Energy wastage in Iranian buildings at $9bn per year

Some $9 billion worth of energy is wasted in Iranian buildings each year, according to figures provided by an industry source.

Secretary of Iranian Syndicate of Mechanical, Electrical & Industrial Companies (ISMEIC) said on Sunday that energy wastage in Iranian buildings is two times the global average of around 20%.

Zahra Hakimpokur said that Iranian buildings consume around 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year of which some 20 billion bcm is lost due to insufficient insulation as well as using substandard heating and cooking devices.

Hakimpokur said that buildings also waste some 33 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year from a total of 83 billion kWh supplied to them by the national electrical grid.

“If we calculate the amount of wasted gas and electricity in the country’s buildings, we have some $6 billion worth of electricity waste and $3 billion worth of natural gas waste,” she said, adding that solving the energy inefficiency issue in Iran needs a strong public determination.

The comments came during a meeting in Tehran where industry figures discussed ways to boost energy efficiency in the Iranian buildings.

Mohammad Hashemi, a board member at ISMEIC, said that some 70% of the energy produced in Iran each year is used in buildings and mechanical and electrical installations in the country.

Hashemi said windows, doors, ducts and heating devices are responsible for a bulk of energy wastage in the Iranian buildings.

Reza Haji Karim, another ISMEIC board member, said in the meeting that Iran consumes the equivalent of $170 billion worth of energy each year, including 300 bcm of natural gas.

Haji Karim said the country is the sixth largest consumer of hydrocarbon products in the world and its daily use of energy is the equivalent of 7 billion oil barrels.

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