measurement and Recording of Various Parameters of Air Conditioners	(a) Room temperature (Celsius), Humidity (Relative Humidity Rh) and outside air pressure	Daily 1 (one) time
	(b) Density of CO₂ in the room or air-conditioned space (ppm)	1 (one) time per month
	(c) Operation record for permanent fixtures	1 (one) time per month
8. Air Conditioner Maintenance and Inspection	(a) Filter cleaning	At least 1 time per month
	(b) Technical test of insulation material	At least 1 time per year
	(c) Cleaning of heat exchanger coating	At least 1 time per year
	(d) Test of electronic circuit and leakage of pump, fan	At least 1 time per month
	(e) Test of control system of automatic control system	At least 1 time per year

For Public Awareness- Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority Phone- 02-9110340, Ext-103